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Saving public relations: tackling the underrepresentation of Latino professionals in U.S. communications industry

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Saving public relations: tackling the underrepresentation of Latino professionals in U.S. communications industry

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SAVING PUBLIC RELATIONS:
TACKLING THE UNDERREPRESENTATION OF LATINO PROFESSIONALS IN U.S.
COMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY

by

Amy Guerra

A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF ARTS
(STRATEGIC PUBLIC RELATIONS)

May 2019

Copyright 2019 Amy Guerra
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Dedication

This thesis would not have been possible without the unwavering support from
my family and close friends. I want to thank them for their love, motivational words, and
patience throughout this academic journey. Without any of you, I would not be where I
am today. My accomplishments are yours.
I want to personally dedicate my thesis to my mom. You have motivated me
through everything and you are my source of inspiration. You have pushed me to
believe in myself when I experienced challenges along the way. You encouraged me to
continue higher education and pursue my dreams and for that I am extremely
appreciative for. You have shown me that pursuing an education brings power and that
no one can take that away from me. I am thankful for all the time, effort, and patience
you have invested in helping me secure a bright future. Know that my efforts stem from
you. Nothing is impossible. We did it, mom! This one is for you.

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Acknowledgments
Thank you to my Thesis advisor committee for your time and patience during this
endeavor. Fred Cook, thank you for always helping me navigate through my writing
thoughts. You have kept me centered and proactively brainstorming how to improve my
writing. Laura Castañeda, thank you for being attentive and eager to help in any way
possible. Throughout this entire process, I could always count on you to provide timely
advice, recommendations, and insights about addressing key topics within my thesis.
Laura Jackson, thank you for being my friend and motivating me through this year long
project. Your willingness to help with networking opportunities and revisions encouraged
me to produce quality work during the final stages of the editing process.
It is because of your guidance and motivational talks, I feel more connected to
the University of Southern California and proud to call myself a Trojan. You are all the
perfect definitions of what life mentors are and I am so thankful to have experienced
professionally interacting and working with you all.

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Table of Contents
Dedication 2
Acknowledgments 3
Abstract 6

Preface 7
Research Methodology 7
Special Considerations 7

Introduction 8
Chapter One: The Realities of Public Relations 11
For All It Stands 11
Failed Responsibility: Lack of Diversity 12
Latinos: Force to be Reckoned With 13

Chapter Two: Underrepresentation of Latinos in Public Relations 14
Here are the Facts & Why it Matters 14

Chapter Three: Debunking the Underrepresentation Mystery 16
Lack of Awareness 17
Differing Family Expectations 17
Low Recruitment Numbers 18
Retention Challenge 19
Or Is It? 20

Chapter Four: Possible Solutions at Hand 22
High Schoolers: Spark Interest 22
Conversation with Civic Engagement Professional 23
Recruit Soon-To-Be Graduates 24
Focus Group Insights 27
Team is Key 29
Better Messaging 32

Chapter Five: There is Representation: Just Not Enough 34
Professionals with a Mission 34
Conversation with Public Relations Agency Partner 35
Sara Elena Loaiza 37

Chapter Six: Organizations Doing It Right: Content Analysis 38
PRSA 38
Diversity and Inclusion Committee and Awards 39
HPRA 40
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GOLIN 41
Conversation with Diversity and Inclusion Officer 42
The Lagrant Foundation 44
VPE Tradigital Communications 46
Westbound Communications 47
Weber Shandwick 48
Ketchum 49
What We Learned 49

Chapter Seven: The Future of The Public Relations Industry 53
Diverse Voices 53
The Relevance Report 53

Bibliography 56 – 59

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Abstract
This paper examines the lack of diversity and underrepresentation of the Latino
community in the public relations industry. While it offers strategies to improve diversity
and inclusion within the communications workforce, it also depicts the thoughts,
perspectives, and ideas of experienced public relations professionals and graduate
students. Their opinions and personal insights will help identify what needs to be done
better to increase awareness of the communications industry throughout multicultural
communities.
The principal conclusion is there is a lack of diversity and inclusion in public
relations and agencies and organizations need to address it and act on it so that the
voice of the Latinx community is shared and understood.

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Preface
The researcher decided to conduct this study because she wanted to highlight
the importance of documenting and vocalizing the needs and perspectives of different
communities. Growing up, she was exposed to the negative stereotypes and
generalizations of the Latino community and as she grew older, she wanted to see her
community positively represented. She hopes that with more representation of Latino
CEOs, community leaders, Latino owned companies, younger generations are inspired
to represent and serve their community.
Research Methodology
In preparation for this thesis, the researcher conducted primary and secondary
research. Types of primary research included interviews with a Civic Engagement
Coordinator, Managing Partner for a public relations marketing firm, Diversity and
Inclusion Officer and graduate students from the University of Southern California
Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Secondary research included
scholarly academic journals, articles published online, research and case studies and
scholarly books. The author also performed content analysis on stories related to
various public relations agencies and campaigns that identified clear ways of serving
the Latino community through communication plans.
Special Considerations
As the researcher is not an expert in diversity and inclusion and was limited to
performing her own analysis, content analysis was supplemented with and supported by
expert analysis.

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Introduction
Public Relations. What is it and why is it so important? Although countless people
have used or heard of the term, not everyone understands its purpose in society.
According to Grunig and Hunt (as cited in Jethwaney & Sarkar, 2012), public relations is
the management function that establishes and maintains mutually beneficial
relationships between an organization and its different target audiences. It evaluates
public attitudes and executes a program of action to earn public understanding and
acceptance (Jethwaney & Sarkar, 2012). In successfully maintaining and continuously
building positive relationships, public relations professionals consider the company’s
objectives, mission and values as they develop communications strategies to effectively
and ethically represent said organization to its publics and disseminate information to
the media. Ideally, these formed relationships should ultimately serve to accurately
represent the voices of different demographics, but they do not. Every organization has
specific key audiences and public relations professionals work toward perfecting
marketing strategies and communication campaigns to reach those targeted audiences.
In an ideal circumstance, these strategies should simultaneously demonstrate cultural
awareness and sensitivity.
Unfortunately, there are disconnects between the United States public relations
and communications industry and the target audiences they attempt to reach through
numerous public campaigns, particularly when it comes to the Latino population.
According to the 2017 United States Census Bureau, the Latino population as of July 1,
2016 was 57.5 million, making it the largest ethnic or racial minority. Although the Latino
community represents 17.8% of the nation’s total population, organizations that work
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toward marketing to them sometimes horribly fail. For some time, the public relations
industry has been criticized for its low rates of diversity in its ranks. According to Data
Community Survey, 81.5% of public relations specialists are White, making that the
most common race or ethnicity in the occupation. The second highest race or ethnicity
representing 8.78% are Black or African Americans public relations specialists (Data
USA, 2016). With low percentages of ethnic or racial minorities represented, the
likelihood of effectively targeting these communities may be slim. This is not to say that
people cannot successfully target those outside of their own ethnic makeup, but cultural
awareness of different traditions and sensitivities to customs and more can pose a
challenge.
If more inclusion and diversity were championed in this field of work, public
relations professionals would develop a deeper trust and connection with brands by
demonstrating that they understand and appreciate these stakeholders from a variety of
social, political, economic, and cultural perspectives. Adopting a more culturally
inclusive approach would help target audiences better and avoid marginalizing them
with the stereotypes, as can sometimes be seen on product advertisements even today.
It is imperative to increase the representation of Latinos in public relations
because this field is primarily about building connections and demonstrating deeper
understanding of different communities as well as targeting them more strategically. The
Latino community and their traditions should be respected and accurately represented,
and there is no better technique to reach this objective than to diversify the public
relations industry itself. If Latino community members are working behind the curtains
with organizations, their perspective as well as their involvement in curating marketing
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strategies would positively impact the type of messages seen by the world. With a
higher percentage of the Latino community represented in agencies, messages could
empower their communities by reflecting their opinions more accurately, as opposed to
simply using messages and advertisements that were tone-deaf and feed into
stereotypes that hinder reputation and connection. With more representation in the
industry would come better understanding of different communities and higher chances
for organizations to connect with their target audiences.
There have been some breakthroughs on addressing the lack of diversity in
public relations and the need for better representation. And, although there are Latino
public relations professionals and organizations that are successfully marketing to this
demographic and their needs, the numbers are staggeringly low, especially when
considering the size and purchasing power of the Latino population in the U.S.
What are possible contributors for the underrepresentation of the Latino
community in public relations? First might be low awareness of what a career in public
relations looks like. If there is little to no knowledge of what public relations is, people
are less likely to seek ways to pursue this profession in the first place. Educating
communities of the limitless possibilities the public relations industry offers; fueling
academic programs with the intention of sparking interest in communications careers
among younger generations and revamping the reputation of public relations as a
transformative tool by learning from organizations that have already succeeded may all
be secret ingredients to more representation of Latino public relations professionals in
the United States, according the author’s opinion.

