SEK
Strategic Consulting Sparked a Close Partnership
Extended DEI Team | Strategic DEI | Data-driven DEI
SEK, the home of creative minds and transformative ideas, is a Helsinki-based creative brand house with 130 professionals in marketing, advertising, communications, design, and analytics founded in 1935.
Responsibility is one of SEK’s four key strategic focus areas. While building its responsibility approach, social responsibility and DEI were recognized as key areas where SEK could make an impact. SEK contacted deidei to help define impactful objectives and metrics for their social sustainability development. Synergy was evident, and the collaboration quickly deepened from a one-off project to a continuous partnership through an Extended DEI Team service model.
"For us, responsibility is not just a matter of culture and philosophy; it is a practical strategy grounded in an understanding of what is relevant to us.
We contacted deidei to ensure our future actions are built on meaningful goals and that we can measure our progress with the right metrics. Looking back, I’m glad we did. DEI is a complex and significant area of social sustainability, requiring additional expertise and support to ensure it is implemented and operationalized in practice, not just in theory."

Jaakko Rantala
CEO, SEK
Setting meaningful DEI objectives and metrics for SEK’s Social Responsibility Strategy
SEK had identified its impact rising from two different angles: internal working environment and on the other hand the choices and work they do with their clients and partners. And we couldn’t agree more: the creative industry has immense power to either maintain or change people’s perceptions of the world. The next step was to ensure their approach was also transformed into action by defining the right objectives and metrics for their Social Responsibility Strategy.
We rolled up our sleeves and dove to work: during a three-workshop series, we introduced their working group to the theoretical and practical wonders of DEI goal-setting, set initial objectives and metrics, and fine-tuned them to align with SEK's ambitions, broader sustainability strategy, and overall unique context.
"With deidei's help, we were able to make necessary strategic choices and set tangible goals and metrics for our DEI work, enabling us to drive progress both within our organization and across the industry.”

Reetta Kataja
Strategist, Strategy & Planning Team Lead
Supporting SEK to embed DEI into their daily work and operations through a continuous partnership
The successful completion of our first joint project led to a deeper partnership. SEK chose deidei as their partner and aid in implementing their Social Responsibility Strategy. The collaboration follows deidei’s Extended DEI Team model, in which deidei’s consultants, together with SEK's responsibility and client teams, ensure that DEI themes are embedded into daily operations.
"At deidei, an inspiring approach to driving real-life change meets a strong business understanding of why and how DEI matters should be elevated to the strategic level. deidei's team understands the unique nature of our industry and successfully tailors their approach to meet us where we are as an organization and what matters most to us. Collaboration with deidei is fun, human-centered and result-driven", Kataja continues.
As the first steps we have, for example:
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Developed SEK’s recruitment process by developing the language used in the job ads to be more inclusive
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Created an Action Plan for SEK’s 2024-2025 fiscal year
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Planned an internship program that caters to young people from diverse backgrounds with no experience in the creative industry. To be launched in the fall
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Sparred DEI communications
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Build a SEK-tailored handbook for inclusive teamwork and facilitation
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Defined inclusion skills for the context of SEK’s work
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Hosted internal Learning and Development sessions on DEI
And what have the results and impact of our partnership been so far?
"With deidei’s support, we’ve begun taking concrete steps to integrate the value of DEI into our sustainability strategy, both in client work and talent development.
We’ve started to implement practical steps to increase our DEI competencies and strengthen our market differentiation. We're also developing metrics to track progress across international operations, culture, and DEI integration in client projects. Together with our brand partners, we aim to make a broader positive impact on society."

Sonja Pihkala
Business Director, SEK
A data-driven approach to DEI kicked off with a company-wide
DEI Survey
To get a better understanding of the current state of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at SEK, we are also launching a company-wide DEI Survey in the fall of 2024. In addition to the recognized strengths, development areas, and future priority areas, the survey gives the needed baseline for future DEI measurement at SEK.
“deidei has provided us with insight, understanding, and direction, while also pushing us toward more ambitious goals and helping us execute them with their extended team. I cannot recommend their extended team collaboration model enough for effectively operationalizing DEI development at a practical level”, Pihkala sums up.
Stay tuned for more results on SEK’s DEI development.