Diversity In Advertising

A May 2019 survey by Adobe found that 62% of US adults said diversity in a brand’s advertising had at least some impact on the way they perceived that brand’s products and services, with 24% reporting it had a “major” impact. More than six in 10 (61%) respondents said diversity in ads was somewhat important or very important, and 38% said they’d be more likely to trust a brand that showed diversity in its advertising.

Culture & Visible Representation In Advertising

What consumers are looking for in advertising varies greatly, but there’s even more of a distinction between ads that represent cultural ideas and those that promote the visibility of celebrities who are seen to reflect the target audience.   

For proper representation, marketers need to tell stories that show an adept understanding of culture, language, family dynamics, values, preferences, and so on.

Whereas visibility requires less of a cultural story, instead offering consumers a reflection of themselves in prominent media. Read the Rest at GlobalWebIndex.

Americans With Disabilities By Type

People with disabilities make up a large, but diverse and underserved, segment of the US population. According to recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 67 million adults in the US—or 26% of the population—reported living with at least one type of disability.

In fact, the disability community includes more than two in every five adults ages 65 and older (43.8%), more than one in four women (27.2%), and nearly two in five non-Hispanic Native Americans or Alaska Natives, making it the nation’s largest minority.

Brands Recognized For Diverse Advertising

According to Adobe research from May 2020, US adults deemed Nike, Coca-Cola, Google, Apple, and Dove among the brands with the most advertising diversity.

These brands, and others, are noteworthy for their successful attempts to embody corporate diversity, equity and inclusion commitments in their marketing. Via eMarketer.

Nike’s Diverse Advertising Example

Backlash Over Coca-Cola’s Multicultural Super Bowl Commercial

Episode Transcript

David Erickson: As usual, I often pick something that can be categorized as good or it can be categorized as bad. This one’s good and bad.

Coca-Cola’s America The Beautify Ad

David Erickson: The good part of it is that Coca-Cola did this wonderful ad during the Super Bowl that featured America The Beautiful, being sung in many different languages and highlighting the diversity of America.

Backlash From America The Ugly Crowd

David Erickson: But the bad part of it is, xenophobes in our country took to Twitter to criticize Coke for running an ad that highlighted you know, some things that are great about America. And there’s a lot of, you know, “speak English or get the F out” types of tweets and stuff.

The Brilliance Of America

David Erickson: And I guess it’s to be expected but you know, it is…the brilliance of this country is that it was founded on an idea not a clan of people or something like that. People want to come to America to be Americans, right? So it should be something those people are all about. But no–

BL Ochman: The melting pot, you know, remember that? The melting pot?

David Erickson: Right, right. Yeah, yeah. So anyway–

BL Ochman: That was a no good deed goes unpunished moment if ever there was one.

The Company You Keep

David Erickson: Exactly. Well, the backlash, actually–I mean, I think Coca-Cola does brand marketing better, as well, or better than anyone. But just the backlash, the–being in the context of that backlash, made them look even better, you know? So, you’re defined by who your friends are and who your enemies are, sometimes. Well, if you got enemies like that…

Consumer Expectations For Brand Behavior Regarding Racial Injustice

Episode Transcript

Edelman’s Trust Barometer from June of this year, addressing racial injustice and brand trust.

Racial Injustice & Brand Trust

This is US adults who say select brand responses to racial injustice are important to earning, keeping their trust.

Customer Sentiment About Brands & Racial Justice

64% of the respondents said setting an example within their own organization is important response. Reflect the full diversity of the country in their communications: 63% very important. You and I have talked about the lily-white PR and advertising industries.

• Make products accessible and suitable to all communities, 61%.
• Invest in addressing the root causes of racial inequality, 60%.
• Acknowledge the problem, 60%.
• Inspire customers and employees to get involved, 58%.
• Advocate for racial equality, 58%.
• And educate the public, 57%.

So, it seems like a dramatic shift but I don’t think we’ve ever seen these numbers, you know, these questions asked before.