A group representing some of the largest advertisers in the world is ramping up a new strategy for improving the marketing industry’s talent pipeline.

The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) announced on Thursday a new initiative called the Talent Forward Alliance, whose board includes executives from marketing firms such as DDB Worldwide and Publicis, along with marketing executives from Verizon, eBay, Mastercard, GE, and HP.  Its goal: to identify talented professionals for the field and support them in their careers.

The initiative, which will take advantage of existing resources at ANA, will boost collaboration with academia to raise awareness of marketing as a desirable career choice, craft professional development strategies for talent currently in the field, and “energize” senior leadership through mentoring and campus visits, according to an emailed news release.

“Talent is the foundation for our future success and for providing the pathway that will lead to successful brand-building, innovation, and the advancement of business performance,” ANA CEO Bob Liodice said in the release. “It’s the ANA’s strategic intent to reach out to all constituencies so that we can address this defining issue for our industry. It’s our responsibility to enhance our industry’s most important asset—talent—to energize brand and business growth.”

A study released last fall by the ANA Educational Foundation highlighted the challenges the industry faces in recruiting and retaining talent—in large part because technology companies are offering attractive career alternatives to young professionals who previously went into marketing jobs.

“As an industry, we are falling short in inspiring and preparing our next generation of talent and failing to invest sufficiently in building the capabilities of our current teams,” Liodice added. “The time for immediate and urgent action is now.”

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