Over the years, it has become harder to reach consumers, as communication channels have fragmented and the internet has proliferated. It is understandable, then, that marketers sought to cut through the noise by making things simple. Designing communication for a consumer ‘type’ seemed a viable pathway to a conversation. However, in the process, we have reduced our consumer to something so simply defined it is hard to identify with. In some ways, stereotypes were a way to avoid leaving anyon
yone out. Years ago, if a brand spoke to a range of people rather than a type, the fear was that someone would feel excluded. However, it is now the opposite. Stereotypes are boring. Instead, brands that embrace diversity become interesting. And those that don’t are holding themselves back.
Diversity is a very modern attitude. Millennials and Gen Z have grown up with higher expectations of inclusion and notice its absence. Tolerance for stereotypes is low in these cohorts and challenged in all others. In this era, brands risk being left behind and considered old-fashioned, unsophisticated, or toxic when they fail to appear like they know what is going on.
Additionally, brands that fail to embrace human diversity run the risk of lacking authenticity and truth. Stereotypes simply aren’t real. Emerging generations are highly sensitive to the ‘phoney’ factor. They need ‘real’ to trust a brand.
For brands that remain resistant, there is growing evidence to suggest embracing diversity and inclusion isn’t just good for corporate reputation. It has a genuine impact on the bottom line.
Beyond race and gender
A 2019 study conducted by Google and The Female Quotient found 64 per cent of people took action after seeing an ad considered to be diverse or inclusive. And according to a study of 2,500 marketers, 90 per cent of Millennial marketers believe diverse representation in a brand campaign can improve that brand’s reputation.
The reasons for this are obvious. We have a diverse global population. Three-quarters of Australians originate from another country and one in four people currently living here were born in another country. Additionally, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare estimates 18 per cent of Australians have some form of disability.
But it is not just the big areas of inclusion, such as race, gender, disability, and sexual orientation, that make people different. There are a host of other ways we are unique, including our political values, religious practices, divergent ways for processing reality, socio-economic backgrounds, lifestyles and so on. We are all part of diversity. By celebrating diversity, we feel celebrated, too. Inclusion feels good.
Plenty of majot brands have already come to this realisation, including Nike which, with its ‘Find Your Greatness’ campaign, is speaking to the inherent greatness in us all. Apple has told the everyday story of people in diverse suburbs across Australia doing their thing on a Mac, and brands such as Gillette have chosen to undermine their own stereotypes. Elsewhere, retailers including Sephora have made strong claims in support of LGBTQ+ consumers.
Closer to home, the ABC has embraced diversity in its latest identity advertising, with little screens of people singing together. I love this campaign because, by embracing a range of people, I imagine I am somehow in the mix.
With so many brand messages coming our way, it would be naive to imagine we would see ourselves exactly reproduced in communication. It is refreshing to see people who are different. Brands that understand differences are the ones that inspire us.
Being surprising cuts through. Difference creates intrigue. The truth brings brands to life and adds vibrancy. And, ultimately, taking this approach opens up new possibilities for brands, rather than holding them back.