Ad Industry Fails To Embrace Cultural Diversity
The advertising industry fails to reflect the cultural diversity of society and relies too heavily on racial stereotypes and tokenism, according to a study published today by Mediaedge:cia.
The research, which was first unveiled at last year’s Media Research Group (MRG) conference in Budapest (see MRG Conference: Advertising Lacks Ethnic Diversity), examines how marketers could better reach minority ethnic groups in the UK by gaining a deeper insight into the cultural differences that effect how they relate to mainstream media and marketing.
Commenting on the report, David Fletcher, head of research at Mediaedge:cia, said: “Our research found that marketing can be a double-edged sword. Advertisers that use minority ethnic actors or settings draw the attention of this audience, but they tend to polarise the community between those who see the representations as positive and those that see it as tokenistic or stereotypical.”
Fletcher also claims that the lack of ethnicity in advertising means that ads that do include a culturally diverse cast, face immense scrutiny: “Ads are relatively unlikely to feature minority ethnic characters; so any commercial which breaks the norm consequently attracts disproportionate scrutiny. This inevitably leads to some accusing the advertiser of tokenism or stereotyping, which in turn reinforces the difficulty of acting inclusively.”
According to the research, the use of sexual imagery was not as frowned upon by ethnic groups as previously believed. However, advertisers are warned to be sensitive to the cultural and moral attitudes of the community and target carefully. For example some ads may be rejected in a family setting but maybe acceptable amongst younger groups in isolation, such as in targeted magazines.
The research shows that there is a need for targeted advertising which speaks to the particular desires and needs of ethnic communities. The example of religious festivals, which include special gifts and foods, is highlighted as possible marketing opportunity.
Fletcher adds: “Those advertisers prepared to take a lead on inclusiveness will find significant challenges but a broadly receptive audience who could be a major driver of competitive advantage.”
The advertising industry’s failure to reflect the multicultural nature of society is perhaps symptomatic of the profession’s own make-up, which is predominately white, male and middle class. According to the recent IPA census, almost 96% of employees coming from a white, British background and woman account for only 10% of senior executive positions (see IPA Census Brings Good News For Smaller Agencies).
Recent research from Sky revealed that 70% of Britain’s South Asian community feels under-served by programming on terrestrial TV channels (see Ethnic Viewers Turned Off By Terrestrial TV).
Mediaedge:cia: 020 7803 2000 www.mediaedgecia.com
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