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Chapter One: The Realities of Public Relations
The simple truth is this: The typical demographic profile of a public relations
professional – nor the industry as a whole – are not reflecting the country’s changing
demographics. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, by 2020, 36.5% of the U.S.
population will be a combination of Black or African Americans, Asians/Pacific Islanders,
Latinos and Native Americans. With such great national diversity should come great
changes and increased adaptability from organizations in their communications
strategies, as well as in their make-up. The public relations industry needs to adapt to
respond to its changing audiences. And in the author’s opinion, adaptation signifies
more representation in firms and agencies. Adapting also requires pursuing improved
methods and techniques to recruit, develop and retain talent, so that it more accurately
reflects the nation’s demographics and clients’ target audiences.
For All It Stands
At its core, public relations is involved in building up organizations. It is tasked
with curating an image on behalf of a company so that it becomes something its
stakeholders believe in. It involves networking to foster professional relationships that
are mutually beneficial between organizations and their target populations. Public
relations professionals should understand different cultural perspectives to adequately
represent their clients in a way that also addresses the needs and concerns of their
target elements. Public relations is not one tangible activity; instead it is a mix of
important ingredients that help to better articulate or shape an organization’s mission,
values, and objectives in ways that the public will support and understand. It has power
to influence how an organization is publicly perceived. Done correctly, public relations
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also has the power to influence social change. In this day and age, everything is about
public image. How an organization is perceived by its publics matter. Perception,
whether positive or negative, can affect financial outcomes as well as brand reputation
for a company. It is the job of public relations professionals to accurately represent the
organization and its values and convey those values to the public.
Failed Responsibility: Lack of Diversity
Lack of diversity raises concerns about the power of the mass media messages
that are created by a less-than-diverse industry. In an article on minority practitioners,
Zerbinos and Clanton (1993) expressed alarm that racial and ethnic minorities remained
underrepresented in media, while at the same time practitioners are the major source of
media information and help set the media agenda.
For the past several years, public relations practitioners have expressed their
belief in a high need for diversity that is integrated within the internal organizational
structure of an organization or agency. Practitioners believe there should be change
and more representation, yet most fail to act on those sentiments and actually apply
them to agencies’ business models, backed by measurable and attainable goals.
Understanding there is an issue is the first step. Once that acknowledgment is made, it
is time to evaluate the company one works for. Public relations professionals might
accept there is underrepresentation of different ethnic backgrounds but may not realize
that the companies they work for may be contributing to the larger issue or at best, not
doing enough to sufficiently address the lack of racial and ethnic diversity.

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Latinos: A Force to be Reckoned With
Latinos make up a large portion of consumers in several industries, including
automotive, media and entertainment. Successfully targeting messages to them rallying
their support will lead to higher engagement and boost sales. According to a report by
the Latino Donor Collaborative, by 2020, the Latino population is predicted to represent
24.4% of total United States’ gross domestic product. Currently, the United States’
Latino GDP represents $2.13 trillion, growing approximately 70% faster than the
country’s non-Latino GDP. According to a Forbes article entitled “U.S. Latinos: The
Blind Spot of America” by Beatriz Acevedo, “In the next five years, it is predicted that
Latino consumers will spend more than millennials and the over-65 baby boomer crowd
combined, making Latino the most desirable demo for the growth of any company.”
They will have an influential role in the country’s future economy.
The growing population of Latinos also contributes to a growing workforce. Within
five years of this writing, Latinos will make up approximately 40% of the workforce
growth and are projected to represent almost 75% between 2020 and 2034, according
to a new study by data analysis consultants IHS. The quickly growing Latino
demographics in the United States could mean huge opportunities for agencies and
different companies if marketed creatively; however, they may pose extreme challenges
if companies do not prepare to connect and work appropriately with this expanding
population.

