Dear 4A's foundation community,
In an effort to be as transparent as possible, the 4A’s foundation and MAIP team feel it important to keep you updated on the evolving impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the MAIP 2020 fellowship program. It is important that we provide regular cadence with our communication, therefore starting today we will be sending a weekly update email to all our participating agencies and partners every Wednesday afternoon.
In an effort to be as transparent as possible, the 4A’s foundation and MAIP team feel it important to keep you updated on the evolving impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the MAIP 2020 fellowship program. It is important that we provide regular cadence with our communication, therefore starting today we will be sending a weekly update email to all our participating agencies and partners every Wednesday afternoon.
Update as of 4/03
The 4A's and 4A’s foundation continue to be here for you.
Many of you have connected with members of our team during this uncertain time. As members of a supportive and resilient advertising community, now more than ever, please know you can count on the 4A's foundation team as a resource to help guide you through these challenging times. We also recognize that the current COVID-19 health pandemic crisis has forced all our members to look at support services differently.
For that reason, we are taking actions both financial as well as with support services to continue to help you and your business.
Our #1 goal is to support all of you, regardless of size, impact, reach, or financial reality. We have always been and will continue to be a part of your team. We are in this together.
Many of you have participated in calls with the community over the past week, discussing the reality we find ourselves in and its impact on the 2020 MAIP fellowship program. Over the past 47 years the 4A’s has delivered the industry leading multicultural talent pipeline for our industry, MAIP has over the years grown from strength to strength and this year we were all very excited to see our largest group of finalists (400+) and our largest group of selected MAIP fellows (325). This represented a 38% increase since the 2019 class. Each one of your agencies helped to drive this incredible need and once again reinforces that the MAIP program is the single most important diverse talent pipeline for our industry.
While we deeply believe in the value and importance of an in-person internship and this will alway be our preference, it is critical that we do our part as a business to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of everyone within the MAIP family, our communities and partners. Based on guidance from government and local health authorities, we understand our responsibility to do our part to help flatten the coronavirus (COVID-19) infection curve during this extraordinary time.
In order to comply with all applicable mandates, and the restrictions that have been imposed on travel, group gatherings, and business operations, it is with regret that we announce that the 2020 MAIP Fellowship program will not be held in‑person as scheduled to take place from June 1st through August 9th 2020 nationally.
we are very pleased to announce that we are taking this challenge as an opportunity to create a new experience for the 2020 MAIP fellows, that will redefine the way you can engage with this community to deliver the best business outcomes for all involved.
We will transition to digital programming, via a virtual engagement program managed by the 4A’s foundation. We believe this solution will allow you to engage with all 400+ finalists, provide your agency with the opportunity to share knowledge and expertise while allowing you to meet and discover this incredible cohort of talent. We will raise the bar on the way that content is created, packaged, and shared with the fellows.
In the coming weeks, we look forward to bringing you more detailed program details. As you can imagine it is critical that we get an understanding of commitment as soon as possible, therefore, we ask that you inform us of your commitment in writing prior to COB on April 16th 2020.
we want to take this opportunity to again thank you and your organizations for your ongoing support and commitment to the 4A’s, 4A’s foundation and the MAIP program. The foundation team are excited to be delivering a solution for 2020 that meets the challenging times we face, provides fellows with the opportunity to learn and experience all the industry has to offer and provides you an opportunity to continue to build your diverse pipeline. for any questions or concerns regarding the MAIP virtual program, please contact Reema Elghossain at [email protected] or Alexis M. Agosto at [email protected].
We all send you and your families, organizations and communities the best wishes, stay safe and stay home.
Many of you have connected with members of our team during this uncertain time. As members of a supportive and resilient advertising community, now more than ever, please know you can count on the 4A's foundation team as a resource to help guide you through these challenging times. We also recognize that the current COVID-19 health pandemic crisis has forced all our members to look at support services differently.
For that reason, we are taking actions both financial as well as with support services to continue to help you and your business.
