Creative Equals

Brands need to do more to address challenges around portrayal. Is your advertising authentically representative of the audiences you serve? Lloyds study into inclusion and diversity in advertising shows us otherwise. Only 47% of people feel accurately portrayed by advertisingand this this drops significantly for intersectional audiences, such as gay women (21%) or households who have disabled members (39%) or people who are Black (33%). One-dimensional portrayals have become established as the norm, but this misses out on all the many rich and varied nuances that make representation authentic - those magic touches that allow your comms to resonate with your audiences. Consumers buy and engage more with a brand when they see themselves represented. A whopping 67% of consumers, say that seeing themselves accurately represented impacts whether or not they buy from or engage with a brand. Authentic representation matters for Brands. So... what inclusive gaps and opportunities exist in your current marketing campaigns? What does your brand look like from an inclusion lens? We run robust and targeted inclusion audits on marketing strategies and comms campaigns. As an accredited Market Research Society partner, we'll review your current campaigns, online presence and customer comms to understand how your brand is represented from a DE&I perspective - surfacing positive representation and progression, highlighting potential gaps that might be barriers to progress (and could lead to marketing backlash) and opportunities to be more authentic and inclusive. We also provide guidance on inclusion first thinking and behaviours that can be built into your process, making it easy to ensure authentic representation is happening. Sound good? Find out more: https://lnkd.in/eNSTzh-S ID: Orange background white text: "Only 47% of people feel accurately portrayed by advertising." The Creative Equals logo is bottom right. #inclusiveMarketing #authenticRepresentation #inclusionMatters Source: https://lnkd.in/eYTfNeEn

Should brands do more to counteract the roll back of DEI? Sara Denby from Unstereotype Alliance has a clear answer: "The work is far from done. Consumers still expect brands to be diverse, equitable and inclusive, and they will hold brands to account." #rise2024 #inclusivemarketing ID: Interview with Sara Denby, wearing a pink blazer, in front of a mint green background with the RISE sponsor names in white: Google, BBC, NewsUK, Ipsos, Untold Fable.

"Create for consumers, don't market at them." That was one of the (many) take-aways from the fireside chat with Dr. Martens plc's Ije Nwokorie and Debbie T. at RISE 2024. Now, the whole talk is available on our Youtube - treat yourself to 20 minutes of pure inspiration: https://lnkd.in/djVGEJjX #rise2024 #inclusivemarketing #brandmarketing

Happy Pride Month! It’s a tricky time for the LGBTQIA+ community, with many brands scaling back their Pride campaigns… but brands that do are missing opportunities with queer communities. Outvertising recently shared telling data in their latest consumer report: 67% of LGBTQIA+ people are likely to recommend products based on ads, with the number increasing for gen z and decreasing for non-queer people. LGBTQIA+ folk also have been revealed to have a higher expectation for advertising, asking brands to feature real people. They’re an audience that craves authenticity and messaging that resonates with their experiences - as multifaceted, intersectional people. Because brand campaigns shouldn’t be focused on “only” queer communication. Instead brands should communicate authentically, and include LGBTQIA + folk in their comms. This means bringing queer people into campaigns in an authentic and inclusive manner. It means testing with LGBTQIA+ folk, and building up your allyship credentials with the community. It also means sticking to your guns in the unlikely event there is backlash (more Nike than Budlight). We’re in a time where attitudes towards the LGBTQIA+ are becoming more negative, brands are in a position where they can help change attitudes and normalise the LGBTQIA + experience - which is a wonderfully powerful place to be this PRIDE month, standing in inclusive allyship. How is your brand celebrating Pride month this year? How are you standing in allyship this Pride? ID: Orange background, white text "Happy PRIDE month!", with the pride stripes in the bottom right corner. #pridemonth2024 #pride #prideMonth #inclusiveBrands #inclusiveMarketing #makingADifference

One of the heftier panels at RISE was on the topic of Building Communities & Driving Innovation with Inclusion. Leaders from Reckitt, the LEGO Group and Chelsea Football Club shared how a focus on inclusion has driven their brands forward.  In the words of panel host Sophie Devonshire⚡️: “In marketing, we are great at finding stories. In our workplaces we need to listen to stories of how other people have dealt with backlash or stepped up to challenge”.  The talk is now available in its entirety on Youtube. Listen to insights from panelists Adriel Lares, Becky Verano-Luri and Carolina Teixeira, catch-up and share with colleagues: https://lnkd.in/dUr8gBNN ID: Photo of the panellists on stage, with a big RISE backdrop in mint and orange. Photo by Bronac McNeill. #RISE2024 #inclusivemarketing #DEI