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Chapter Two: Underrepresentation of Latinos in Public Relations
If the Latino population is constantly growing, already represents a huge target
consumer base and in approximately five years, will make up about 40% of the
workforce, why is there still so little representation in the public relations
communications industry?
Why It Matters
Latinos are the largest and fastest growing minority group in the United States
and yet are one of the most underrepresented in the country – in government,
education, entertainment, sports or communications. Public relations is interdisciplinary
– meaning it can be applied/used in any industry. For example, someone might have
experience with the communications industry and can apply their knowledge toward
politics, sports or art. What public relations practitioners do is help build bridges
between politicians, athletes, etc. and general publics, using strategic methods to create
stronger connections with specific communities. Public relations professionals are
integral in positioning a company through methods consumers find more meaningful.
They can help cultivate a positive reputation for a company brand from the ground up,
or work toward conquering previous reputational challenges to improve trust and overall
public perception through ethical, socially responsible tactics.
How public relations professionals do all that – help build a company up, improve
public perception, connect with communities they are trying to target – takes experience
and, most importantly demands understanding their publics, including how people think,
and how various marketing strategies may be more prone to work with one
demographic as opposed to another. It helps having a public relations team with
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professionals from different cultural backgrounds. Having one team member with some
cultural knowledge of ethnicities beyond their own is great but having a team member
that comes from the same ethnic and cultural background as the communities they aim
to target is even better. The benefit is a deeper understanding of that community’s
cultural mores and nuances. Having a diverse team of people – especially if one’s job is
to connect and market to a diverse world – is critical. According to a Harvard Business
Review article titled “Why Diverse Teams are Smarter,” “People from diverse
backgrounds might actually alter the behavior of a group’s social majority in ways that
lead to improved and more accurate group thinking” (Rock and Grant, 2016). A more
diverse workplace will assist in keeping objectivity in projects and campaigns and
contribute to being innovative team members that explore various perspectives, making
the organization or agency all the more successful.
With the Latino population at a constant incline, it is important to have Latino
public relations professionals. The communications industry should be representative of
the communities they serve. The U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that only 10%
of people employed in public relations in 2018 were Latinos. Of those, 3.1% held
management roles, with titles such as Public Relations and Fundraising Managers.
While those numbers might have represented some increase over prior years, the
commitment to continue diversifying will always be critical to the communications
industry. According to PRWeek author Srikant Ramaswami, who wrote “Diversity and
Inclusion in the PR Profession: A Case for Change,” organizations, companies, and
agencies need to embrace, support, and protect diversity because it paves for a more
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successful work environment that values different opinions and mutual respect
(Ramaswami, 2018).
Chapter Three: Debunking the Underrepresentation Mystery
There is no one definite reason, but a myriad of possible explanations, as to why
the Latino community is underrepresented in the public relations industry. Tackling this
head-on will require several different approaches.
Lack of Awareness
As children grow up, it is common to hear them have aspirational career goals to
be doctors, teachers or lawyers. These careers are important to society for several
reasons and should be looked upon as such, because it takes a lot of commitment and
dedication to public service. It is rare, however, for one to hear a child say they wish to
be a public relations professional when they grow up. It is also highly unlikely one hears
a young adult say they fully understand what a public relations practitioner’s job entails.
Therein lies one of the key problems of underrepresentation: lack of awareness or
education about the communications industry.
Without a clear understanding of what public relations is and the role it can play
in society, few people may be aware that it is a viable and rewarding career path. And
some who are already involved in the industry were familiar with the field because they
had relatives who worked communications or confess to “falling into” the industry and
learning about the different positions available in the field late during their high school or
college years. As a discipline, public relations serves as a branch of the
communications industry. Media, advertising, journalism, and entertainment also may
be considered extensions of the communications industry and may be confused for
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public relations, but it is different. Public relations intermingle with and work in concert
with multiple stakeholder groups, which may include the news media, journalists,
celebrities, hospitals, law firms, police departments, airports, financial institutions, etc.
Public relations can be applied and implemented in any industry and perhaps that is
what might make it different to conceptualize. When explaining to children where
doctors work, it is easy for them to picture a hospital. When explaining where lawyers
work, it makes sense to think of courts and law firms. However, when asked to describe
where public relations professionals work, that is hard to explain. Because public
relations is interdisciplinary, practitioners could work for hospitals, a nonprofit
organization, a financial institution, a government agency, a PR consulting firm, a sports
team, among other locations. Being a public relations professional means having the
advantage of working with professionals from numerous industries and that variety may
be a significant factor to attract young people who might consider venturing into the
field.
Differing Family Expectations
Henry Cervera Nique, an aspiring public relations professional, stated in an
article published in the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), “My career choice
was never fully understood among my tíos and tías […] Most of my family members
hoped I would choose to become a lawyer, while my father had high expectations for
me to become a doctor, in his words, ‘because of the prestige among friends and
families, and the financial stability the profession offered.’” Nique mentioned that many
first-generation Latino college students interested in pursuing public relations faced
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another struggle: the realization that their academic and career goals could conflict with
families’ cultural expectations.
Nique’s professional journey is not uncommon for Latino families. Growing up,
family members feed children the idea that school is a key ingredient to success and
that the career path one chooses should bring financial stability to the household. It
makes sense that the most desired careers are more likely to be in fields like finance,
medicine, and law because those are well-known and often promoted in the media. It is
what families know and are familiar with, but they are not the only options.
Particularly within Latino families, expectations also may be connected to societal
perception and praise. With exposure to what public relations is and the role it can play
in society more broadly, perhaps a growing acceptance to the field will blossom. The
issue stems from the unfamiliarity of the field. Since individuals are likely unaware or
unfamiliar of what a public relations professional’s responsibilities are, the likelihood of
encouraging their children to seek it as a career will continue to be low.
Low Recruitment Numbers
There are many different possibilities as to why few people of color choose to
venture into the public relations field. Communications is an expansive industry that
includes the broader fields of digital media, entertainment, journalism and advertising,
so perhaps public relations gets lost in it all. Or perhaps it has to do with the
misperception that public relations is ‘a woman’s job.’ Women do make up 63% of
public relations specialists, according to the 2018 Bureau of Labor Statistics report. With
only 3.1% of Latino public relations-related management roles overall, a considerably
smaller percent of that are Latino women. However, despite there being more female
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practitioners in the field, a majority of the senior public relations leadership roles are still
male-dominated. There is a lot of progress to be made for the Latino community and for
women generally, in public relations, but one key takeaway is that this field that
presents considerable opportunities for anyone with a sense of creativity and drive to
build positive relationships between different clients and the diverse communities they
are trying to connect.
Retention Challenge
When someone does decide to pursue a career in public relations, how can
companies attract them, keep and maximize their talents and skills for extended periods
of times? According to The Marketer’s Guide to Hispanic Millennials, Millennials are one
of the most inherently multicultural consumer groups in the U.S. Of the 75 million
Millennials in the U.S. today, more than 42% are multicultural. Of those, 24 million are
Hispanic Millennials (Viant, 2017). Understanding that this population makes up a large
part of the workforce and addressing their thoughts about what will keep them in a job
are equally important.
In a new study from the Institute for Public Relations (IPR) and leading global
communications and engagement firm Weber Shandwick, Millennials (ages 18 - 35) and
Gen Xers (ages 36 - 51) diversity and inclusion are important for improving workplace
experiences. Approximately 47% of employed Millennials agreed that if they were
looking for a job, a diverse and inclusive workplace would be an important criterion in
their job search. The study also found that employed Millennials felt their employer was
not investing enough time and resources into creating a more diverse workplace. About
46% mentioned they felt their employers did a good job at communicating their
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organizations’ diversity and inclusion goals, but only 17% felt their employers put time
and money into promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Diversity and inclusion are important to people, and particularly for Millennials, it
influences them when choosing where to work. Public relations executives should keep
this in mind as a way of keeping the next wave of employees excited about working for
them and committed to staying with their companies for years to come.
Or Is It?
In the scholarly article in the Howard Journal of Communications, “Ethnic
diversity in the public relations industry” authors Barbara Diggs-Brown and R. S.
Zaharna write extensively about four areas that might be contributing to the
underrepresentation of minorities in the public relations industry. According to an Atlanta
Inter-Association Council study conducted in 1988, the four areas include:
• Stereotypes and associated assumptions;
• Actual differences not valued or managed effectively in the public relations
industry;
• Real and perceived exclusivity of the white male club that continues to run public
relations agencies and corporations; and
• Existence of unwritten rules and double standards for success that are often
unknown and not communicated to minorities (Fitzpatrick and Bronstein, 2006).
The problems of underrepresentation may be indicative of internal hurdles, such
as recruitment, hiring, advancement and retention, that minority candidates face within
the public relations industry. Although these might all be contributing factors to the
underrepresentation of minorities in the field, it does not minimize the importance of
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their representation, Time and again, failed, culturally insensitive campaigns, have
shown that it requires more than directly translating collateral material. It will take the
talent and skills of a professional who is culturally conscious of specific communities’
needs to better connect and thoroughly develop campaigns that effectively reach and
leave lasting impressions on these targeted individuals. If agencies and companies do
not recognize this urgent need for more diversity and representation, daunting
challenges lie ahead in terms of finding successful ways to connect with cultures,
primarily the Latino population, that are culturally appropriate.
In his academic publication “Power Diversity and Public Relations,” Lee Edwards
suggests “The lack of diversity in PR is a result of the need to preserve occupational
power” (Edwards, 2015). He writes that even though professionals with different ethnic
cultural backgrounds work for the communications industry, certain agencies and
organizations hire them to meet their overall company diversity goals. Rather that
serving as a resource to connect with target markets, these individuals remain
“outsiders within” because they do not feel valued for their different talents and skills
they could contribute to their workplace.
No matter how other communications industry professionals might perceive the
importance of diversity and more representation of ethnically diverse individuals, the
financially sound action would be to invest time and money into expanding diversity
efforts. With the growing number of diverse populations, the need for marketing
strategies that will better cater to different communities will almost become mandatory if
any particular business wants to achieve success with these target audiences.

