Marketing is… bored of diversity?

Why is the advertising industry experiencing major pullbacks, slowing progress on diversity and equity?

I’ve noticed this theme popping up over the last few weeks of industry research.

Rewind to 2020. George Floyd was murdered. A global outrage ensued. A social justice movement began. And this changed the way businesses operated. As a part of this movement, advertising professionals made commitments to improve diversity in the industry.

Roll forward four years, and companies appear to be pulling back on the promises they once made.

Is this a result of 'Diversity Fatigue?' Or is it indicative of a larger cultural shift within the industry?

Well, DEI-related hiring has slowed, particularly in the U.S.

In 2021, there were 500 DEI-related job postings for every one million postings on Indeed. This January, there were only 272.

And, according to J.P Gownder, an analyst at the market research firm Forrester, that's a problem. He writes, 'As a result, too many companies will default to "check the box" efforts such as heritage days, leading to performative - rather than substantive - DEI programs.'

Gownder predicts that the percentage of companies that invest in a DEI strategy (and personnel behind it) will fall from 27% in 2023 to 20% by the end of this year.

The Supreme Court also ended affirmative action last year. This came 45 years after allowing America's universities to give limited considerations to race in admissions. A 6-3 majority concluded this violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment. It's possible this could lead to less diversity in the workforce.

Brands are also worried about being cancelled. Just look at Bud Light's experience with Dylan Mulvaney. Instead of picking a side, many brands would rather stay right in the middle to avoid alienating anyone.

But does brands’ commitment to diversity really matter?

Aside from obvious reasons I need not point out, diversity is an important component of success in business. Recently, E.l.f. Beauty reported an 85% sales growth rate. They believe this is, in part, due to the diversity within their company.

It makes sense that brands that embrace a mixture of gender and culture within their teams are better positioned to appeal to and understand their customers. After all, they have a wider range of perspective, experiences, and ideas to work with.

A 2021 Deloitte report suggests that 57% of customers are more loyal to brands that commit to addressing social inequities. We're more likely to connect with brands that we feel reflect us and our values. So when brands show they care about what we care about, it makes us loyal to them.

Diversity and inclusion is about more than ticking a box. 

It’s about creating culture. One where everyone feels valued. Where your customers know you and your team actually give a sh*t.

If you’re a brand, now is not the time to dial back on your efforts of diversity and inclusion.

So on that note, here are a few things to keep in mind...

• Tell stories that resonate across cultures. This means challenging your own biases and listening to people with a different background to yours.

• Be mindful of language. One wrong word can change the messaging of your campaign and alienate certain groups of people. 

• Fight the fear. It may seem safer to exclude diverse voices from your campaigns. But you could end up removing your brand from the wider conversation and losing relevancy.

I don’t need to sit here and tell you why diversity matters. Now more than ever, we need to hold fast. Regression doesn’t help anybody.  

-Sophie, Copywriter