Utilise D&I where your core business happens: in Marketing

As a company, your success depends to a large degree on your ability to connect with your markets. For public institutions and NGOs, the same applies for their respective audiences. Considering the diversity of your key stakeholders seems to be an obvious way to leverage D&I in the core area where you generate your business. Since I wrote my first book on innovative marketing, I have always been amazed how underrated and hence underutilised this side of D&I management has been – and still is!

Ask yourself: How gender-balanced, ethnically mixed, trans-generational or individually styled do you perceive corporate marketing, advertisement or communication in general? Data shows substantial gaps between the diversity displayed in commercial ads versus the existing diversity in the consumer markets at large.

Read about ground-breaking research about diversity in marketing

On the other side, individual anecdotal examples show that applying Diversity (and Inclusion!) to the marketing arena is not only successful, it also provides value-add. For at this time, focusing on Diversity, breaking stereotypes or promoting inclusion is still an unusual marketing approach that creates attention. However, it is not as easy as we sometimes think it can be and in this article I want to provide a few perspectives on D&I in marketing, including marketing research and some good examples but also fails. The latter easily occurs because there is a fine line between addressing different customers and stereotyping them. In addition, when you start communicating to a certain segment, fulfilling related expectations will be key. Finally, your proclaimed commitment to D&I also raises the standards against which of your actions will be evaluated. Harsh backlash can be the result of imprudence – as we have seen from Volkswagen or the European Central Bank.

Let’s first look at current data on how marketing experts see D&I.

Diversity in Advertising? Global survey spurs hope

Marketing experts from 5 countries on 4 continents were surveyed about Diversity in advertising. Their answers show that they know what is expected from them. However, mind-sets and actions vary.

Among marketing experts, there seems to be a surprising level of agreement across the globe when it comes to diversity. Collectively, across the countries surveyed, the latest Shutterstock research shows nine in ten of Generation X (91%) and Millennial (92%) marketers believe they are expected to use more diverse representation in their campaigns, and 88% of Generation X and 90% of Millennials believe that this helps the respective brand’s reputation. At the same time, they realise that there is still room for improvement in regards to D&I. The level of perceived opportunity has not only remained on the same level as in the previous year (2017 figures in brackets), ongoing criticism of campaigns for being sexist or stereotyping persist.

Agreement to ‘room for growth in using more diverse images’ by country:

• Australia: 87% (93%)
• Brazil: 95% (92%)
• Germany: 86% (n/a)
• U.K.: 88% (93%)
• U.S.: 89% (91%)

Vast differences: purposes and priorities for D&I in marketing

In assessing the criteria for selecting imagery for campaigns, differences become visible that appear to mirror the respective local business mind-sets:

While in Germany, more tactical considerations could lead marketers to use more diverse imagery (create an emotional reaction (32%) and improve shareability of images (32%)), Brazilian (44%) and Australian (38%) marketers were more interested in the connection between the images and the brand message. The North Atlantic geographies think that such imagery will best represent ‘modern day society’ (British (45%) and American (37%)) – or should they have said customers and markets?

Brazilians lead on transgender, androgynous and non-binary gender images

Over the past 12 months, 36% of Brazilian marketers have used more images featuring women in their marketing campaigns, 19% have started using more images of transgender models and 18% featuring gender fluid, non-binary or androgynous models, leading the way compared to the other countries surveyed. They also rank highest (45%) for having used more images featuring racially diverse models in the last 12 months.

UK struggling with regulation-based gender issues

Following the recent introduction of the Advertising Standards Authority’s (ASA) gender stereotyping ban, 74% of UK marketers say they have been impacted by that standard (compared to 57% the previous year). Half (51%) of the respondents also agree that there are some company concerns that gender-neutral advertising could negatively (!) impact bottom line while 60% (younger generations more, older less) agree that gender is no longer as important of a factor when it comes to targeting in marketing campaigns.

Traditional mind-sets in Germany

Echoing discussions of the past 15 years, ‘only’ 60% of German marketers agreed that a gender stereotyping ban (similar to the UK one) should exist for advertising in Germany, and ‘only’ 50% believe it is important to support gender fluidity through marketing campaigns. Both are the lowest figures among the other countries surveyed, and relatively low agreements within the context of the survey. The country also ranks last regarding the use of more images featuring racially diverse models, transgender models, or people with a disability. This result suggests that not much has changed since I conducted the first advertisement research project 15 years ago.