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Chapter Four: Possible Solutions at Hand
There is an underlying problem of low numbers of Latino professionals being
represented in public relations. Why does this matter? The United States is a
multicultural nation and the demographics of the communications industry is currently
not remotely reflective of the country’s demographics. The Latino community makes up
a large part of the nation and should therefore have their voices and values understood
as opposed to fueling more negative stereotypes of this community. The profession
needs Latino professionals who are culturally aware of the needs and interests of their
own communities. There is no single, distinct action that will lead to greater involvement
of Latino individuals in public relations, but some efforts might help including spreading
awareness to younger Latino generations.
High Schoolers: Spark Interest
Sparking an interest in public relations among high schoolers and giving them a
clear sense that the industry is exciting and striving to be more inclusive of all cultures
can help younger generations begin to visualize themselves in public relations positions.
Latino professionals currently in the public relations field should participate in outreach
presentations to high schools, particularly with higher Latino student bodies. Efforts to
encourage and connect with high schoolers may work better if the people trying to
recruit them are Latinos themselves. According to the Professional Diversity Network
jobs report, placing existing Hispanic executives to recruit establishes a sense of pride
and serve as a ‘real’ recruiting case study (Minton-Eversole, 2014). Nothing beats
showing students that someone like them – someone from a similar ethnic background
and cultural heritage – is successful in the profession.
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Hosting high school outreach presentations can spark students’ interest and
subsequently set the stage for future opportunities of mentorship programs that can
assist students as they apply to colleges and selecting a major.
Conversation with Civic Engagement Professional
Jaime Carias, a Civic Engagement Coordinator for the University of Southern
California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism speaks to the
importance of diversity and inclusion, and his involvement in trying to address that issue
within the communications industry. Carias is passionate and committed to inspiring
students, coach educators, and engage parents while educating them on ways to
become involved in the educational and aspirational journeys of their children. As a
Latino professional, Carias believes it is his obligation and commitment to inspire
younger generations to be better versions of themselves and sees the importance of
educating Latino families that any dream is worth achieving and attainable.
Carias coordinates the Annenberg Youth Academy for Media and Civic
Engagement (AYA), a free four-week program at USC Annenberg that exposes local
youth to media, technology, communication, journalism, public relations and civic
engagement. Taught by USC faculty, the program offers students a glimpse of first-year
college level courses and insights into possible careers in the communications industry.
Carias understands the need for more diversity and inclusiveness in the workforce,
because it paves a path for more diverse thoughts and in turn leads to better products
and public relations campaigns. Carias has a strong sense of responsibility that he feels
he owes to underserved communities to provide information and resources that might
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help students realize that their academic and aspirational ventures are more attainable
than they previously imagined.
He tries to help change the narrative and inspire young students to seek careers
in an industry that needs their insights and their stories. He considers it far more than
breaking through to high school students and educating them on what the
communications industry entails; it is also impacting parents and having them
understand the need for more representation of Latino individuals in communication
fields. While interviewing the author, Carias said, “If we are going to talk about diversity,
if we are going to preach about it, let’s act on those sentiments and change that. Let’s
create a program that attract young minds who traditionally haven’t been exposed to or
are not (already interested) in these fields of communications.” Carias is dedicated to
inspiring future professionals and considered the Annenberg Youth Academy a possible
stepping stone toward ultimately creating a more diverse community of communication
professionals.
Recruit Soon-To-Be Graduates
Recruiting soon-to-be graduates seems like the easiest and most logical thing to
do – especially when these students are graduating with a communications major, but
there are some challenges. It is common for public relations agencies or other
companies to want applicants who have three to five years working experience. Entry-
level employees with work experience can get the ball rolling and quickly become an
integral part of a communications team.
The problem arises, however, when soon-to-be college graduates do not have
work experience because they were dedicated to be a full-time student. In the author’s
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opinion, it might not be the worst thing for a company to hire someone with little to no
experience, but it would require more training and more time for the entry-level
employee to familiarize themselves with the various aspects of their employer. If they
are stressing over not having a competitive advantage and feel the pressure to secure a
job to start paying off student loans, soon-to-be graduates might decide on accepting a
job that is not even in their field of choice. This is not to suggest that public relations
agencies should hire anyone with no experience, but perhaps there is some benefit of
hiring a candidate with no experience and then molding and training them to how the
company strategically functions. Connecting and partnering with local community
colleges and universities to start fostering an easier transition for students to the full-
time workforce would be beneficial for both parties. Agencies can start training or
internship programs intended to help students develop the skills they might need for
their first full-time position.
After interviewing a few University of Southern California soon-to-be public
relations Master-level graduates, the author saw a clear theme – work culture is a
criterion for multi-cultural Millennials when they are considering which agency or
company to work for. Sonia Ramirez-Muñoz and Irina Ortega, Annenberg PR graduate
students also seeking graduate certificates in Public Policy Advocacy, mentioned how
important it was to work for a company or agency with diversity and inclusion programs.
They believe organizations with these kinds of programs provide a sense of openness
and recognize the importance of team members from different cultural backgrounds
who can bring forth new and different perspectives. Ramirez-Muñoz stated, “Public
relations professionals strive to promote all sorts of campaigns to different audiences
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and understanding cultural nuances will make for a better campaign. Currently, the
industry is not reflective of our nation’s diverse populations and it is important for me to
work for an organization that values that diversity and wishes to own it and use it to
better connect with communities.”
Ramirez’s sentiments are echoed in the aforementioned survey, in which 45% of
employed Millennials agreed that if they were looking for a job, a diverse and inclusive
workplace would be an important criterion in their job search. This trend of members of
younger generations who are comfortable expressing their expectations of diversity
should serve as an opportunity for public relations agencies to listen and consider
changing their approach on tackling diversity, if it has not already been done. Yes,
soon-to-be graduates are thinking this way and want to see evidence, but so do clients.
Clients from all sectors might feel strongly about diversity because this nation is
becoming more and more diverse as the years pass. They are likely to realize the
significant challenges of having to market to those diverse communities. According to a
two-year High-Impact Talent Management research study, only about 12% of
companies have a strategy clearly detailed to address diversity and inclusion and set
measurable objectives (Deloitte, 2015). With set strategic plans, the industry of public
relations could become the exemplar to all other industries of how to master diversity
and inclusiveness, and proactively practice those principles with clients, both through
the campaigns they execute, and within the workplaces they operate. Conversely,
public relations can miss this great opportunity, and be forced to play ‘catch up’ when
another industry excels at it first.
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In an article published in O’Dwyer’s The Inside News of PR and Marketing
entitled “Is Cry for PR Diversity Different This Time?” by Rick Gould quotes Karen
Strauss, partner and chief creative officer at Ketchum, comments that, “To increase the
flow of diverse people and ideas into organizations, we must get vigilant about hiring
from varied socioeconomic and academic backgrounds and work a lot harder to make
people who challenge our way of thinking and working feel welcome and included […] If
people with different opinions, experiences, and perspectives don’t feel a sense of
belonging, they disengage and leave. That’s at the heart of this issue.” Yes, the need for
Latino public relations practitioners is high, but the need for diverse thoughts,
perspectives, ideas, experiences is forever present in any industry.
Focus Group Insights
The researcher conducted a focus group with six participants – Latino USC soon-
to-be public relations graduate level students and entry level communications
professionals. They discussed their perspectives about representation of Latino
individuals and the communications industry addressing diversity and inclusion. When
asked if they thought the Latino community was represented in the communications
industry, they believed there was a lack of representation. Marketing and Sales
Coordinator Jocelyn Joachin stated, “Based on my personal experience, there is
definitely room for more representation. In my current workplace suite which is
comprised of four sister companies, there are only two Latino individuals, including
myself. Additionally, Latino representation is just as lacking when we take our various
clients into account. However, California has a highly diverse student population, so I
am hopeful that representation only continues to grow. Graduate-level student Irina
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Ortega added that this lack of representation comes from a lack of awareness and
understanding of the profession. She elaborated that “reaching out to students before
they get to college could be a great way to increase the awareness and understanding
of PR.”
There was an overall consensus that work culture was a big criterion when
choosing which agency or organization to work for. Full time communications and public
policy student Yanely Cuevas repeated that is was important for her to find an
organization that supported the different perspectives and opinions of its employees and
created an environment where they can grow and succeed. Graduate-level student
Sonia Ramirez stated that “working in a diverse workspace that creates change in the
community is more crucial for me.” According to the 2017 Global Communications
Report presented by the USC Center for Public Relations (CPR) about 71% of public
relations students reported that diversity in the workplace was of great importance to
them.
After analyzing the possible actions current public relations professionals can
partake in to increase representation or interest in the field, marketing coordinator
Edgard Morales advised starting with professionals in upper management within the
industry. He stated, “Targeting high schoolers would do wonders for the PR "brand.”
Educating kids before they graduate about public relations will simply spread awareness
of other possible career paths, they might have not been aware of.” Ortega suggested
that story-telling would be a great opportunity to attract more Latino individuals. She
addressed that a study done by USC communications professor Sheila Murphy
revealed that Mexican American women were more receptive to videos that used
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narratives to convey health information. The women who watched the narrative video
understood the information better and were more likely to recall it. The story in the video
connected with the women on a personal level and ultimately produced positive results.
She believes the same could be done to convey information about the public relations
industry. Whether it’s through reaching out to high schoolers or creating national
campaigns, she thinks a narrative format that is going to resonate with Latino
communities would increase awareness. Account Coordinator Denise De La Cruz
stated, “I think outreach within our communities is key. I was not aware of all the
opportunities within the communications field until I graduated from college. I think
internships could be a viable option. Proactively pushing for them at our own
workplaces would help attract more Latino professionals. Additionally, that could even
lead to mentorships.” The overarching conclusion from this focus group was that there
was a high need to spread awareness about communications and the public relations
industry and no better way target audience that high school students making critical
decisions for their future and career options.
Team is Key
Having a united and dedicated front of public relations professionals working to
promote and act on improving diversity and inclusion will be necessary for the task to be
completed effectively. There are different approaches that may be taken. For starters,
agencies should develop their Latino public relations professionals to become
prominent in their field through training, networking and mentorship. These individuals
ultimately should be the “face” in the effort since Latino communities are being targeted
for recruitment.
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Another method is for current Public Relations professionals to inquire whether
their company already has an ongoing diversity initiative and then offering to participate.
Doing so would give the individual insight on how the company plans on tackling
diversity and also might present opportunities for them to modify and improve marketing
strategies that target Latino communities. There needs to be action in improving Latino
representation in public relations and no solution will be met if larger communications
and public relations organizations do not actively work to improve the situation.
In his 2015 article, “Seven Ways PR can be a Champion for Diversity” published
by The Institute for Public Relations, author Dean Mundy stated two key takeaways
regarding Diversity in Public Relations. “First,” he wrote, “Public Relations professionals
still see diversity as somewhat or extremely important to organizations (85%) and
believe that it is somewhat or extremely important to communicate diversity values to
internal and external stakeholders (74%). Second, despite this sentiment, […] PR has
not taken a lead role in championing diversity.” The article goes on to further describe
important questions teams of public relations professionals need to work through and
ask themselves to determine if the agency they work for is addressing the issue
appropriately.
Some of Mundy’s questions include:
• How can organizations measure the true impact of diversity-focused
communication beyond surveying sentiment, meeting mandated quotas or
reporting demographic statistics?
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• What is being done in terms of diversity-focused communication beyond
employee recruitment? Is it limited to reporting organizational sentiment,
demographics or similar baseline statistics?
• Does the public relations function actively partner with the administrative unit that
manages diversity initiatives and programming, such as human resources? If so,
is PR leveraging that partnership effectively during the PR planning process
(beyond employee recruitment materials)?
• How can the Public Relations function think long term, holistically, and make
diversity-focused communication part of the planning process specific to our
industry and stakeholder network?
• What can we ask our external stakeholders regarding their perspective of our
diversity values? We might be good at gauging sentiment among internal
stakeholders. Is the same true of external stakeholders?
• How does the Public Relations function make diversity part of its environmental
scanning process? What’s happening in the communities you serve specific to
diversity? Are there opportunities or challenges you should address?
These questions are a great resource and could be modified to cater to each
company or agency’s objectives. What would be beneficial would be having a team of
public relations professionals work together to tackle these questions and identify
baseline objectives against which they could work. Having tangible goals might better
equip the team of practitioners to articulate specific company diversity and inclusion
initiatives while improving the work culture and strengthening morale in the workplace.

