The eMarketer Conundrum
If you missed it... Anna Forbes from The Trade Desk bravely shared a post calling out eMarketer’s latest report on U.K. Digital Trends for the year ahead.
Link to Anna's the original post below:
What was immediately obvious was that the list of people interviewed was err... well see for yourself below:
Anna’s post has gone viral and the outrage on the lack of diversity is one that is shared by so many.
It’s sad that in 2020 we are still having to call out such blatant ignorance of having the foresight to ask the question “have I captured a diverse set of views...?”
There was not one female contributor and from what I can see there were no contributors that represent broader diversity, the most obvious being race for example.
Digital (media) is actually incredibly diverse not just in the U.K. but globally (obviously).
The consumption habits of audiences from various backgrounds differs from group to group and is incredibly fascinating and dynamic.
To be so confined to the “same, same” really narrows views and thinking.
Equality of opportunity is not one that’s granted to all and that needs to change.
As a black woman in media, when I see constant picture grids of people that don’t look like me...I notice.
When I attend events and see a panel of people that don’t look like me...I notice.
I notice not because I’m focused on it, but because society hasn’t necessarily “normalised” it and it’s sad...you’re missing out on so so much.
We all have a duty in all industries to ensure we’re representing diversity of thought and opinion and challenging the status quo.
I hope eMarketer learns from this and broadens its pool of contributors to be more inclusive in the near future.
Bravo Anna, for sharing. If we don't call it out, we won't see change happen...
?? Global Media Business Lead for top brands including Red Bull, Uber EMEA & The North Face EU
4 年It's not a conundrum - emarketer was just plain missing the mark to be so uninclusive!
Partnerships Director at Climate Emergency UK
4 年Love it Lauren! Great article!
Lauren O., we wanted to let you know that we have responded to Anna's post. Here's our response in full: eMarketer was founded on the idea that multiple sources and points of view will lead to better analysis. However, today we were rightly criticized about the lack of diversity among interviewees in our latest UK Key Digital Trends report. It was not intentional, but we nonetheless allowed it to happen. Our report failed to live up to our company values, including the critical importance of diversity and inclusion. We hold ourselves accountable for what happened and commit to changing how we produce such reports going forward. We will be implementing new steps to ensure that our reports will highlight more diverse and inclusive perspectives – including a variety of races, genders, ethnicities, and ages. Additionally, a team will be tasked with ensuring that we are including a wider range of viewpoints and experiences before any such reports are published.