Scope and Learning for D&I and marketing practices

While this latest research does not analyse the actual imagery in advertising it sheds light on the proclaimed opinions, perceptions and intentions of marketing experts. Their answers may well be influenced by social expectancy, peer group think or messages spread in special interest media. Similar to the results from previous research, high levels of interest are coupled with low awareness for the hard business case facts or for the practical applicability of D&I in marketing. On the other hand, the question of diverse imagery can only be one aspect of a larger discourse about D&I as guiding idea of mass marketing. For many years, I wrote different marketing columns that commented large-scale campaigns from a D&I perspective. Last year, for example, I examined the SuperBowl ads.

How much D&I is in the world’s most expensive advertisements?

At the SuperBowl, ads not only cost in excess of 5 million USD per 30 seconds, they are also widely discussed in the marketing community. Given the increasing importance of D&I, their inclusiveness or bias-breaking message could be a criterion, and inappropriate sexist imagery or stereotyping of societal groups should be a watch-out. Looking at SuperBowl ads from a D&I perspective is insightful because most brands deliberately leverage the huge attention of the finals to make corporate statements or create a buzz about some of their marketing messages. Others, however, will simply deliver the expected mainstream material catering to what they consider to be a mass market. In 2019, we saw almost the entire variety of D&I ‘quality’ in the SuperBowl ads.

The D&I SuperBowl 2019 Laggers

• The footwear company, Sketchers, for example presents a lazy former quarterback, following the male preference to save energy for the next upcoming fight (feet up…)
• Innovative, fast-growing digital start-up Expensify shows a cool black rapper with sexist decoration and a poser car (hopefully, this was supposed to be a parody…)
• Mercedes-Benz chose rapper Ludacris, who had made quite some controversial headlines around sexist lyrics, to present the new (braggy-shaped) A-class limousine. While the ad itself has not been pre-published, a teaser ad shows the rapper giving out 2 (two!) tickets for the SuperBowl finals to two pupils from a suburban school – both male.

The D&I SuperBowl 2019 Leaders 

• Doritos, a snack brand, presents not only a new flavour but also add a new colour, pink, and combine this with borderline nostalgic Backstreet Boys sound and guys (yes, cool guys and pink)
• In their short horror story ad, Olay includes a man screaming in a seemingly dangerous situation (we all know it happens, but ads usually don’t show it)

Stronger forms of breaking stereotypes are offered by Toyota and Michelob (beer):

• Toyota celebrates the female football phenomen, Antoinette Harris, the first female football player to receive a college scholarship for a non-kicking position (this is the kind of reminder, a SuperBowl audience needs)
• Likewise, Michelob Ultra Pure manages to have beer be presented by a female protagonist (Zoe Kravitz!) with no sexualised connotation but a fascinatingly quiet, stylish and nature-related message (is there a better way to grasp attention in the middle of wild sports game?)

Read the complete analysis of SuperBowl 2019 ad here

At the other side of the marketing spectrum, we see target-group specific effort like, for example, autism-friendly shopping.

Irish Retail Battle for Autism Friendliness

According to UK research, shopping, eating and drinking out rank in the top three most difficult experiences for disabled persons. U.S. figures show that they are also three times more likely that people without a disability to never go online compared to people without (23% vs. 8%). Such figures explain the success of campaigns like ‘Help me spend my money’ launched by the social enterprise Purple in 2017. Consequently, experts recommend that companies go on a journey mapping to understand customers with a disability in order to be able to respond to their needs – and eventually benefit a larger clientele, an effect known as ‘from the margin to the mainstream’.

First steps to create Autism friendliness in Irish retail stores

The Irish retail chain SuperValu started their journey in 2016 aiming to assist customers with autism in shopping at their stores. Initial steps included autism-friendly shopping times (quieter, low lights, fast track till) and Autism Lifeskill Fried (ALF) trolleys. They also worked with subject matter expert partners to develop additional supports including sensory store maps, photos of store (to visualise the location before you visit) or store sounds to download and listen to get familiar.