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Better Messaging
It would be counterproductive to assume that the Latino community are a
homogenous mass. Even within the ethnicity there are some significant cultural
differences. Agencies or companies might be hesitant to target Latino communities for
fear of language barriers. However, for Latino Millennials, one of the largest
demographic subgroups, language barriers pose few problems. According to an NPR
article entitled “Youth and The English Language Define U.S. Latino Population” written
by Richard Gonzales, about 76% of Latino Millennials primarily speak English at home,
and more than two-thirds read most content in English. Latino Millennials are also heavy
users of mobile devices and social media platforms. According to the Pew Research
Center’s Internet Project, approximately 80 percent of U.S. Latino adults use social
media, compared to 72% for the country overall. Nearly 68% percent of U.S. Latino
adults say they used Facebook, Twitter or similar social media platforms, compared to
58% for the U.S. population. A Forbes article entitled “Is Marketing in Spanish Still
Relevant To Hispanics?” described that young Latino individuals appreciated seeing
advertising content in Spanish, but that English campaigns would also reach this
demographic.
Knowing language barriers are less of a marketing challenge, but that celebrating
the Latino culture is appreciated, agencies have more opportunities to be creative while
marketing to the Latino consumer base. It can be a great pathway for agencies to
venture into marketing campaigns that opt for in-culture strategies as opposed to in-
language. That means agencies and companies must find a right balance of English
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and Spanish language marketing while acknowledging that the United States Latino
culture is different from the Latin American Latino experience.
There are some companies that do celebrate the Latino culture without fueling
negative societal stereotypes. For example, Nike introduced a limited shoe collection
showcasing cultural expressions from Latin American artists and heritage to honor
Hispanic Heritage Month. Canticos is another example of a brand that rejoices in the
Latino culture. Canticos features popular nursery rhymes and songs from the Spanish-
speaking world artists in books and digital applications that are presented in both
English and Spanish. McDonald’s has publicly voiced its continuing efforts to close the
educational gap for Latino students in the United States. The corporation has awarded
young and talented Latino students with $100,000 HACER national scholarships and
support USHLI Student Leadership Summit in 11 U.S. cities to benefit nonprofit and
federal organizations that primarily work with underserved Latino communities.
Another method of directing better messaging toward Latino communities is
having local-focused campaigns and tailoring marketing strategies by market. These
campaigns can feature local Latino influencers communicating to local Latino media to
garner familiarity and ultimately support from the community. These localized
campaigns, which might address a trending community event or issue, could serve as
the stepping stones to bridging a stronger connection between companies and the
people they intend to reach. If consumers can relate to the campaign, feel their
concerns and voices are being addressed and see its effects within the community, they
may be more likely to pay attention and want to get involved.
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Since more than 35 million Latinos are active social media users, companies and
agencies should pay attention to the trends that occur on these channels. On social
media, public relations professionals can learn what communities want, what they value,
and what they will buy. Agencies can use social media to execute campaigns targeting
Latino communities and leave a lasting impression. Instead of relying on only one style
of messaging to satisfy the Latino market, communications executives must think of
possibilities to address Latino Millennials, and determine if different messages should
be created to appeal to women, men, children, students, grandparents, and the like.
Chapter Five: There is Representation: Just Not Enough
There is some representation within the Public Relations industry. As of 2014,
10.5% public relations professionals were categorized of Hispanic descent, according to
the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And although that is some representation, those
numbers fall far short of Latino demographics in the U.S. Having Latino public relations
professionals speak up and mobilize Latino communities is crucial – especially when
more representation is needed.
Professionals with a Mission
The Latino culture is family oriented. Practicing family values and helping to care
for family members are expectations carried throughout most Latino homes and
reaches back generations. This sense of responsibility and commitment to family is
carried out through different professionals and their careers. Some people feel a strong
obligation to help their family and community be successful. Seeing these professionals
working so hard to move their communities forward is inspiring to say the least. It takes
a concerted effort of many people to transform an industry and Latino professionals
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working to be the movers and leaders of this movement have not shouldered an easy
task. Their commitment to their Latino community takes resilience, passion, energy, and
dedicated efforts. These experienced Latino public relations professionals who are
committed to mobilizing younger generations, so they become interested in public
relations professions are essentially forming the groundswell to a new wave of public
relations in the near future.
Conversation with Public Relations Agency Partner
Chris Perez, founder of Chris Perez Consulting, has more than 30 years of public
relations, marketing, brand development, and communications strategy experience. He
has developed highly successful campaigns for clients in the consumer, multicultural,
B2B (business-to-buisness) and government sectors. His array of client work ranges
from notable companies like Experian, Toyota Motorsports, Johnson & Johnson, Coors
Brewing Company, California Department of Transportation, Centers of Disease
Control, AQMD, and over eighty other brands and/or organizations. He also has held
communications leadership roles, including Senior Vice President for EuroRSCG
Magnet; Founder/President for CSP Communications; Account Supervisor at
Fleishman-Hillard and Senior Account Executive for Golin Harris.
In an interview with the author, Perez mentioned his commitment to serve the
Latino community while working with clients and managing campaigns that serve to
educate and inspire different Latino communities. Among his experiences was
launching a national Latino practice that turned bi-coastal after his firm won Tecate
Cerveza as a client. Perez currently represents some Latino clients as he works to
successfully implement community outreach-driven and local campaigns. He openly
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expresses his concern for lack of representation of Latino young men and women within
the public relations field and works to ensure the company he is currently Partner for is
a diverse and inclusive environment. “As an industry, I don’t think we have done a very
good job at educating young people and older generations on what public relations is
and its importance […] There is a lot of talk (of getting) more Latino community
members involved, but not enough awareness of what we [public relations
professionals] do and what our practice is all about.”
Perez believes the lack of awareness is a very distinct challenge public relations
professionals face. With no awareness of/or education about public relations, young
minds will not know of the different opportunities afforded to them within the
communications industry. He comments that a key breakthrough to achieving more
representation of people from different ethnic backgrounds is targeting the youth –
specifically high schoolers. “High schoolers are interested in the media; but it is our job
as PR professionals to educate them on how public relations works with the media and
other sectors to create big things.” Perez also believes one of the ways public relations
practitioners can accomplish this is if they themselves go back to their high schools and
volunteer some time and effort to talking about public relations and the different career
pathways students can venture through. He describes how it is important for these
public relations professionals to educate young communities, but feels it is also the
responsibility of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), a nonprofit trade
association for public relations professionals, to join in on the effort. He acknowledges
that spreading awareness will take time, but strongly believes it will be in the best
interest of the industry for the future.
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Sara Elena Loaiza
In 2011, when honored with the prestigious Public Relations Woman of the Year
award presented by the Los Angeles Chapter of the National Latina Business Women
Association (NLBWA), Sara Elena Loaiza, founder and managing partner of Latino
Consultants, LLC, said that giving back is more than merely a generous or
magnanimous act: it is a duty. Latino Consultants is a leading social-cause marketing
firm in which Loaiza oversees operations, strategic and creative direction, corporate
responsibility, and leads all integrated marketing strategies. As stated in the article,
“Latino Consultants' Loaiza Awarded PR Woman of the Year” in LatinoLA! by Marco de
la Paz, “Over the past 20 years, Loaiza has created award-winning social marketing
campaigns and led the first nationwide Latino marketing initiative for CIGNA in the early
1990's. Through her leadership and passion, Latino Consultants' impact shapes policy,
educates consumers and, ultimately, creates positive social change.” Her agency
develops strategies that align with her social-cause marketing platforms and in 2013
was also recognized the John Muir/Mt. Diablo Community Health Fund for designing
and creating the first Hyper-Local, Bilingual, Healthcare Access Web-Based, Multi-
Platform App.
In 2014, Loaiza was featured as a “Health Hero” cover story in a Latino Leaders
Magazine special health issue. Giving back is important to her, so she volunteers and/or
sits on numerous boards, including the American Diabetes Association, Anti-Defamation
League, The Mexican Cultural Institute, The Wall Las Memorias Project, United Negro
College Fund (Los Angeles Chapter), and the NCLR/CSULB Center for Latino
Community Health, Evaluation & Leadership Training. She has reached success within
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her field and since reaching her peak, Loaiza contributes her time, knowledge, and
energy to educate and inform communities she knows would benefit.
Chapter Six: Organizations Doing It Right: Content Analysis
Organizations are also equally committed to taking a broader approach and
promoting diversity of all ethnic and cultural backgrounds, some specifically focus on
Latino communities.
PRSA
Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA), a nonprofit trade association for
Public Relations professionals, has taken a broad-based approach to promote diversity
of all sorts within the industry. Its National Diversity & Inclusion Committee is committed
to making progress in the Society. It highlights that diversity involves more than racial,
ethnic, religious, sexual orientation and gender differences, but also diversity of skill
sets, mindsets and cultures at all levels of an organization. The Diversity and Inclusion
Committee works closely with “the PRSA Foundation, which helps drive diversity within
the industry of public relations by funding numerous research initiatives from
underserved populations, PR firms and employees.” As a resource for different
companies and agencies, the Diversity and Inclusion Committee launched a Diversity
and Inclusion Toolkit featuring diversity-related research, materials, and applicable tools
to implement within a given workplace.
Representatives of PRSA expressed their desire for the Toolkit to serve not only
as a resource to educate members on methods they can use to manage diversity and
inclusion initiatives, but also to influence the demographic composition of the
organization’s membership so that it is more reflective of U.S. demographics. On its
website, PRSA expressed its desire to promote greater diversity and inclusiveness,
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which could ensure a competitive advantage and increase membership. It is therefore
openly encouraging organizations and agencies to develop and improve their marketing
strategies so that they are better equipped to serve diverse communities of
stakeholders.
Diversity and Inclusion Committee and Awards
PRSA acknowledges that working to spread awareness of Public Relations and
integrating diversity and inclusion in the workforce is no easy feat. It is therefore
commending Public Relations agencies and organizations that have demonstrated
notable achievements in diversity and inclusion efforts and have shown great
commitment in establishing programs that will help aspiring Public Relations
professionals from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds move up within the field.
These awards help incentivize its member organizations to improve diversity and
inclusiveness in their respective workplace environment. Lack of diversity is a
recognized issue within the Public Relations industry and finding ways to celebrate and
commemorates those organizations that are working to solve the issue or improve the
circumstances deserve to be applauded.
Another interesting method PRSA National Diversity and Inclusion Committee
has pursued is its annual celebration of Diversity Month in August to highlight member
agencies and their best practices towards diversity. Dedicating an entire month to
acknowledging organizations’ efforts is a great strategy to garner participation, whether
it be via social media, orchestrated campaigns, published articles or the creation official
websites. Seeing how open other organizations are about wanting to be more diverse
and inclusive of all cultures through public communications channels might also catch