Presenting: The RISE 2024 Showreel! You can now watch the highlights from this brilliant and inspiring day, filled with insights and actions on how to deliver ROI for DEI. Big thank you to Ije Nwokorie, Efrain Ayala, Sara Denby, Shelley Bishton and Dr. Rebecca Swift for summarising RISE so eloquently and succinctly. 🙏 #RISE2024 #marketingconference #inclusivemarketing ID: A video showing people gathering for the RISE conference, listening to talks of the speakers on stage, interspersed with interviews from some of the speakers of the day.

Generative AI: While some generative content can be wholesome and helpful, building opportunities where there were none before, there is a dark side - the rise of misinformation, deepfake exploitation and harmful content that divides communities, excludes diverse voices, exploits children, and undermines scientific consensus. There’s currently a lack of legislation and registration around AI, and what little legislation there is has been slow… so where should brands sit? The advertising industry has been quick to integrate AI innovation into their strategies and operations. But Gartner predicts that by 2025, over 75% of marketers will face a backlash over perceived risks from AI-generated content. Levi’s already there, when last year they used AI to generate diverse models instead of hiring real diverse models. Should brands distinguish themselves by embracing "AI-free" labels and claim authenticity, like Dove? Dove recently committed to #KeepBeautyReal, and to never use AI to create or distort images of women. Is that realistic for all brands? It’s a thin line - Gen Z consumers list authenticity as their single most important value - if brands claim they are authentic, eventually their audiences will demand they prove it. We foresee a ‘human in the loop’ approach, and would like to see D&EI embedded into AI strategies to ensure you’re doing more good than harm. Want support in building an AI strategy for your brand? We can help: [email protected] Our friends over at CAN have a mission to break the economic link between advertising and the harmful content AI can generate. Jake Dubbins did a lightning talk at RISE on AI and misinformation. Watch it on youtube: https://lnkd.in/e6_Xth5A ID: Orange background, white text: “It’s the wild west of Generative AI right now. How should brands position themselves?” Creative Equals logo bottom right.

Four years ago, George Floyd was brutally murdered on 25 May, sending shockwaves around the globe, a reflection of the profound racial inequities that exist within our society. This crime brought to the world's attention the lived experiences of Black communities and the realities they face, extending into our workplaces. In response to this and to create an action list for change, we facilitated the hashtag #AdlandCommits with representatives and CEOs from the Black community to call for 10 actions for the industry to take - urgently. Over 400 signatories committed. Where are we now? On external representation, yes we've made progress. We see more of the full spectrum of Black life in the UK represented on our screen. For Creative Equals in our everyday work analysing adverts, we still see racial bias, tokenism and stereotypes are present, despite clear guidance from the ASA last June. What about in our workplaces? While there is no specific figure on Black talent from this report, Campaign UK reports the 'average ethnicity pay gap (14.9%) and BAME representation at entry level (41.9%) has worsened'. With the departure of powerhouse Karen Blackett OBE, the number of CEOs at the top of the industry is too few. White senior leaders, it's on us to do the work of addressing racial inequality. It's a journey, but leading on this is more important now than ever. The Majar Players census data says half of business leaders (51%) stated that they do not have a specific DE&I budgets - a stark contrast to 72% who had dedicated budgets 2021. The rollback on DE&I with the rise of the Far Right is palpable with many US companies scaling back external messaging, teams and commitments. To be clear, DE&I has always been here as a practice since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was outlined I948 and the rise of the Civil Rights movements. This was never a 'campaign'. This is an industry wide, long-term transformation programme. After four years, we're just getting started, as the All-In Census data from the Advertising Association tells us. We're calling on everyone who signed this letter to stop and reflect where you’re at now. Revist your commitments for change, add new ones and note where actions may have stalled and ask why. It’s time to renew our collective responsibilities and commitment to shape workplaces, advertising and societies where Black communities can thrive and feel safe. If you need support on how to build equity within your workplace culture - get in touch. We can help, we're all in this together: [email protected]. We can be better, and we will be better. #BlackLivesStillMatter ID: Black background, white text "Actions not words. Adland commits. #BlackLivesmatter" There are a range fists held in the air, of various different skin tones above the text.