LONDON — Following the latest round of applications for The Blueprint diversity mark, Hope&Glory has retained full Blueprint status, CCgroup and Harvard have been promoted to full Blueprint status, Cowshed remains a Blueprint Ally and Talker Tailor Trouble Maker has achieved Ally status.

Launched in 2020, The Blueprint aims to promote racial diversity in PR and communications. Awarded agencies sign up to a series of commitments aimed at encouraging diversity from work experience to boardroom.

The applications were marked by an independent panel of judges: Henry Rowling (founder, Flying Cars innovation agency); Sasha Daly (advocacy and influencing consultant) and Nyree Connell (education policy manager and Blueprint strategy advisor).

Consumer brand and lifestyle agency Hope&Glory has become the third agency after Manifest and Stronger Stories to secure and retain full Blueprint status. The judges noted the agency’s robust approach to inclusive recruitment and inclusive working culture, for its creative campaigns centred on diversity, and for its senior management accountability and staff engagement.

CCgroup and Harvard join Blurred and Cirkle to become the latest agencies promoted from ally to full Blueprint status.

Since becoming Blueprinted in February 2021, B2B tech PR and marketing consultancy CCgroup has not only retained talent, but has also seen an increase in BME representation. The B2B tech PR and marketing consultancy impressed the judges with its commitment to DEI including progressive policies around parental leave and menopause, and improvement in all areas from recruitment to supply chain.

Similarly, in the last two years technology marketing and PR agency Harvard has built a DEI framework, based on data analysis, with six pillars: disability; gender; race & ethnicity; socio-economic; LGBTQ+; and neurodiversity. The agency’s work has led to an increase in Black, Asian, mixed race and ethnic minority staff at all levels including senior management.

Cardiff-based Cowshed remains the only Welsh organisation to secure an award, retaining Blueprint Ally status. The integrated communications agency has retained its commitment to DE&I alongside significant income growth. Aside from working to create a diverse and inclusive workforce, the agency scored for its work promoting DE&I in the sector and the country.

Talker Tailor Trouble Maker has become the latest agency to acquire Blueprinted status for the first time, following its application in December 2022. The creative communications shop was praised by the judges for its commitment to DEI with a diverse workforce, an inclusive culture and a progressive approach to positive change.

Elizabeth Bananuka, the founder and CEO of the organisations behind the initiative, Blueprinted and BME PR Pros, said: “When we launched the diversity mark nearly three years ago, we did not expect to see the results we’ve seen in re-applications nor the commitment we are seeing in new applications.

"From recruitment to suppliers, from client work to culture, from leadership to entry level, from leading industry change to client change, Blueprinted agencies are proving positive change can exist alongside successful business management even in the challenging environment many have operated in in the last few years."

The Blueprint diversity mark has four application rounds a year and applications are judged by an independent panel who have taken part in a Blueprint diversity workshop. The deadline for the next round of applications is 2 March 2023. The Blueprint for In-house and The Blueprint for Comms Organisations were launched in May 2022.