New diversity category for Bima Awards garners just three nominations despite industry push for parity
Bima's new diversity category has garnered just three entries ahead of the organisation's annual awards, despite the efforts being made across the industry to improve numbers in the marketing services industry.
BIMA Awards
The Drum has learned that both of the new categories introduced for the digital awards this year have failed to elicit any major response, with the Talent category fairing slightly better having received four entries.
The award were introduced last month in an effort to raise awareness of the work taking place by marketing companies to increase parity and stamp out discrimination which has widely been recognised to be a major problem still.
Promoting the diversity category, the award is described as being "for organisations that have put diversity at the top of their agenda and created a gateway to bolster a diverseworkforce. Judges will be looking for entries that show how a commitment to diversity has impacted all levels of the business."
Nadya Powell, chair of the Bima Awards and the BIMA Diversity Community, told The Drum: "The Bima Advance Diversity Awards was established to recognise those businesses doing great work for the Diversity cause and to create Best Practice for businesses on the start of their journey. It is the only award in the industry focussed on Diversity in it's entirety.
It is therefore extremely disappointing that we have only received three entries so far and sadly suggests that some of the naysayers are right. The industry is better at talking than doing. Let's prove this not the case - enter and help build knowledge and understanding of how to make diversity real."
The awards are open for entry until 26 May with more details available on the Bima website.