Diversity Representation in Advertisements

Sam Spinale

ss730219@ohio.edu

Now more than ever, advertisers must include more diversity within their advertisements. Today, many consumers only align with brands that include diversity representation in their advertisements and promotions. It's something that matters to consumers. Many only want to spend their money with a company with similar views that align with their own. While we see a lot of diversity in advertisements today, it still isn't perfect. Even now, some brands struggle to include diverse representation in their advertisements.

Photo by Clear Voice

What is diversity?:

While race may be the first thing that comes to mind when you hear diversity, it doesn't just represent the race. According to Aspire, "diversity mandates the inclusion of people of all races, ages, sizes, genders, sexual orientations, social classes, religions, and other differences." Therefore, it's important to represent all types of people who fall under these different and diverse categories. Consumers want to see themselves in advertisements, and if they can't make that connection, companies will lose out on a whole demographic of potential consumers.

Why is representation in advertisements important?:

It's evident that including diversity within advertisements is a morally responsive decision for any company, but representing all races, ages, and genders can boost revenue. Aspire explains that "a Google study found that 64% of those surveyed said they took some sort of action, including purchase after seeing an ad that they considered to be diverse or inclusive."

Not only does diversity in advertisements increase revenue, but it also affects the consumer's overall perception of a brand. A study from Adobe published on Marketing Charts shows that consumers feel diversity and inclusion within advertising is essential that it has a direct relationship to customer trust with brands. Out of 1,000 adults surveyed, 4 in 10 felt that diversity in advertising could lead to trust. About 34% of those adults even said they stopped using a brand entirely if the "brand didn't represent their identity in its advertising." That number increases when you look specifically at different communities, like the LGBTQ+ (58%), African Americans (53%), and Hispanics (40%). It's important to note that the respondents of this study said that they had seen more diversity and inclusion within advertisements over the past three years.

Photo by Marketing Charts

Which companies have made an impact?:

Diversity and inclusion are essential in all facets of the workplace and companies' material. To cater to your audience, your company has to have employees with a wide variety of mindsets that meet all categories of the audience. Some companies have made severe mistakes with their marketing, like a black woman turning herself into a white woman in a Dove advertisement, while others have set an extremely high standard to follow. 

According to Falcon.io, these brands got inclusive marketing and advertising rights. For example, Procter and Gamble made "learning about their customers a priority through proper market research" with their "The Talk" campaign. In addition, Bumble "celebrated various great and inspiring users" through their "Find Me On Bumble" campaign. Another company that celebrated variety and embraced inclusivity was ThirdLove to launch half-cup sizes. Finally, Microsoft showed that they "treat inclusion and diversity as a journey that requires constant self-assessment" through their "We All Win" campaign.