How To Do Representation in Marketing the Right Way (+ Consumer Perspectives)
Introduction
It‘s 2024. The world looks radically different than it did just a decade ago. Gen Z is the largest consumer segment globally. The minority is fast becoming the majority. Audiences are more diverse, discerning and vocal than ever.
In this new landscape, representation in marketing is no longer a nice-to-have. It‘s a must-have — one that separates the brands that will thrive from the ones that will fail.
Why? Because when you make inclusion a sustained priority — one that‘s grounded in cultural insights, integrated across touchpoints, and responsive to feedback — you build deeper audience connections. You earn the trust and loyalty of consumers who‘ve long been sidelined. You reap bottom-line results.
But getting representation right is far from easy. It requires a transformative shift in mindset and tactics. Having worked with hundreds of brands on inclusive marketing, I‘ve seen firsthand the challenges and opportunities.
In this post, I‘ll share an actionable roadmap for making your 2024 marketing radically representative. We‘ll explore:
- The state of representation today (and why "diversity-washing" won‘t cut it)
- The business and societal impact of inclusive marketing
- 4 proven strategies to authentically embed representation
- How leading brands are reimagining inclusion in their marketing
- Bold predictions and ideas for the future of representation
By the end, you‘ll walk away with both inspiration and practical guidance to start reshaping your marketing today. Because in a world that‘s never been more multifaceted, resonance depends on representation. Ready?
The State of Representation in Marketing
First, the good news. We‘ve made some major strides in representation over the past decade:
- People of color appear in 38% of digital ads, up from 27% in 2018 (Adobe)
- Women-led campaigns have jumped 7% since 2021 (Cannes Lions)
- LGBTQ+ inclusion in TV ads hit an all time high of 6.1% in 2022 (GLAAD)
So we‘re seeing more diversity in marketing, period. But we have to look beyond the topline numbers. When we examine the nuances of how different groups are portrayed, some troubling patterns emerge:
- Only 29% of Black characters in ads are featured in positions of power (Geena Davis Institute)
- 43% of Gen Z women say depictions of their gender in media are inaccurate (Dove)
- 1 in 4 people shown with a disability are depicted as helpless (Nielsen)
In other words, while underrepresented groups may be more visible, they‘re still often reduced to outdated stereotypes and tokenism. Many depictions lack the depth and authenticity that today‘s consumers crave.
Frequency also fluctuates dramatically by brand and industry. A 2022 study by Collage Group found that in the auto industry, 91% of marketing featured white people, compared to 5% for Black people and 1% for Asians. Tech, financial services and healthcare aren‘t much better, while beauty, fashion and entertainment are leading the charge.
The result is what I call "diversity-washing" — surface-level representation efforts that aren‘t backed by integrated, consistent action. Like the rainbow logo brands roll out each June, only to go silent on LGBTQ+ issues the rest of the year.
These performative campaigns may generate short-term buzz. But they don‘t move the needle on building authentic connections with marginalized communities. In fact, they often damage credibility.
Don‘t just take my word for it. Here‘s what real consumers have to say:
The hard truth is, if your representation efforts feel halfhearted and opportunistic to you, they‘ll come across that way to your audience. Today‘s consumers, especially Gen Z and millennials, can sniff out inauthenticity from a mile away.
So what‘s a marketer to do? Before we tackle that, let‘s dive into why getting representation right is so critical — for both your audience and your bottom line.
The Power of Representation
When you infuse marketing with diverse and authentic representation, two things happen. You make audiences feel seen and valued. And you reap measurable business benefits.
The Consumer Impact
Imagine you‘re a curvy Black woman thumbing through a fashion magazine. You rarely ever see bodies or skin tones like yours depicted (much less celebrated). Then suddenly, you come across an ad with a gorgeous model who looks just like you. How would that make you feel? Excited, validated, emotionally connected to that brand?
This isn‘t just a thought experiment. It‘s the lived experience of millions of consumers who‘ve been largely invisible in media and marketing. For them, simply being reflected and respected can be a revelation.
When you make audiences feel represented, here‘s what they say:
The impact of representation goes far beyond feel-good sentiments. It can fundamentally shape how people perceive themselves and what they believe is possible:
- 52% of women say female role models in ads inspired them to be more ambitious in their careers (Facebook)
- 80% of Black teens said seeing positive portrayals of their race made them feel good about themselves (Geena Davis Institute)
- 70% of LGBTQ+ youth reported that representation enabled them to envision a promising future (The Trevor Project)
In a very real sense, inclusive marketing has the power to expand dreams and shift trajectories. That‘s a tremendous opportunity — and responsibility — for brands.
The Business Impact
Now let‘s talk dollars and cents. Inclusive representation is quickly becoming a key competitive differentiator and growth driver:
- 64% of consumers said diversity in marketing was an important factor in their purchasing decisions (Google)
- Diverse ad campaigns had 50% higher brand recall over "normal" campaigns (Deloitte)
- The most inclusive brands saw an 83% higher consumer preference (Accenture)
Put simply, representation is good for business. It helps you connect with the surging multicultural consumer segments that control trillions in spending power. It makes audiences feel understood and valued, so they reward you with their brand loyalty. It even improves the brand metrics marketers obsess over, like awareness, engagement and conversion.
The benefits extend internally too. Companies with inclusive marketing see a 35% jump in employee retention and 19% more innovation (Deloitte). That‘s because diverse content attracts the multifaceted talent you need to tell resonant stories. When employees feel represented and respected by your brand, they‘re more likely to stick around and do standout work.