Our #1 goal is to support all of you, regardless of size, impact, reach, or financial reality. We have always been and will continue to be a part of your team. We are in this together.
Many of you have participated in calls with the community over the past week, discussing the reality we find ourselves in and its impact on the 2020 MAIP fellowship program. Over the past 47 years the 4A’s has delivered the industry leading multicultural talent pipeline for our industry, MAIP has over the years grown from strength to strength and this year we were all very excited to see our largest group of finalists (400+) and our largest group of selected MAIP fellows (325). This represented a 38% increase since the 2019 class. Each one of your agencies helped to drive this incredible need and once again reinforces that the MAIP program is the single most important diverse talent pipeline for our industry.
While we deeply believe in the value and importance of an in-person internship and this will alway be our preference, it is critical that we do our part as a business to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of everyone within the MAIP family, our communities and partners. Based on guidance from government and local health authorities, we understand our responsibility to do our part to help flatten the coronavirus (COVID-19) infection curve during this extraordinary time.
In order to comply with all applicable mandates, and the restrictions that have been imposed on travel, group gatherings, and business operations, it is with regret that we announce that the 2020 MAIP Fellowship program will not be held in‑person as scheduled to take place from June 1st through August 9th 2020 nationally.
we are very pleased to announce that we are taking this challenge as an opportunity to create a new experience for the 2020 MAIP fellows, that will redefine the way you can engage with this community to deliver the best business outcomes for all involved.
We will transition to digital programming, via a virtual engagement program managed by the 4A’s foundation. We believe this solution will allow you to engage with all 400+ finalists, provide your agency with the opportunity to share knowledge and expertise while allowing you to meet and discover this incredible cohort of talent. We will raise the bar on the way that content is created, packaged, and shared with the fellows.
In the coming weeks, we look forward to bringing you more detailed program details. As you can imagine it is critical that we get an understanding of commitment as soon as possible, therefore, we ask that you inform us of your commitment in writing prior to COB on April 16th 2020.
we want to take this opportunity to again thank you and your organizations for your ongoing support and commitment to the 4A’s, 4A’s foundation and the MAIP program. The foundation team are excited to be delivering a solution for 2020 that meets the challenging times we face, provides fellows with the opportunity to learn and experience all the industry has to offer and provides you an opportunity to continue to build your diverse pipeline. for any questions or concerns regarding the MAIP virtual program, please contact Reema Elghossain at [email protected] or Alexis M. Agosto at [email protected].
We all send you and your families, organizations and communities the best wishes, stay safe and stay home.
As COVID-19 news and developments evolve, the 4A’s and 4A’s foundation has instituted the following staff policies:
|
Business travel
We have currently placed a travel ban on both domestic and international travel. In-person events/training
We are evaluating and/or rescheduling on a case-by-case basis. |
Remote work
All 4A’s employees will work remotely until further notice, although our offices will remain open for those who need to use them. All-staff remote work contingency plans have been established (e.g., remote video conference updates; instructions to bring laptops, power cords, and necessary files home at the end of every day, should the building restrict access; voicemail message recordings and notifications via email). |
While these measures have been put in place with the safety of our employees and members in mind, we understand each of our member agencies must make the best decisions for their employees and businesses.
Additional Resources
As part of our efforts to keep you updated on the evolving impact of the coronavirus outbreak, we thought we’d share the following information to help guide your business decisions:
- Exclusive 4A’s Research content, in partnership with consumer intelligence platform Suzy: a March 9 survey of 1,000 consumers on their workplaces’ responses to coronavirus
- Also from Suzy: a webinar on coronavirus and the state of the U.S. consumer
- Insights from Forrester Research, including a survey of how employees feel about coronavirus, and a report on the effect of coronavirus disinformation on employers’ communication
- Insights from MIT Sloan Management Review on how companies can respond to coronavirus
- An infographic from the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (available to download):
COVID 19: Stop the Spread of Germs
We welcome information from our members related to your coronavirus policies. Sharing best practices may help others in the industry, so please reach out to your 4A’s foundation contact with any guidance.
