After examining a year's worth of diversity analytics and over 200,000 data points, we've uncovered three compelling trends that illustrate why good intentions aren't enough for effective diversity in advertising. Without objective diversity metrics, marketers risk overlooking crucial insights and audience perceptions, rendering their diversity initiatives less effective.

Insight #1 Diversity is front and centre in campaigns, but in organic social media diversity fades, undermining your brand's credibility

While high-visibility, above-the-line campaigns frequently spotlight diversity, organic social media often tells a different story.  Organic social media typically reflects the community engaged through events and sponsorship.

A large gap between above and below the line marketing can undermine the credibility of your diversity efforts.

Example: female image in advertising vs. male reality for automotive brand

In an effort to move away from a masculine image, a certain car brand's above the line ads (TV, posters, print) exclusively feature women. Yet, a glance at their organic social media reveals a different story, with over 75% of the individuals depicted being male. This includes imagery from events, sponsorships, and work gatherings, indicating that the brand's actual community remains predominantly male-oriented.

It is a common phenomenon across all brands that social media gets a lot less attention when it comes to diversity. If there is no consistency between your high visibility campaigns and your other channels, the credibility of your diversity efforts may suffer.

Insight #2 When brands showcase diversity, a closer look often reveals a one- dimensional view that fails authentic representation.

While brands showcase diversity, they often portray it one-dimensionally. This approach still doesn't fully represent the diversity of your customer base and may seem like just ticking a box.

Example: despite body-positivity the fashion industry mainly depicts young models

Limited Age Representation in a Body-Positive and Ethnic Diverse Ad

While the fashion industry promotes body-positivity by featuring plus-size models, freckles, blemishes, and stretch marks, fashion advertisers mostly show young models.

Similarly, an advertiser in the hospitality industry used age-diverse models, but all of them were in perfect shape. A one- dimensional view of diversity will still not reflect the diversity of your customer base and may appear to be a checkbox exercise.

Insight #3 Marketers and agencies focus on casting. However, production and media choices can dramatically shift the diversity the audience sees.

While marketers and agencies prioritise diverse casting, editing the assets into shorter formats or allocating significant media spend to less diverse assets can substantially change the perceived diversity. For effective inclusive marketing, marketers must compare the diversity of casting with what is delivered.

Example: age-diverse casting vs. limited age representation in final delivery

In this client case, an age-diverse cast, fitting the brand’s positioning is used in the brand's imagery and long brand video. However, in digital media only 15-second and 6-second ad variations are served. Almost all age-diversity was left on the cutting table when those assets were produced. Moreover when we consider the actual impressions of the campaign, only the 18-24 age group is significantly represented.

It all starts with diverse casting, but how your audience sees diversity depends on your production and media choices.

Conclusion

These three trends underscore that relying solely on gut feelings does not suffice for achieving effective diversity in advertising. Without objective diversity metrics, there's a risk that efforts toward diverse representation will be perceived as mere box-ticking.