Diversity and inclusion are increasingly more important and do, in fact, affect purchasing decisions for many consumers, according to a “Think with Google” article. In marketing, the issue of diversity and inclusion has been important but not necessarily embraced.
This concept doesn’t mean just creating ads with diverse audiences in mind, but rather ensuring that people from diverse backgrounds are at the table to help shape the strategy and create the ads. An article in Forbes by Isaac Mizrahi, defined diversity and inclusion as “necessary for corporations to build an organization that reflects the society and marketplace they operate in.” It’s impossible to create strategies and creative that connects with diverse audiences if none of those diverse people are involved in the overall process.
Multicultural marketing, however, is defined as, “an external effort for a corporation to promote and sell products or services, including market research and advertising to one or more audiences of a specific ethnic background.” This is where Google’s research showed some insightful data. What Google discovered was that people are “more likely to consider, or even purchase, a product after seeing an ad they consider to be diverse or inclusive.”
And the statistics support this statement.
- Sixty-four percent of those surveyed said they took some kind of action after seeing an ad they considered to be diverse or inclusive.”
- In fact, 69 percent of Black consumers say they are more likely to buy from a brand that uses positive creative to reflect their race or ethnicity.
- Seventy-one percent of LGBT consumers are “more likely to interact with an ad that authentically represents their sexual orientation.”
Gender representation is important in diversity and inclusion as well. The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media reported that “when advertisers on YouTube included at least as many women as men in their videos, more people watched.” While men are still seen 56 percent of the time, compared to women at 44 percent, the study showed that representation of women had grown four percent over the past 10 years.
Calls for more diversity and inclusion from board rooms to marketing teams are making an impact for the better for diverse audiences, and for the bottom line for companies who embrace these ideals.
At Baseline Creative, diversity and inclusion are some of our key values. Our work reflects this from projects we’ve worked on with organizations such as GLSEN, the Alzheimer’s Association, ICT SOS, and more. Members of our staff have received training from the Kansas Leadership Center and Bridgette-West Williams, Baseline Executive Director, is a trained leadership facilitator and works with outside groups to help train them.
Are you interested in learning more about how to be more diverse and inclusive in your marketing? Contact us and we can help you plan a strategy for success.
