Marketers Fear Change—But They Should Fear Missing Out
Real-world evidence that age and ethnic representation drives clicks, leads, and results
In marketing, we talk a lot about audience insight. We segment. We profile. We build personas. But when it comes to representation—the actual people depicted in our ads—too often we fall back on outdated patterns.
Two assumptions seem to dominate creative decisions: First, that young models are universally appealing. Second, that diverse casting is a risk—especially in today’s polarizing climate. But what if both are wrong?
At No-Kno, we recently had the opportunity to test these assumptions in real market conditions, partnering with Belgian platform Foodtruckbestellen.be.
The goal was simple: do ads perform better when the people shown actually resemble the people being targeted?
Assumption 1: “Everyone wants to be young”
People aged 45 and up represent 46% of the Belgian population and hold 53.5% of its consumer buying power. Yet they’re underrepresented in advertising—appearing in only 17% of people shown in 12,000 top Belgian ads, according to our analysis.
In our experiment, we ran wedding-themed foodtruck ads targeted at 40–54-year-olds. Each original ad featuring young couples was paired with an AI-generated version depicting middle-aged newlyweds—placing this audience in active, central roles. The results were clear: the age-matched ads drove a 21% higher click-through rate, 16% more impressions, and 40% more link clicks.
We didn’t just improve the metrics—we gave an overlooked audience a voice and showed them they belong in the narrative, as 37% of Belgian weddings involve people over 40.
Original ad set with young wedding couples
Ad set with middle-aged wedding couples
Assumption 2: “Diverse casting is risky”
In another campaign, we targeted audiences in urban areas around Brussels and Antwerp. We tested a standard ad set against one featuring a cast that mirrored the cities’ ethnic diversity. With the same media budget, the ethnically matched ads delivered 16% more impressions, 13% more clicks, and 175% more leads.
Conventional ad set with little ethnic diversity
Ad set matched to the ethnic composition of the target audience depicted as food truck owners as well as customers
When I speak with marketers, I hear a lot of uncertainty, because the context has become sensitive. High-profile backlash in the U.S. and toxic social media comments on inclusive campaigns have made marketers cautious—and some now conflate ethnic representation in marketing with politics, wokism, or culture wars.
But more often, the real issue is data: many simply don’t have a clear picture of the ethnic diversity within their audience. That’s why we developed No-Kno’s audience model for Belgium—to provide marketers with the demographic clarity they need to make informed, confident decisions.
The outdated Key Demographic is costing growth
Representing your target audience in advertising isn’t new—it’s a foundational marketing principle. But while the population has evolved in active age, ethnicity, gender roles and lifestyle, many brands still default to an outdated idea of the “key demographic.” That gap between who’s in the ad and who’s in the market is costing growth.
Data should guide representation in casting, creative and media choices. At No-Kno, we help marketers measure and benchmark the people they depict, identify gaps, and align creative with the real audience—not the imagined one.
The real risk today isn’t backlash—it’s missing out on a growing, diverse audience that’s ready to engage when they see themselves reflected.
Case Study foodtruckbestellen.be
No-Kno Audience Model
No-Kno’s Audience Model gives insights in your audience's age, gender, and visual ethnic composition using geographic, demographic, educational, and professional data. his informs casting, creative and media choices.
Want to know what your audience really looks like? Let’s talk.