Catching up – too fast – leads to harsh learnings

SuperValu’s competitor, Lidl Ireland, also carried out tests and pilots in 2017 and announced in March 2018 that they will offer Autism Aware Quiet Evenings across all their 194 stores in Ireland and Northern Ireland starting 2 April, World Autism Day. In addition to reduced lighting, no music, priority queuing and lowered till scan sounds they offer extra assistance upon request. However, a woman, her son who has autism and his specially trained autism assistance dog were asked to leave a Lidl store in Dublin. This had happened despite explanations about the situation and needs, and the dog wearing an official Guido Dogs blue jacket. Lidl Ireland quickly sent their ‘unreserved’ apology.

Read the full story here.

The example shows that such incidences can still happen when you have prepared almost everything, including training for personnel. Real marketing disasters can occur when an organisation does not pay attention to its proclaimed D&I objectives in a core business area.

ECB fail: How an EU institution undermines EU gender equality

The unveiling event for the new 100 and 200 Euro banknotes at the European Central Bank showed how easy an opportunity to promote equality is missed and traditional gender clichés are conveyed instead.

First hidden, then helpless: Two girls and the fall of the curtain

ECB Executive Board Member, Yves Mersch, took the floor on 17 September 2018 to introduce the latest and last EuroZone banknotes of the so-called Europa series. Mersch presented for almost twenty minutes the achievements of EU money – politically, strategically and technically. He proceeded to the actual unveiling of a large display showing the new notes that had been hidden behind a curtain. Not only the display was hidden: Two women had been hiding to eventually take off a piece of cloth, wrap it together and take it away while the Executive Board Member was first watching, then posing to the cameras.

No different from a Motor Show

I do not know if Mersch was involved in the planning of the event. What I do know is that it would have only required a small effort of smart thinking to cast one woman and one man for the job and avoid the ridiculous appearance. It reminded me of the female eye-catchers at Motor Shows and I doubt that the strong gender bias would have escaped a female Executive Board Member. By the way, Mersch’s position should have been given to a women, according to the European Parliament that had initially blocked his nomination for gender reasons.

Read the full story and see the video

How to get it D&I in Marketing right

What the examples show quite clearly is that utilising D&I in marketing requires a number of elements to be in place.

• Understand your (brand) context, product (suitability) and market opportunity
• Be ready to adapt existing formats, frameworks, processes and routines to accommodate diversity in your campaigns
• Strike the right balance of Diversity focus and embedded normality
• Aim for a long-term, ongoing integration of D&I in the brand marketing and market communication

One example that integrated most of these elements made headlines as it provided a strong and far-reaching D&I message in an unexpected context.

Gillette: when advertising becomes a (controversial) public statement

The traditional brand of Gillette with mostly macho-type advertisement released a spot asking men to reflect their ‘toxic masculinity’ along with related behaviours. While many people welcomed the strength of the communication and the proclaimed intention, some have been halting on the simplified, one-sided nature of the message, which appears to stereotype, accuse and corner boys and men. Other questions related to the brand history and values (their slogan “The Best a Man Can Get” was introduced 30 years ago at the SuperBowl – why was the toxic masculinity not shown there?) and target group (is Gillette taking a U-turn to focus on non-traditional male market segments?). Regardless of these details, P&G, the new owner of Gillette, was applauded for taking such a strong stand on a relevant gender issue and positioned that at the heart of the target group.

Report about, for example, sexism in advertising

Conclusion: Recognising the entire market – leveraging all of diversity

Applying D&I effectively in marketing and sales does not require fragmented target group approaches, though. You can cover the entire breadth and depth of the market through the following options.

• Diversity as a theme: When your marketing explicitly shows the diversity of your market and D&I becomes a marketing motive to tap into the entire market
• Openness as a value: When marketing uses open-mindedness or unconventionality as a brand attribute, it appeals to the biggest part of the market
• Inclusion as a mechanism: Addressing stereotypes and fostering inclusion in marketing by consciously avoiding or even breaking assumptions

In these ways, D&I serves as an impetus for future-oriented marketing that leverages social development for business success.