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Sarah
Kate Ellis
CEO, president
GLAAD
G
laad has been studying LGBTQ representation in Holly wood films
for nearly a decade and on network television shows going back to- But the group had never before dissected the way members
of the LGBTQ community are portrayed in advertising.
That’s about to change, with Ellis now laying the groundwork via
research with Procter & Gamble. The project kicks off with a deep dive
into how the American consumer feels about seeing LGBTQ people
in ads. “You can’t move what you don’t measure,” Ellis says. (Ellis and
P&G’s Marc Pritchard would’ve released those findings at Cannes Lions,
but they’re exploring alternatives in light of the festival’s postponement.)
On the heels of the public opinion survey, the group will start
systematically looking at how top marketers rate in LGBTQ
inclusivity. The effort, part of Ellis’ goal of forging closer ties
to the advertising world, is just one of the Glaad leader’s many
priorities in 2020, her sixth year in the role.
She’ll continue to rally support for a constitutional amendment
that would protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people
from discrimination. “Marriage equality was not the finish line,” she
says. And she plans to keep up the kind of pressure that caused the
Hallmark Channel to reverse its decision to drop a holiday-themed
jewelry ad in December that featured a gay couple’s kiss.
Ellis is laser focused on the upcoming presidential election,
stepping up scrutiny with the Trump Accountability Project of
the ways that “our community is getting hammered under this
administration.” Work will include voter registration and poll access.
The longtime media exec, a veteran of Condé Nast and Time Inc., is
credited with turning around the financially struggling nonprofit since her
arrival. But she faces another bottom-line challenge as the coronavirus
pandemic forced cancellation of the Glaad Media Awards, which are
major fundraisers in New York and Los Angeles. As of late March, she
was busy trying to convert sponsorships into outright donations.
Ellis, who co-authored a memoir with her wife about their
path to motherhood, has evolved Glaad from its traditional role,
entertainment watchdog, to what she calls “cultural change agent.”
“I don’t know if I was made for the job or the job was made for
me,” she says. “It’s the intersection of what I love to do and what
matters to me.” —T. L. S.Rich Ferraro
chief communications officer
Glaad
“Sarah Kate has taught me the difference
between hard work and smart work,” says
Ferraro, who’s spent six years as Ellis’
top PR maven. “In advocacy and activism,
burnout is a real threat to success, and she
was able to help me streamline the work.
She’s more than a boss. She also prioritizes
my growth as a leader. She challenges me
to aim high and take risks—for myself and
for the community.”Voter registration is a priority
because ‘our community is
getting hammered under
this administration.’
ADWEEK
®
| APRIL 6, 2020