It has many names – Multicultural Marketing, Inclusive Advertising, Diversity Marketing. But it has the same goal – “easily appeal to a large audience.”
Diversity is the most important concept in today’s advertising which every brand and industry wants to embrace and champion – and an Adobe survey confirms that. The survey talks about how 58% of LGBTQ+, 53% of African-Americans, and 40% of Hispanics would walk away from brands if the ads do not represent them. And it doesn’t end there. Diversity impacts the perception of all kinds of buyers.
Apple does it nicely
Apple revolutionized advertising. Its unique and out-of-the-box ads leave lasting impressions all the time. The way it talks about products has always fascinated consumers and sellers alike. And its latest step, in the evolution the brand has been observed taking, is the people (models) featured in its ads.
Diversity marketing experts today hail ad makers of Apple for their choice of people. Simply go to its YouTube gallery and pick videos of any product that the brand promotes and you will find people of mixed races. Diversity in its ads is not touch-and-go, but throughout.
Still, why does diversity matter, especially right now?
People respond to empathy
Ever since the pandemic hit the world, brands moved to empathy to showcase their support and care in these unprecedented times. Both advertising and selling have become more conscious. Today, your brand doesn’t just pop up and show anything; you will only see what you are interested in.
Diverse markets have enormous spending power
When Rihanna launched a collection of 40 different shades of foundation through her cosmetics company Take Fenty Beauty, it saw $72 million in earnings in the first month of sales.
When trends happen on Twitter and Instagram, millennials are the first to react and the group that is active the most is Asian or African-American.
These, and many other examples, prove how minorities play a pivotal role in influencing today’s purchase decisions.
Consumers agree that “diversity has an impact”
Remember the “This Girl Can” ad campaign by FCB Inferno? The campaign explored the concept of women and the many roadblocks they usually counter in sports, such as body image and family commitments. The ad was such a success that 1.6 million women started exercising; also more women started participating in sports than men.
The face of advertising has changed. From technology to manufacturing and e-commerce to entertainment, brands are increasingly adopting the concepts of diversity and inclusion. More brands like Puma, Adidas, Facebook, Amazon, etc., are tapping into the opportunities of diversity marketing and leaving a mark. Are you?
