Australia’s ad industry: not racist, but…
Australia is at least 20 years behind the US and the UK in how ethnic minorities are portrayed in advertising, a Communications Council committee member has said.
Sheba Nandkeolyar, chair of the Communications Council’s multicultural committee, said advertising in Australia was “not as open” as other western markets to multicultural marketing, and was missing an opportunity to reach 47% of the population born – or born with a parent – overseas.
While Nandkeolyar said she didn’t consider the marketing community to be racist, she suspected that there was a hesitation to put “foreign faces” in ads because brands fear they may alienate their core Australian target market.
“We need more multicultural communications strategies” says CEO of multicultural communications agency. Well there’s a surprise.
As a researcher I know the added cost of including ethnic communities in market studies is a major factor in just gaining information (multi-lingual surveys/interviewers, translation costs, sample sourcing, etc), let alone engaging in appropriate and proper messaging. It is mainly government departments who are duty bound to include all community members and are therefore prepared to spend the money to properly research and engage.
I know of only one marketing agency that has a specialised multicultural division: LOUD. Most of the larger agencies tend to put it in the too hard basket along with client marketers, and as the article states, with an under-representation in the workforce that makes the ads, there is a lack of both knowledge and motivation to include ethnic minorities across the industry, even though they represent a major growth potential.
I am not surprised at all that the advertising industry is 20 years behind in how we represent minorities. I work at a leading agency and have lost count of the amount of time I have been referred to as “wog”. And that’s from people much further up the food chain. If they can’t understand that using such a term is offensive, then they’re not going to represent ethnic minorities very well at all. Sadly it often feels like the industry as a whole is lead by a bunch of old school boys.
I went for a job in Singapore once… the recruiter said my skills were good but I didn’t know the local market. Touché.
Gezza, you genious!
Too many Pom’s…
all this talk is making me hungry, yum cha anyone?
I agree Sheba. Alongside my day job, I’m also an actress and while I give kudos to my agent for sending me to “color blind” castings and certain casting directors for agreeing to see me, most of the time, I just don’t fit into the “look” that the director or producer is after. It’s not just an ad industry issue, it’s an issue that spans across all media/film/tv industries in Australia. And yes, low numbers of ethnic minorities work in those industries, especially on the content production side, so, of course there will be low representation. I’m going to try produce some multicultural content, because it is more representative of the society that I live in, and I urge all to do the same. What’s the worst that can happen – more consumers from ethnic minorities buying your products and watching your TV shows and films?
Too many poms? I don’t know which element of that is most ridiculous. The straight racism? Ignorance of the fact that the Brits are actually more enlightened when it comes to this issue? Trying to deflect what the real problem is and who is to blame?
The sad fact is that we are 20 years behind in attitude. When I joined my first agency I was astounded at the widespread casual racism doled out by people I had previously thought of as reasonable, well rounded characters. Its endemic across society – S Mouse in Angry Boys being a live example.
I remember studying at uni a decade ago that most ethnic groups in Australia were slightly over-represented on screen in Australian-made dramas, comedies etc (especially indigenous, Italian, and Greek groups). However Asian groups were consistently under-represented – be it for cultural or other reasons I don’t know.
But until now I never actually thought of it in terms of advertising, and I must say I can’t remember seeing too many non-white faces…
Why can’t we all just be people? :\
Too many Poms? exhibit ‘A’ ma lord.
Employing australian cricketer Andrew Symonds in an Indian ad denouncing hypocrisy would be a good start.
Yep, I agree it’s not just an advertising problem… one look at the the racial makeup of our parliament will show you how happy we are to ignore minorities in this country.
We have been in business for over 18 years specialisng in Multicultural and Indigenous research and communications – Cultural Perspectives and CIRCA
The best marketing candidates we’ve looked at here for social media and email marketing roles (strategy and tactical) have all been from non anglo saxon backgrounds, though there is far lower representation of non anglo saxons in brand marketing and BI. Go figure!
“47% of the population born overseas”???? She could start by quoting accurate statistics. The percentage of Australians born overseas is around 14%. The generation after them -1st gen Australians brings tha number to 25%. Even when you include 2nd generations, it ‘s less than her quoted figure. Get rid of the spin and we’ll take you seriously.
You’ve taken the trouble to correct the author, but you yourself haven’t got the figures right either silly billy 🙂
Over 28% of people living in Australia were born overseas.
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats.....se12015-16
Around 49% have at least one parent that was born overseas. Source:
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats.....20Release3
I moved over here to get away from the whinging Pom’s. They come over here, don’t shut up about the football (Soccer.) Only ever hang around with other Pom’s and stand out for being pasty. Assimilate ffs!!!
Or go home!
Mike the statistics are 47%of the population are born overseas or have at least one parent born overseas.census 2006.Does not need much beyond looking around you in the market place or anywhere you go, to see this diversity around you.
Sheba and Mike let me quote some statistics from a recent Australian Government publication entitled: The People of Australia – Australia’s Multicultural Policy – “Australia is a multicultural nation. In all, since 1945, seven million people have migrated to Australia. Today, one in four of Australia’s 22 million people were born overseas, 44 per cent were born overseas or have a parent who was and four million speak a language other than English. We speak over 260 languages and identify with more than 270 ancestries. Australia is and will remain a multicultural society”.
“Australia is and will remain a multicultural society” but you wouldn’t know it from watching television and advertising.
SBS appear to have a very multicultural practice.
Of the 47% Sheba, what percentage is from Britain?
I remember just one ad that I saw some time last year and it had non-white and white faces in it..I think it was a subway ad…loved it 🙂 Btw, I graduated in advertising and will be looking for a job soon and this info is a little heart breaking
SBS Viewer – 4.3% from Britain in the 2006 Census.
Speaking of rascism, I would like to challenge any recruiter or company out there who would actually value an ethnic applicant’s overseas experience over a 20 year old anglo saxon. What i find so disheartening is the fact that a lot of Aussie companies do not recognise work experiences gained overseas, even if these are from working with large multinationals . The usual excuse i get from recruiters is ” You do not have sufficient local experience” (ie translates to ‘your 3 years of marketing and communications experience in ‘that asian country’ would not be relevant here’). So, even if one has solid experience writing and communicating with offices in the US and Europe while working in a non anglo country, this amounts to nothing because you’ve never worked with the ‘locals’ here before.
Fact is, customers are customers across the globe. They just want quality service and bang for their buck. Coming from overseas doesn’t mean we don’t get that.
I sincerely hope that this narrow minded culture comes to a welcomed end for the sake of the industry’s, and ultimatley the country’s, future.
2006 census; country of birth immigrants:
Country of birth Estimated resident population[19]
United Kingdom 1,153,264
New Zealand 476,719
China 279,447
Italy 220,469
Vietnam 180,352
India 153,579
Philippines 135,619
Greece 125,849
FYR Macedonia 120,649
South Africa 118,816
Germany 114,921
Malaysia 103,947
Netherlands 86,950
Lebanon 86,599
Sri Lanka 70,913
Serbia and Montenegro 68,879
Indonesia 67,952
United States 64,832
Poland 59,221
Fiji 58,815
Ireland 57,338
Croatia 56,540
Bosnia-Herzegovina 48,762