Rethinking diversity in Australian advertising

There is more than just a moral case for sensitive representation in advertising – research shows it also makes good sense financially.

Unstereotype Alliance’s 2024 report The Business Case for Inclusive Advertising found campaigns which scored higher on inclusivity metrics had sales lifts 3.46 per cent higher on average than lower-scoring initiatives.

However, tokenism has become a flashpoint in the industry, with some companies taking a superficial approach to diversity and representation.

Northern University’s 2023 paper Increased Attention to Racial Inequality Alters Consumer Responses to Black Actor Representation in TV Advertising looked at US television advertisements before and after the 2020 murder of George Floyd, finding companies which added more Black actors post-2020 saw negative consumer responses, while those with consistent inclusivity retained stronger brand relationships.

“Poor representation or tokenistic approaches might take away from the intent of the ad,” Edith Cowan University School of Arts and Humanities Advertising Coordinator and Senior Lecturer Kelly Choong said.

Unstereotype Alliance’s Australian Chapter Research 2023 found Australian advertising still had a way to go. Of the survey respondents, 52 per cent of Australians with disability, 41 per cent of LGBTQIA+ identifying Australians and 33 per cent of First Nations Australians said they did not feel positively portrayed in advertising.

For Dr Choong, consistency is key to demonstrating a genuine commitment to diversity, as is including diverse voices in the creative process.

He said advertisers might overlook things which could easily be picked up by people from the group they were representing.

“If the people do not feel the brand represents what they’re showing, then naturally whatever they show will be scoffed at,” Dr Choong said.

True inclusion requires more than a surface-level approach – it calls for long-term efforts both on and off screen. When brands embrace this, advertising can accurately reflect society and help shape it for the better.

Author: Ebrahim Seedat is a first-year Bachelor of Journalism and Broadcast Media student at Edith Cowan University.