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the broader populations’ attention and spark an interest in the field overall or merely
provide an opportunity join the conversation.
HPRA
The Hispanic Public Relations Association (HPRA) is a national nonprofit
organization, established in 1980, with chapters in Los Angeles, New York and Miami. It
is composed of a group of Latino public relations professionals dedicated to embracing
multiculturalism and advancing the practice of Hispanic public relations as a marketing
discipline. The association strives to be the voice Latino communities through
campaigns nationwide. HPRA provides professional development tools and resources
on the latest trends, issues and best practices in the field. According to the
organization’s website, its three chapters offer “in-market professional development
initiatives and exclusive networking opportunities with top journalists and industry
thought leaders.”
HPRA saw a window of opportunity to be a source of information and guidance
for Latino professionals in the industry and has become a source of unity and
empowerment for these individuals. HPRA understands the importance of what Latino
professionals bring to the industry – including unique talent, knowledge, or different
perspectives – and does what it can to showcase those skills and develop them to the
next level. It is an organization dedicated to empowering Latino public relations
professionals and creating and implementing communications campaigns that resonate
with United States Latino communities.
Apart from its efforts to empower Latino individuals in public relations, HPRA
commemorates the industry’s leading professional Hispanic organizations who have
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conducted with the most innovative cultural campaigns through its ¡Bravo! Campaign
Awards. The series of categories include technology, food & beverage, healthcare &
nutrition, sports, automotive, digital, non-profit, landscape, etc. As stated in hpra-
usa.org, “In 2018, HPRA will continue to recognize the best work being executed in the
industry, as well as empower future professionals to continue their education,
acknowledge the contributions of seasoned practitioners and celebrate the valued
partnership and trust fostered with journalists.”
In addition to their efforts in helping current Latino practitioners, the association
serves as a resource for students interested in pursuing a career in the communications
industry. HPRA raises scholarship funds for full-time Latino college students pursuing
degrees in public relations, advertising or marketing. Another way they engage aspiring
Latino public relations professionals is through local chapter events. In 2014, HPRA Los
Angeles chapter hosted PRemio Awards and Scholarship Night, during which
representatives from top brands, Hispanic public relations and marketing leaders and
media and digital influencers could network and provide resources for students. The
networking event celebrated scholarship recipients and community activists who have
used their skills and talents to positively impact the Latino community.
GOLIN
Golin is a global integrated public relations and marketing communications
agency of diverse thinkers. Diversity and Inclusiveness is reflected internally within the
agency and through campaigns to clients. Their slogan “Go All In” acknowledges the
agency’s commitment to be fully dedicated to clients and to their own team of
employees – whether that entails developing campaigns that help clients better connect
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with communities through relatable and culturally sensitive campaigns or supporting and
pushing through challenges to ensure a more diverse and inclusive work environment.
In 2018, the agency launched the “Have Her Back” campaign, which was aimed
to recruit and assist women who had left the communications industry due to their
experiences with sexual harassment, sexual assault and inequality. They tackled this
objected by means of hiring practices, professional training and fostering an internal
culture that emphasized empowerment. The agency partnered with The 3% Movement,
SheSays and EvolveHer to terminate toxic agency cultures that can pose as barriers for
women seeking to advance their careers in the field. Caroline Dettman, Golin’s Chief
Creative Officer, commented, “It's progress when we're getting rid of abusers, but we need to
fix the culture that enabled it to happen." Since “Have Her Back” launched, Golin has
committed to doubling the percentage of women who aspire to become executive creative
directors and work for the agency each year through 2020. Through its actions, this agency’s
leaders have made notable strides in their efforts to be inclusive of all demographics. They take
a stand for what they believe in and invest abundant resources to develop campaigns that may
have lasting effects on targeted communities.
Conversation with Diversity and Inclusion Officer
Golin is not just talk. It is an agency that should pride itself on its diversity and
inclusion efforts internally within its offices. Margenett Moore-Roberts, Golin’s Chief
Diversity and Inclusion Officer leads that effort. She is responsible for the development
and activation of a Diversity and Inclusion strategy that promotes strategic engagement,
cultural intelligence and inclusion. She collaborates with the agency’s executive board
to ensure the implementation of the strategy and to measure its effectiveness, or lack
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thereof. Prior to Golin, Moore-Roberts was Yahoo’s global head of inclusive diversity. In
2017, she received the Yahoo! CEO Excellence Award and was named one of
California Diversity Council’s Top 50 Multicultural Leaders in Technology. In a 2018
interview with the author, when asked about her new position as Chief Diversity and
Inclusion Officer, she said, “I am beyond thrilled to join this team and partner with
Golin’s top executives to elevate the practice of inclusion as a core competency and
competitive advantage for the agency. The specific set of disciplines and expertise that
have enabled Golin to deliver success for clients can be beautifully leveraged to
develop and execute a progressive Inclusion & Diversity strategy. The implications of
this opportunity are enormous for Golin and its clients.”
Margenett Moore-Roberts’ role at the agency varies from enabling the Golin team
to cultivate cultural competency, building professional relationships with clients by
offering guidance and support on methods and strategies they could implement to
encourage inclusion throughout their organizations, and securing partnerships and
sponsorships to get larger access to top diverse talent in an efficient way. She believes
it is “important to raise awareness of our need for more diversity and inclusion in the
industry and making sure that the highest levels of the organization have a healthy
respect and healthy way to support this initiative.”
Margenett Moore-Roberts also understands it is a team effort and is spreading
the idea within her office that “every individual on the team is responsible for bringing
forth diverse talent.” The entire agency team needs to see the importance of engaging
in diversity and inclusiveness efforts and spreading awareness. Among its activities,
Golin hosts a two-day Inclusion Summit that offers professional development workshops
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for ‘inclusion champions,’ individuals who have shown a strong interest in or
commitment to inclusiveness.
The LAGRANT Foundation
A nonprofit organization that specifically addresses the lack of diversity in the
advertising, marketing, and public relations industries, the Los Angeles-based
LAGRANT Foundation was established in 1998 by. Kim L. Hunter and has become a
huge resource for aspiring communications professionals. The LAGRANT Foundation
provides financial support in the form of scholarships, as well as career development
workshops, professional development, mentors and internships to students of diverse
multi-cultural backgrounds, including Latino undergraduate and graduate students.
According to its website, it has awarded a total of $2.38 million in scholarships to 521
ethnic minorities and has extended internship opportunities and full-time employment
offers over 300 times.
The LAGRANT Foundation has four types of programs that serve ethnic minority
undergraduate or graduate students. For example, students who are currently attending
college might apply for the scholarship program. There is also a Mentor Program in
which scholarship recipients are partnered with professional mentors who serve as
resources or provide them with opportunities for experience and exposure in the
communications field. These mentors are not just motivational gurus, but
communications practitioners who have industry experience and can provide important
information and answer questions about working in the field. Having those one-on-one
interactions can sway or totally spark an individual’s greater interest in pursuing a
communications career after graduation. Mentors who volunteer their time are
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passionate about what they do and want to share that excitement and passion with
students with a newly found passion for the industry.
In addition to its mentor program, the foundation’s internship and job placement
program provides students with opportunities to be placed at select advertising, public
relations and marketing agencies, publishing companies and communications-related
businesses. Internships consist of on-going, hands-on communications experience and
training for at least a three-month period. Internships only provide a brief glimpse of
what one might do working for an agency or company at an entry-level position, but at
least it places things into perspective. If students were selected for a Public Relations
internship and did not really know how public relations concepts translated to actual job
tasks, an internship would be a period of time when basic questions could be
addressed.
Lastly, the LAGRANT Foundation offers career development and professional
development workshops for students nationwide. Communications professionals
describe what it is like to work for an agency or for a brand and explain different careers
well enough so that students can consider whether they can see themselves doing this
work in their near futures.
The LAGRANT Foundation is definitely a leader in several ways. It has clearly
identified a problem – lack of diversity in the communications industry – and has
provided identifiable methods on how representation can improve. It understands the
concept of dedicating time and energy in educating younger generations of potential
communications professionals and providing them with resources to help or at least
help guide them in their potential career directions. Reaching and educating younger
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generations on working in communications, and specifically in public relations careers,
is the way to go to increase the field’s appeal for the next wave of the workforce.
VPE Tradigital Communications
VPE Public Relations is one of the nation’s leading Latino-owned public relations
agencies that combines traditional and digital communications strategies to help clients
connect and engage with Latino markets. It has dedicated itself to be an active resource
for several nonprofit organizations that empower and improve Latino communities
through local and national campaigns. John Echeveste, founding member of VPE and
HPRA member, developed campaigns and programs for national brands including
McDonalds, Verizon, Disneyland, Target, and the like. When asked about his
experience with VPE, he commented, “I’ve had an extraordinary opportunity over the
last 26 years to work with a talented group of staff members, clients and colleagues who
all share the common commitment to serve the Latino community in a meaningful and
respectful way.” Since Echeveste’s retirement, Patricia Pérez assumed responsibility of
the agency as managing partner. She oversees the agency’s Social Marketing division,
which encompasses social advertising, public awareness, and community outreach for
government, nonprofit and foundation clients.
One of Pérez’s most notable campaigns was the government-launched California
Latino 5 a Day, which encouraged people to eat at least five healthy portions of fruit and
vegetables every day. Its goal was to educate different communities and was so
strategically developed that the campaign won six awards for communications
excellence; some of its programs were later adopted by other national initiatives. Some
of the more community focused campaigns VPE has had the opportunity to develop and
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be involved in include Get Real About Teen Pregnancy for The California Wellness
Foundation; Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention for the Office of Traffic Safety; The
Dept. of Justice’s Elder Abuse Prevention program; and the Can It Campaign for the
Los Angeles County Office of Public Works, among others.
Not only is VPE Tradigital Communications an active player in the advancement
of Latino public relations professionals, but its work through campaigns is informative
and impactful to various communities. The agency builds up the communities it serves
with campaigns that are sources of information and relevant to residents’ lives;
however, it also applies what it preaches internally within the agency. It is a place where
a diverse group of people with many talents can grow in their field and are recognized
for their commitment like Patricia Pérez.
Westbound Communications
Westbound Communications is a public relations agency that works with clients
to raise awareness about current societal issues to key target audiences, including
Latino communities. The public relations team is currently working with Mission
Hospital, St. Jude Medical Center and St. Joseph Hospital to develop their Each Mind
Matters initiative through the “Promise to Talk” local campaign in Orange County.
“Promise to Talk” is a mental health stigma-reduction campaign aimed at raising
awareness of mental health and the importance of engaging in positive and healthy
conversations in a safe way among family and friends. Its target populations are
underserved communities and even more specifically Latina mothers and guardians.
“Promise to Talk” asks its community members to ‘promise’ to talk openly and honestly
about mental health challenges and encourages engagement and involvement through
Guerra 48

