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He Tangata - OffBlack - Web

Belong amongst unlike minds.

He Tāngata The People is our shared kaupapa. It's a commitment to building an industry that truly reflects Aotearoa and offers equal belonging to everyone in it.

This is a working space, where we will house resources and tools to enable every company in our industry to find expert partners, to learn from others, and to join in action on areas that require progress.

This is an open invitation to be part of future change in our industry, to close the gaps and enable our industry to be the best it can be.

Census 2025 - Cover Image

2025 Census Results

The 2025 Aotearoa DEI Census paints a complex picture, one of progress and promise alongside persistent inequities and missed opportunities.

We share the results in full, in the hope that our industry can interrogate the data, and help us identify ways to close the gaps identified in the research. An Easy Read version of the Executive Summary is also available for download.

Download Full Findings (709KB)
Download Full Findings - Easy Read (2.5MB)

Cohorts

Māori

Māori continue to be under-represented within the industry, and experience higher levels of discrimination and/or negative behaviour.
Representation
7%
Versus 19% National Census
Inclusion Index
49
Versus 60 for all respondents
Have experienced negative behaviour or discrimination
11%
Versus 1% of NZ European respondents
Connect with kaimahi Māori to support change

Pacific Peoples

Pacific Peoples report the lowest inclusion score of all reported ethnicities. and are 2x more likely to leave the industry due to discrimination or lack of inclusion.
Representation
4%
Versus 9% National Census
Inclusion Index
44
Versus 60 for all respondents
Have left their job due to discrimination or lack of inclusion
30%
More than double the industry average
Report being bullied or undermined in some way
27%
9 points above industry average

Disability

Disability includes a wide range of experiences - including physical, sensory, and learning disabilities as well as mental distress, invisible disabilities and chronic health conditions.
Representation
41%
have a disability and/or serious illness that affects day-to-day work
Inclusion Index
49
Versus 68 for those with no disability and/or serious illness
Experience of Negative behaviour
Those with disability experience higher rates of negative behaviour across all behaviours surveyed

Rainbow & Takatāpui

Rainbow & Takatāpui representation is nearly 3x the national figures, yet still remains a minority group subject to higher rates of negative behaviour and discrimination.
Representation
14%
Versus 4.9% National
Inclusion Index
54
Versus 60 for all respondents
Experience of negative behaviour
2x
More likely to be made to feel uncomfortable in the workplace due to who they are

Gender

Women are the majority gender across our industry, but there remains a slight male dominance in the C-Suite. However, gender imbalance at a department level and this is amplified in senior leadership. Despite dominance, women experience more discrimination than men.
Representation
64%
Women
33%
Men
3%
Non-binary/Takatāpui/Other answer
Inclusion Index
58
versus 66 amongst men
Negative experience based on gender
8.8%
Reports of women experiencing negative treatment based on their gender has doubled since 2023 when they reported 4%

Communities

He Tāngata is built on the simple idea that our industry's greatest strength is its people. We are forming dedicated communities and working groups to tackle key challenges and drive meaningful change from within.

Use this form to express your interest in joining or creating a working group to accelerate change in our industry.

HE TĀNGATA: THE PEOPLE

Resources

Our-Protocol-V1-updated

Workshops

Courageous Conversation's Protocol

The Courageous Conversation's Protocol is designed to engage, sustain, and deepen intra-racial and interracial dialogue about race. It enables a conversation about race that is honest and uplifting, calling people into the conversation, rather than calling them out.

Find out more

Research

Kia Whakatinana, Kia Whakamanawa

A dedicated collective of kaimahi Māori aiming to embody and inspire Māori representation in our industry.

Find out more
Big Chats

Resource

Big Chats

We develop & deliver a range of mental health education resources, including workshops, webinars, and web content. Drawing from the evidence base, professional experience, and best practice, we teach practical skills and tools that can be used in work and everyday life.

Find out more
Casting- Inclusion & Representation

Guide

Casting: Inclusion & Representation

A draft guide for promoting diverse, culturally rich and equitable casting, currently in use with TVC casting directors and production companies. A living document, needs additional consultation and expert diversity advice.

Download
DivergenThinking

Tools

The Cognitive Shift Initiative Programme

A targeted, measurable, and tools-based set of programmes designed to maximise cognitive diversity and neuro-inclusion throughout teams and organisations.

Find out more

Resource

Sonder EAP

Sonder is an EAP that offers a stepped model approach that provides personalised programmes for each employee.

Find out more
The Inclusive Code

Guide

The Inclusive Code

A co-created series of tools designed to help you identify misconceptions and exclusionary habits commonly encountered in the communications industry. This guide offers actions to help you disrupt this thinking in your own practice, organisation and even personal life.

Find out more
Women in Leadership Insights

Toolkit

Women in Leadership: Insights to Action

We know a lot about the problems women face advancing their careers into leadership. But what are the solutions? This report identifies the four most impactful factors for women's career advancement into leadership and the critical gaps for organisations.

Download
The Outcasting Playbook - 2025

Guide

The Outcasting Playbook

Still casting the usual suspects? The Outcasting Playbook shows brands how to cast queerer, fairer, braver‚ unlocking deeper audience trust, cultural relevance, and long-term impact. Inclusion isn't optional. It's strategic.

Download

Resource

The Inclusion Kit

Built for teams done with bland, buffet-style DEI. This isn’t a side dish, it’s your full-flavour recipe for redesigning work, so every brain gets a seat at the table. Inside: learning that builds psychological safety and real team cohesion. Metrics that measure the environment, not the individual. Workshops that spark change not eye-rolls. And policy rewrites with teeth that stir the pot (in the best way).

Find out more
Inclusion & Representation

Guide

Prod Co - Inclusion & Representation

A draft guide for production companies to use to prompt consideration of representation and inclusion to promote a more diverse, culturally rich and more equitable industry. A living document, needs additional consultation and expert diversity advice.

Download

Course

Understanding Unconscious Bias

Diversity is fundamental to the advertising industry, and our ability to understand unconscious bias can create a better internal environment.

Find out more