On the flip side, failing to prioritize diversity can have severe consequences. Look at what happened to H&M when it ran that infamous "coolest monkey" sweatshirt ad. Or Pepsi‘s tone-deaf Kendall Jenner commercial trivializing the Black Lives Matter movement. Their stock prices and sales took a nosedive. It took them years to recover their reputation, and some consumers still boycott them.
In 2024, you simply can‘t afford to alienate huge swaths of your audience. Getting representation wrong is more than a faux pas; it‘s a material risk to your business.
So how exactly do you embed authentic inclusion in your marketing? Here are four proven strategies.
4 Strategies to Authentically Represent Your Audience
1. Ground It in Cultural Insights
Effective representation starts with cultural intelligence. You have to invest time and resources to understand the nuances, challenges, aspirations and trends of the communities you want to represent.
That means looking beyond your internal assumptions and stereotypes. Engage directly with diverse audiences through qualitative research, social listening, customer advisory boards, employee resource groups and more. Hire diverse agencies and consultants who can bring that lived experience and cultural expertise to your work.
When you ground campaigns in genuine cultural insights, you avoid messaging missteps and demonstrate you "get it." Like when Nike launched a performance hijab after noticing Muslim athletes hacking their own. Or T-Mobile‘s "Mama Tests" ads that nailed cultural expressions with Hispanic consumers.
2. Embed It Across the Marketing Mix
Inclusion shouldn‘t be an afterthought or side project. To feel authentic, it must be anchored in your long-term marketing strategy and visible at all consumer touch points.
Start with your products and experiences. How might you design them to cater to underserved segments? Notice how beauty brands like Fenty and Mented developed extensive foundation shade ranges for melanated skin tones that were long ignored.
Infuse diversity throughout your content — from the stories you tell to the experts you platform to the influencers you partner with. AT&T audited its media to ensure underrepresented groups appear across all assets and channels.
And of course, prioritize representation in your creative executions, from casting to imagery to language. Target‘s "Dimensions of Beauty" campaign depicted women of all shapes, ethnicities and abilities to redefine industry standards. The key is weaving inclusion throughout your entire brand experience.
3. Activate Employees as Inclusion Advocates
Your marketing can shout diversity from the rooftops, but it won‘t feel authentic if your team doesn‘t walk the walk. Embed DEI into your hiring, retention and team engagement practices.
Set clear diversity goals, implement inclusive recruiting and invest in growing underrepresented talent. Currently, only 6% of CMOs are Black, and 13% of VPs are Hispanic (Spencer Stuart). Closing those leadership gaps will bring invaluable perspectives to your marketing.
Activate employees as inclusion advocates across levels and functions. Train them on DEI best practices, incentivize inclusive behaviors, have them co-create campaigns with ERGs. P&G created "Widen the Screen" after Black team members pushed to tell more complete stories about their community. Empowering everyone to champion representation drives more resonant work.
4. Commit to Continuous Learning
Here‘s the reality — you will make mistakes on this journey. What‘s considered inclusive is constantly shifting based on cultural context. Language and imagery that worked in 2022 may fall flat in 2024. It‘s inevitable that you‘ll sometimes get it wrong or receive criticism.
The key is to approach representation with a growth mindset. Be open to feedback, willing to acknowledge blind spots and humble enough to course correct. Regularly pressure-test campaigns with diverse focus groups. Stay plugged into cultural conversations to understand evolving expectations. And look to peer brands and inclusion experts for continuous guidance.
Most importantly, if you do stumble, address it directly and transparently. When Procter & Gamble received backlash for an ad perpetuating Black stereotypes, they didn‘t go silent. They issued a heartfelt apology, pulled the ad and committed $5M to anti-racism initiatives. Missteps can be powerful learning opportunities if handled with integrity.
Ultimately, inclusive representation is an ongoing commitment, not a one-time initiative. Sustaining it requires a culture of continuous improvement. But when you get it right, the impact is transformative — on your consumers, employees and bottom line.
Brands Reimagining Representation
Need some inspiration for your own inclusion efforts? These brands are pushing the boundaries of representation in creative, resonant ways:
Microsoft: With its Adaptive Accessories, the tech giant is making gaming accessible for the over 1B gamers with disabilities. They co-created the peripherals with the disability community, showing that inclusion must be infused in product design, not just marketing.
Mastercard: Its "True Name" feature allows transgender and non-binary consumers to use their chosen names on cards. By removing a pain point for an underserved group, the brand demonstrated it tangibly valued inclusion.
Rihanna: The artist-turned-mogul has built an empire on authentic inclusion, from her million-shade makeup line to her boundary-breaking Savage X Fenty fashion shows. She proves diversity isn‘t just the right thing to do — it‘s profitable.
The Future of Representation
As we look ahead to 2024 and beyond, all signs point to representation becoming an even greater strategic imperative. A few bold predictions:
- Legacy brands that don‘t adapt will lose share to inclusive disruptors
- AI and machine learning will be leveraged to embed diversity at scale
- Marketing teams will be evaluated on DEI benchmarks
- Inclusive ads will become the most viewed and shared
- Cancel culture will give way to "accountability culture"
The brands that will win are those that make inclusion a C-suite priority now. That hire Chief Diversity Officers on par with CMOs. That bake representation into the very DNA of how they market and operate. That aren‘t afraid to cede power to multicultural consumers and talent.
So as we close out, I want to leave you with a few calls to action:
- Audit your current marketing to identify gaps and opportunities in representation
- Set a bold, measurable inclusion goal to hit by 2024
- Engage one new diverse community to understand their needs
- Recruit an inclusion advocate to join your marketing leadership team
The future of marketing is radically representative. How will you rise to meet it?
