Inclusivity in ads makes for a business case

EXPERTS ADMIT THAT MARKETING CAMPAIGNS ARE SHORT ON INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY

How many advertisements that you see each day do justice to India’s diversity in terms of regions, ethnicity, body types, colour or even age groups? Insignificant, going by a new survey by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) and the UN Women Convened Unstereotype Alliance (UA) in collaboration with research firm Kantar.

Kantar evaluated more than 250 ads in 13 languages on age, gender, sexual orientation, race, physical appearance, social class, religion and disabilities to conclude that except for gender representation, Indian advertising is lagging in diversity. Less than 1% of the ads featured members of the LGBTQI community or people with disabilities and barely 4% had people above 65 years. Only 3% of Indian ads had representation from ethnic groups versus the global average of 19% and only 4% showed the diversity in skin tone versus the global average of 27%.

Manisha Kapoor, CEO and secretary general of ASCI says the study highlights areas for improvement in depicting diverse demographics in ads. It is a starting point for fostering more inclusive advertising practices, benefiting brands, ad agencies, and consumers by ensuring that campaigns resonate with a broader audience and reflect the evolving societal norms, she says.

Ad experts admit that our marketing campaigns are short on inclusivity and diversity. But Abhijit Avasthi, founder, Sideways Consulting, feels the trend isn’t alarming as ultimately advertising is a business tool. “It may shape society and needs to be progressive but whatever a brand does has to start as a business case,” he says.

Samit Sinha, managing partner at Alchemist Brand Consulting, agrees: “While advertising does have a responsibility to society, in general its primary role is to sell, and to that extent, reflect current social norms rather than to lead social change. But that’s not to say that advertising should not be encouraged to be more diverse and inclusive.”

Absence of diversity in ads has its roots in India’s cultural history. “There’s a strong centuries-old influence of caste which impacts our collective psyche clearly seen in our matrimonial ads. Assigning value based on skin-colour, gender, age, sexual orientation etc is embedded in our culture and tradition. Our society is also highly stratified along class lines,” Sinha says. Popular culture including cinema panders to these prejudices and advertising becomes a part. “Worse, the current political narrative also seems to be contributing towards reinforcing homogeneous stereotypes of what it means to be Indian,” he adds.

Brands keen to create more inclusive campaigns have often been discouraged by the social media bogey. “You cannot show people of one religion celebrating a festival of another religion without riling trolls. So, brands tend to play it safe,” says Sideways’ Avasthi. Society needs to be more accepting of diversity, he adds.

However, proliferation of digital advertising and rise of direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands is allowing more flexibility in creatives. “D2C brands face less pressure to create ads based on the lowest common denominator. Online marketing is more personalised and interactive than traditional media and that’s why there’s relatively greater diversity and inclusivity reflected in the ads of D2C brands,” Sinha says.

Avasthi feels certain product categories such as fashion and beauty can benefit from more inclusive advertising. “If a colour cosmetics brand also speaks to men it may be perceived as being cool. So, there’s a business case for inclusivity for a category like that. But one should not forcefit a diversity agenda if it’s not suited. Every piece of communication is an opportunity to positively shape the society as long as you do not derail the business agenda,” he says.

ASCI’s Kapoor says diversity and inclusion initiatives are not just moral imperatives. “They yield tangible benefits for brands. By eschewing stereotypes and embracing diverse representations, brands can enhance their resonance with consumers across demographics. Kantar report shows there is a 54% increase in brand equity and 30% increase in short term sales of brands if their advertising showcases underrepresented groups in a positive way,” she says.

Unstereotyped ads yield higher returns on marketing investments making a business case for casting a wider net in advertising diversity, Kapoor adds.

Sinha feels such campaigns make brands stand apart from the herd and endear them to the increasing number of socially-conscious consumers who influence social trends.