GroupM’s Motion Content Group Sets Positive Impact Production Fund

GroupM’s Motion Content Group has set up a new funding initiative to support projects that inspire positive change in areas such as diversity, equity, inclusion and sustainability.

The Positive Impact production funding will support stories across blue-chip documentaries, high-end TV drama, landmark series and films. Content considered for investment is not limited to any format, genre or media platform.

Motion will collaborate with media owners, producers, networks, platforms and creatives to identify and develop eligible projects, empowering talent from underrepresented backgrounds alongside more established voices.

The first local deployment of Motion’s Positive Impact production funding, the Diverse Voices Accelerator, launched in May 2021 in the U.S. The U.K launch will be followed by further markets around the world to be rolled out in 2022.

Simon Willis, chief investment officer at GroupM UK, said, “As part of our ambition to shape the next era of media, we want to invest in content that elevates the cultural conversation. This project is closely aligned with our wider ‘Responsible Investment’ buying framework, which focuses on five important areas—brand safety, data ethics, DE&I, responsible journalism and sustainability—to signal a new media era where scale serves clients through a commitment to make advertising work better for people.”

Richard Foster, CEO of Motion Content Group, added, “GroupM and Motion understand the influence that entertainment and advertising have on cultural perception and behavior. Narrative content is so ubiquitous today that we can easily forget how much power it holds. It shows us places we’ve never been and people we’ve never met. It gathers us into shared experiences and shapes how we see the world. Our intention with this initiative is to provide a platform for stories and storytellers of all backgrounds, particularly those from underrepresented communities, to help enable a more equitable, sustainable and inclusive future for everyone.”