NEW YORK — While industry continues to wrestle with boosting diversity and inclusion, Weber Shandwick has launched a new division aimed at helping businesses that have made progress in that arena communicate it more effectively.

“Overall, the majority of organizations are aware and understand and are investing in diversity and inclusion,” said senior VP Tai Wingfield, who the agency brought onboard in October to lead its new diversity, equity and inclusion group.  “The missing link, and where we hope to raise awareness, is including communications as part of the strategy, and making sure it is integrated throughout.”

Under Wingfield, who comes from the Center for Talent Innovation, a New York diversity thinktank, Weber Shandwick will work with clients developing communications initiatives that make ideas surrounding diversity and inclusion part of companies’ cultures — and reputations.

The group’s offerings include helping clients raise awareness about diversity’s impact on business, guide corporate cultural change and improve communications around complex issues. Developing campaigns to engage diverse audiences and demonstrating organizations’ commitments to advancing diversity and inclusion are also featured.

Wingfield said that, as companies ramp up their efforts to diversify their staff, it is increasingly important they make sure people internally and externally know about it, and its real-life implications.

“You can have an amazing diverse workforce, but if you don’t have a culture of inclusion then you don’t really reap the benefits of the diverse workplace,” she said. “Reputation matters when it comes to winning the war for talent. But it also matters when it comes to winning the war for customers and partners.”