In 2021, we don’t need wider representation, but deeper
Mardi Gras is creeping up, which means brands are competing to show their true (rainbow) colours. It’s an expensive time for brands as the cost of cutting through during Mardi Gras increases, but as Snack Drawer chief creative officer Hannah McElhinney writes, many marketers see value in using this time to make a statement about diversity and representation.
After the major social and human rights conversations of 2020, of which many brands were active participants, 2021 will almost certainly place brands under even greater scrutiny. In particular, the Black Lives Matter movement generated a discourse which shone the spotlight, not just on brands’ outward facing communications, but the inner workings of their companies and diversity of their C-Suites.
Most brands are looking to place greater emphasis on representation and diversity in their marketing plans, which is smart because Gen Z, the fastest growing consumer cohort and most diverse generation in history, overwhelmingly spend their money with brands that reflect their values (McKinsey). However, as the pressure on marketers to be inclusive in their campaigns rises, so do the stakes. Doing it wrong can be worse than not doing it at all.
With little black squares burnt into the back of their minds, marketers find themselves in a tough situation: be called out for virtue signalling or be called out for not adequately representing their audiences.
