The ARF Diversity Report
The newly published ARF Diversity Report is a comprehensive summary of research on the state of diversity in the marketing industry, and how diversity affects company and marketing campaign performance.
Asian American
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The ARF Diversity Report
The 2020 US census revealed that the United States is far more diverse and multiracial today than ever before in its history. Approximately 38% of the population belong to racial minority groups. The trend is expected to continue, which has resulted in companies increasing their focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), both internally and in their marketing efforts. In order to inform member companies of where we are as an industry, as well as to offer best practices and actionable insights in their own DEI efforts, the ARF has put together The Diversity Report. The report is available for purchase, as a fundraising effort to support ARF WIDE.
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Diverse Reactions: Getting Diversity and Inclusion Right in Advertising
Kantar’s Deepak Varma presented research on racial representation in advertising which sought to understand consumer reactions to single race ads compared to multi-racial and diverse ads from diverse audiences (Black Americans, Hispanics, Asians and Whites). Using creative assessment tools coupled with facial coding, eye-tracking and intuitive associations, the study measured unconscious bias in addition to explicit and implicit reactions to advertising. Breaking down consumer responses to diverse ads from Uber, Instacart and Bounty, Deepak stressed the importance of emotional connections through powerful stories that cut across all races.
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Building Brand Loyalty with Today’s 21st Century Audience
America in the 21st century is far more diverse than it was in the 20th. In fact, the Millennial generation is the most diverse in all of U.S. history. And this trend is expected to continue. As a result, brands must increasingly appeal to diverse audiences in order to remain relevant. How can they do that successfully?
Member Only AccessCultureConnect Podcast Series: Deconstructing Diversity Today
March 7, 2022 — Episode #2: Deconstructing Diversity Today with NBCU Magna and Identity, a conversation with Dana Sparber, Vice President of Insights and Research at NBC Universal, Kara Manatt, Senior Vice President of Intelligence Solutions at Magna. and Oscar Allain, Senior Vice President of Cultural Research at Identity and head of International Research at UM.
We’re living in a time when the way people identify themselves is constantly evolving. Not only do Americans live in a multicultural society, but many embrace communities that go beyond their own heritage. So, if marketers want to connect with consumers and stand out from the competition, they need to reflect this cultural reality. This episode features a discussion surrounding a recent study by NBCU and two ad agencies (Magna and Identity) which identifies steps marketers can take to reach a polycultural society, including having a culture first mindset.
Guests: A conversation with Dana Sparber, Vice President of Insights and Research at NBC Universal, Kara Manatt, Senior Vice President of Intelligence Solutions at Magna. and Oscar Allain, Senior Vice President of Cultural Research at Identity and head of International Research at UM. Hosted by, Barbara Leflein of Leflein Associates (Co-Chair, Cultural Council) and Moderated by Janelle James, SVP, IUU Ipsos (Co-Chair, Cultural Council)
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Multicultural Conversations on Handling the Hard Stuff (Event Summary)
Navigating the Messy Middle: Multicultural Conversations on Handling the Hard Stuff – Particularly During a Crisis This virtual Salon, hosted by the ARF Cultural Effectiveness Council was moderated by Janelle James, Qualitative Research Director, Kantar. Janelle was joined by Kendra Clarke, Vice President of Data Science and Product Development, sparks & honey, and Ola Mobolade, Founder at COCO and Co-author of “Marketing to the New Majority”. Editor’s Note: The full summary is available to members only.
Member Only AccessHead and Heart: Making Sense of Multicultural Mindsets
Monique L. Nelson – Chairman & CEO, UWG
Jeff Yang – SVP, Consulting Services, The Futures Company
Introduced by: Colleen Fahey Rush – EVP & CRO, Viacom Media Networks; ARF Board Member
The panel discussed a Marine Corps recruitment campaign targeting second generation Asian-Americans. The campaign was developed by UWG.
Culture is a factor in decision-making.
Both rational and emotional reasons for becoming a Marine were analyzed. Emotion and rationality were considered as part of researching key areas that shape multicultural mindsets.
Explore the interplay between rational (tangible benefits) and emotional (intangible benefits) mindsets in the multicultural consumer.
They showed a recruitment video for the Marines called “A Warrior’s Education.”
The creative spoke to second-generation Asian Americans who experience a feeling of cultural displacement with their families and in American culture. These individuals stand within two worlds, and have a flexible sense of identity.
These two mindsets are not necessarily exclusive. They can run concurrently.
The decision to become a Marine is extremely engaged. Depending on culture, there are different tendencies operating. These individuals can use code-switching to fit in the majority environments, but also to stand out in these environments. They need to be able to adapt and function in sharply different cultural realities.
In the same way, multicultural consumers alternate in behavior but also in mindset. They tend to “think in color” in emotionally charged contexts.
- Younger consumers tend to be more engaged, while older consumers are more habitual.
- Hispanic, African-American, Asian-Americans are more engaged while non-Hispanic whites are more likely to be habitual.
Emotion and rationality are always at play in decision-making, all the time.
Marketing to multicultural consumers acknowledges the fluidity of their identity. They will have a rational consideration but the emotional connection is what makes their final decision.
In “A Warrior’s Education,” you see authentic storytelling about 1st Lt. David Pham, a Marine from a similar background. The videos were watched exclusively on Facebook and supported on marines.com.
The first video outlined the concept of self-discipline. The second video shows the importance of “respect” and love in leadership. The creative leverages content for the head and heart and is tailored to this particular group.
Appeal to the dual connection that involves their thinking processes and emotional drive.
Find the common ground between groups, take a universal approach, and find the “sweet spot” to make your appeal even stronger. Family is one of the cultural touchstones for Asian Americans that was leveraged the videos. These spots scored high for rationality and emotionality.
See all 5 Cups articles.