Six in 10 US consumers believe that diversity in advertising is important. Added to that, showing diversity in advertising can also lead to trust: almost 4 in 10 respondents from the more than 1,000 adults surveyed [download page] by Adobe say they are more likely to trust a brand that shows more diversity in its ads.
With some 62% of respondents saying that a brand’s diversity, or lack of it, impacts their perception of their products or services, just how many are willing to stop supporting a brand whose advertising doesn’t reflect their identity? About one-third (34%) of respondents overall say they have ceased to use a brand that didn’t represent their identity in its advertising. However, the number of respondents who have boycotted a brand because it didn’t represent their community increases considerably when looking specifically at different communities.
As a group that has historically felt underrepresented in advertising, the majority of the LGBTQ+ individuals report supporting companies and brands that market to and support their community. The reverse is also true, with nearly three-fifths (58%) of LGBTQ+ respondents saying they have stopped buying from a brand because it did not reflect their identity.
Additionally, a large portion of African-American (53%) and Hispanic (40%) respondents also have walked away from a brand for not representing them in its advertising. A recent report from PQ Media and the ANA found that while Hispanics and African-Americans make up a sizable portion of the US population, the number of advertising dollars spent to target them is very low.
The encouraging news is that more than two-thirds (69%) of respondents say that they have seen more diversity in advertising than they did three years ago. Respondents note that industries such as food (33%), healthcare (30%), retail (30%), media and entertainment (29%) and education (25%) offer more diversity in their ads, with brands including Nike (34%), Coca Cola (32%) and Google (29%) making an effort to appeal to a more diverse group of consumers.
About the Data: Findings are based on a survey of 1,012 US adults.
