GCD Jenny Nicholson on discovering a new generation of storytellers

November 5, 2020

Creative talent fuels our industry, that’s obvious. What’s not so clear is what agencies — and our industry — can do to find, attract, and hire diverse young creatives with new voices and vision. The Drum asked industry leaders from brands and agencies for their take on how to do this.

McKinney GCD Jenny Nicholson believes the answer is finding storytellers, wherever they may be, to uncover and unleash a new generation of bright, young, diverse talent:

“I’d like to see agencies rely less on the ad school pipeline,” said Nicholson. “When only people who can afford ad school get fast-tracked to the creative department, who gets left behind? There are so many talented storytellers on Twitter and TikTok, but we have to work to find them and be willing to teach them on the job. Programs like AdFutures and McKinney’s partnership with North Carolina Central University, our local HBCU, are also critical.”

You can read more of what Nicholson and others had to say here in The Drum.