Working in Digital: PMG’s Evan Wooten Talks Allyship in Advertising

PMG’s Evan Wooten recently joined Ad 2 Dallas, an affiliate of AAF Dallas for advertising professionals who are 32 or younger, for a panel discussion about allyship. The group shared what allyship means to them, how it comes to fruition within an organization or workplace, how it comes to life in their work as marketers, and what people can do in their lives beyond work to be allies.

Evan recommended building resource groups when leadership buy-in is difficult in order to demonstrate the benefits of promoting allyship in organizations. He also shared about the value of reaching out to different communities to attract and retain employees outside of the typical talent pipeline, and how diversity in companies can help accelerate those aims.

One of the highlights from the session was Evan's comment on the importance of friendships, saying, “The best resource for progressing your allyship is to diversify your personal friend groups. Bring the growth and understanding you gain there into the workplace instead of relying on the workplace to teach you how to be understanding of marginalized groups.”

The other panelists included Thandi Montgomery of Hawkeye and Matt Winser-Johns of the University of Texas at Dallas.