WASHINGTON, D.C. — Inclusion-focused advertising has come under intense scrutiny in 2023, garnering boycotts against some major brands that feature diverse talent in their marketing materials.
Still, adult Americans across all age groups believe companies have at least some responsibility to display diverse and inclusive marketing, according to a new survey from data infrastructure and analytics firm Morning Consult. That's what it means.
“The 2024 presidential election cycle is likely to further intensify these discourses, creating an opportunity for brands to shift consumer expectations around engaging in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) conversations,” said brand analyst Erin Briggs. It is more important than ever to understand all aspects.” Industry Intelligence Team, Morning Consult.
[Read more: LGBTQ+ Consumers Seek Authenticity in Advertising]
Key takeaways from Consumer Perceptions of Inclusive Marketing include:
- Half of U.S. adults believe brands have a duty to speak out on political, social, and cultural issues.
- Workforce diversity, women's rights, and racism in America are inclusion-related issues that most consumers want to hear from brands.
- Despite the negative headlines over the past year, only 13% of U.S. adults say brands should not engage in inclusive marketing at all.
- Ads that promote inclusivity can be motivating for some people, especially Gen Z adults, although they put off other purchasing factors.
A big caveat to this data is that despite these strong preferences, diverse marketing is one of the least important factors in swaying customers' purchasing decisions, PR Daily reported.
Less than a quarter (18%) of respondents say diversity and inclusion (D&I) in a brand's marketing is “very important” when deciding where to shop and what to buy. was. This answer ranked him third from last out of the 17 factors asked by Morning Consult, tied with “Having similar values to myself.'' Only two factors ranked him lowest: “Following environmental and sustainability initiatives'' (17%) and “Recommended by a friend, family member, or favorite influencer'' (16%). did.
In the past month, only 28% of Americans said they made a purchase based on the inclusiveness of a brand's marketing.
[Read more: Supporting Social Issues Draws In More Customers]
Morning Consult found that the main driver of consumer-centric purchasing decisions is more pragmatic. Price is the biggest factor (44%), followed by product availability (39%) and a safe shopping environment (39%).
Morning Consult data was drawn from a quarterly survey of approximately 2,200 U.S. adults conducted each quarter from September 2023 to December 2023. All research interviews were conducted online.