community outreach events, door-to-door canvassing, local print, and broadcast public
service announcements.
Community outreach involves a combination of local events that attract Latino
families. Westbound Communications strategically participates in different events to try
and obtain as many possible opportunities to truly engage with its target audiences.
Aside from the overall spreading awareness aspect of the campaign, “Promise to Talk”
prides itself on developing methods to have lasting impacts on residents from cities
identified as areas of highest need of awareness through one-on-one interactions.
Westbound Communications’ team members see the necessary role Latino
public relations practitioners play when clients want campaigns targeted to Latino
communities. Having a diverse team of individuals establishes a foundation that fosters
different and creative perspectives. Having team members who are more culturally
conscious of a specific ethnicity helps the agency develop better marketing strategies
when trying to reach certain communities.
Weber Shandwick
Weber Shandwick is a global public relations agency that won the “Best PR Firm
Diversity Initiative”, which was awarded by PR Week in 2015 for their commitment to
cultivating a more diverse and inclusive work environment. Weber Shandwick partners
up with organizations such as The LAGRANT Foundation and The United Negro College
Fund to recruit younger talent. According to the article, “It’s Time to Address the Lack of
Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Public Relations” by Aray Rivera, in 2015, nearly one-third
of the company’s hires at the Vice President/Senior Vice President levels were people of
Guerra 49

