Brands boycotted.
Diversity in advertising is important to almost two-thirds of Australians according to a survey from Adobe, with around 25 per cent of respondents more likely to purchase products and services from brands with diverse advertisements. And 21 per cent said they have boycotted brands that don’t showcase diversity.
The report surveyed more than 1,000 people across Australia and found that representation is critical for brands wanting to engage consumers. More than half of those surveyed said that lack of diversity would impact their perception of a brand and 29 per cent were more likely to trust brands that have more diverse ads.
Adobe head of advertising cloud, Phil Cowlishaw said in an increasingly competitive digital landscape, consumers are demanding personalised and authentic advertising, experiences and engagement from brands. “What this research shows is that while diversity in advertising is obviously improving, the real opportunity for brands is to make their customers feel like the brand knows and cares about them through representation.”
The research also found that consumers believe network TV is perceived to have the most diverse advertising today, however only 9 per cent of respondents felt that digital ads were representative.
A recent report on digital advertising said it has become the single most impactful platform for advertising today. While technology is enabling brands to deliver more curated, contextual and personalised advertising through digital platforms there is still progress to be made in terms of representation.
“We know that if brands really want to tap into this huge market of emerging consumers, they need to leverage digital, and share content that represents and inspires their audience,” Cowlishaw said.
Sectors polling better when it comes to diversity in ads are travel and hospitality, retail, media and entertainment, while automotive and financial industries had some catching up to do.