color. About 28% of new hires at the account director level, and one-third of people
promoted to the Vice President level were also people of color.
Ketchum
Ketchum is a global public relations agency that has displayed dedication to
increasing diversity and inclusion with their workplace. For its summer fellowship
program, they started the Launchpad initiative, which is essentially a “blind” system that
enables interviewers to examine a candidate based on their potential as opposed to
their prior work experience or background. This process asks applicants to address a
real client challenge and the next round of interviews or for employment are selected
based on a merit scale. This method paves an opportunity for recent graduates who
might not have any relevant work experience but are willing to learn. It also allows for
professionals not currently working in the field to potentially enter the organization. The
Launchpad demonstrates agency leaders’ philosophy is that placing strict experience
guidelines on job applicants might hinder them from reaping the skills and talents of
someone who might otherwise be classified outside of the box of the traditionally-
defined “ideal” candidate.
What Can Be Learned
All of these organizations are only some examples of leaders within the public
relations industry who have set the pace against which current and future organizations
can build. These exemplars have dedicated concrete time, staff and investments to the
efforts of increasing diversity and inclusion. Most of the organizations that have been
described here are linked to the Latino community, whether through having a diverse
selection of clients serving the Hispanic market, seeking to recruit more Latino public

Guerra 50

relations professionals, or launching campaigns with Latinos as primary target
audiences. This is inarguably a good thing: organizations and agencies that are taking it
upon themselves to make a difference within the industry.
There has been talk for decades on the need for more inclusion and diversity in
the public relations field, and these organizations are working to put an end to the
conversation through their direct actions, all intended to reduce the lack of diversity. In
the author’s opinion, there is no single agency or company that appears to have the
perfect recipe or hidden secret for accomplishing true and accurate representation
within the field of varying practitioners from different ethnic backgrounds, but these
varied and diverse approaches are promising. Perhaps the answer to improving
diversity of the demographics of public relations professionals will require a diversity of
solutions. The nation is constantly changing demographically. Different studies have
shown the Latino community being one of the largest and fastest growing populations in
the U.S. and will continue to grow, ultimately becoming the nation’s single largest
consumer market.
Some of the agencies and organizations described here are primarily dedicated
to the advancement of Latino professionals within the public relations field and this is
great since there are relatively few organizational resources for professional Latino
communicators. Although these agencies serve a crucial role in serving the Latino
community and providing resources for them, the projected exponential growth of the
future Latino population suggests it would be prudent for all agencies or organizations to
question how they will approach this extraordinary market opportunity. A critical step is
for communications managers, whether at agencies or other organizations, to come to
Guerra 51

terms with expansion of the Latino population and choose whether they want to pursue
what is almost surely to be tremendous opportunities with what will ultimately be the
largest market.
From the work that is already being done, it is clear that front-runner agencies
and organizations can teach other companies what to do in terms of engaging in
diversity initiatives. Current firms have found success in developing programs for their
internal teams, leading to more sensitivity, culturally appropriate campaigns and better
implementation of diverse thoughts, ideas, and perspectives. Some of these
organizations have modified their recruitment process to evaluate candidates on their
merits as opposed to only directly relevant past work experiences. Other agencies and
organizations have done a great job at implementing ways to be inclusive of all cultures
within the office and have extended those strategies to the outside world through their
client work.
The lack of awareness of public relations and what opportunities it presents as a
career continues to pose a huge threat to the future of the industry – and so does the
current relative lack representation of Latino individuals within the field. Agencies like
the ones described in this work have already taken it upon themselves to educate
communities potential future public relations leaders about the ins and outs of the
industry and the need for more ethnic diversity – specifically Latino professionals.
Teams members engage in conversations with different groups on what public relations
is and its importance to society now. Since public relations professionals are charged
with building relationships between an organization or company and the communities
they serve in a way that is truly representative, the primary way for a public relations
Guerra 52

professional to know how to build those relationships is if they know key characteristics
and values of the community they are trying to reach, and the only way they will
accurately know the community is if they are from that community.
Another key element we can take away from these exemplary organizations and
agencies is their strategic approach to recognizing the professionals who are working
toward accomplishing something. Some of these organizations are celebrating the
dedication and determination of their team members who are going the extra mile.
Appreciation and recognition are major factors that can motivate employees to work
harder and aim higher. By applauding employees for their achievements in front of
colleagues, it stimulates everyone to work harder (Capobianco, 2014). Studies have
found that employees who are rewarded for going above and beyond are more
productive, show greater loyalty and are eager to contribute to a company in an
impactful way. A study funded by Make Their Day, an employee motivation firm and
gamification company, surveyed 1,200 U.S. employees from a variety of industries and
highlighted that 83% of participants said recognition for contributions was more fulfilling
than any rewards (Lipman, 2013). Currently, there are public relations agencies or
companies that do host award ceremonies to commemorate the achievements of
professionals who are improving the levels of representation for ethnic minorities. For
example, Hispanic Public Relations Association celebrates and honors professionals
who are committed to serving Latino communities and who are committed to building an
industry where they are represented and appreciated.
The biggest lesson and overall consensus toward improving representation of
ethnic minorities in the public relations industry, specifically Latino representation, is that
Guerra 53

it cannot be done alone. It takes teams of professionals and partnerships of agencies
and organizations to all work toward the same goal. Without a joint effort, only certain
agencies might continue their effort, but it would defeat the potential power of greater
Latino professionals’ representation in public relations if they are only represented in
some agencies. Ideally, there would be broad agreement of what the issue is, a defined
roadmap of what will be needed to be done to meet the desired goal, and the execution
of those ideas by firms nationwide.
Chapter Seven: The Future of The Public Relations Industry
Diverse Voices and Relevance Report
The author’s educated guess as to where the Public Relations industry will stand
in the near future would be the continuing need to build meaningful relationships
between organizations and the audiences to whom they market. However, there is one
thing for certain: public relations professionals hold the power of the industry’s future –
always. It is through the efforts, commitment and time of individuals focused on could
lead the effort to tackle and remedy the lack of diversity within the industry. Lack of
diversity results in failed communication campaigns that showcase insensitivity and
ignorance about the target communities to which they are trying to market. If and when
diversity is approached through the collective effort of numerous agencies, public
relations as an entity has a chance to break past barriers. By engaging a more diverse
workforce, public relations agencies will benefit by developing deeper trust and
connection between consumers and brands by demonstrating they understand these
individuals from a variety of social, political, economic and cultural perspectives.
Guerra 54

Public relations professionals work and develop campaigns aimed to target
different communities. It is important those who are developing strategies to target
particular communities know the limitations they might face if they are not culturally
conscious of different customs and traditions. It is imperative to increase the
representation of Latino professionals in this field because public relations is primarily
about building connections and targeting different communities more strategically.
Latino communities and their traditions should be accurately represented and the best
way to reach this objective is to diversify this industry. In an annual report published by
the Center for Public Relations at USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and
Journalism, Caroline Dettman, Chief Creative Officer for Golin, stated, “With different
perspectives – whether that be within agency leadership, creative departments or client
teams – communications will be better and relevant. And finally, reflective of the public
[…].”
The publication, Diverse Voices: Profiles in Leadership by Harold Burson
highlights the importance of diversity and the role one professional can have in
improving presentation. In their description, they highlight different multicultural public
relations professionals and their personal challenges in pushing through the struggle
and having successfully found strategies to improve diversity within communities and
within the workforce. Joe Cohen, president-elect of PRSA Foundation, is quoted in the
text as saying, “The need to improve diversity and inclusion is not just a moral one.
Diversity enriches perspectives and strengthens the ability of communications teams to
effectively engage with their publics in an increasingly connected global business and
media environment. For many years there has been a struggle to improve diversity
Guerra 55

within communications.” While it offers an abundance of strategies to tackle lack of
diversity in the workforce, one of the paper’s most important steps is the importance of
creating a dialogue wherein agencies could discuss what diversity is and how the
agency or company one works for is concentrating on improving both those statistics
and the overall quality of work.
Having conversations and creating an open dialogue about the importance of
diversity, spreading awareness of public relations as profession, and partnering with
other agencies or organizations so that there is collective participation in increasing
representation are the first steps in cultivating a more culturally diverse and inclusive
profession. The bottom line is that the public relations and communications industry
needs to set a higher standard and investment in diversity and inclusion to reflect a
changing and thriving world.

Guerra 56

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Abstract (if available)

Abstract This paper examines the lack of diversity and underrepresentation of the Latino community in the public relations industry. While it offers strategies to improve diversity and inclusion within the communications workforce, it also depicts the thoughts, perspectives, and ideas of experienced public relations professionals and graduate students. Their opinions and personal insights will help identify what needs to be done better to increase awareness of the communications industry throughout multicultural communities. ❧ The principal conclusion is there is a lack of diversity and inclusion in public relations and agencies and organizations need to address it and act on it so that the voice of the Latino community is shared and understood.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Guerra, Amy (author)

Core Title Saving public relations: tackling the underrepresentation of Latino professionals in U.S. communications industry

School Annenberg School for Communication

Degree Master of Arts

Degree Program Strategic Public Relations

Publication Date 05/03/2019

Defense Date 05/02/2019

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag Communications,Latino,North America,OAI-PMH Harvest,Public Relations,representation

Format application/pdf (imt)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Castaneda, Laura (committee member), Cook, Fred (committee member), Jackson, Laura (committee member)

Creator Email alguerra@usc.edu,amyguerra7@gmail.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c89-166129

Unique identifier UC11660838

Identifier etd-GuerraAmy-7401.pdf (filename),usctheses-c89-166129 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-GuerraAmy-7401.pdf

Dmrecord 166129

Document Type Thesis

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Rights Guerra, Amy

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

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