ARF WIDE’s mission to develop and nurture the next generation of diverse talent in the research and insights industry is imperative to building a workforce that will make our industry better at what we do – representing the Voice of the Consumer.
As corporations market Juneteenth, experts point to “tricky but predictable pitfalls.” Read more »
Many companies and brands increasingly incorporate racially diverse actors, often mixing Blacks and Caucasians in their advertising, yet not much is known about its effectiveness. New research explores how actor race and social tie strength—essentially the potency of the bond between the two actors—translate into consumer responses, with indirect effects on purchase intention.
Member Only AccessAs brand leaders increasingly feel motivated — or pressured — to take a stance on societal issues, Morning Consult’s study explored whether ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) positions translate to changes in consumer behavior. The findings offer new insights into the attitudes and behaviors of different consumer types. Morning Consult’s research (a cluster analysis of survey data) resulted in six distinct consumer types. These varied widely in their likelihood of considering a brand’s stand on causes and political issues. The six types are:
New Gallup data show increased support for same-sex marriage overall, but not among the religious.
When Gallup first polled about same-sex marriage in 1996, barely a quarter of the public (27%) supported legalizing such unions. It would take another 15 years, until 2011, for support to reach the majority level. Then in 2015, just one month before the U.S. Supreme Court's Obergefell v. Hodges decision, public support for legalizing gay marriage cracked the 60% level, and last year it reached the 70% mark for the first time.
As Gallup's trend on support for legal same-sex marriage inches upward, the question is when it will reach its ceiling. While support has typically increased by small percentages on an annual basis -- often within the margin of error -- cumulatively, the increases have produced a transformation in U.S. attitudes on an issue Americans once vehemently opposed. At the same time, it is noteworthy that support among those who attend church services weekly has not increased during the last five years.
Source: McCarthy, J. (2022, June 1). Same-Sex Marriage Support Inches Up to New High of 71%. Gallup.
The ARF’s Jay Mattlin brought together the presenters from Day Two’s Diversity in Advertising track to expand on the common themes and findings from their individual studies. The panel agreed that, in communicating to diverse audiences, mere representational casting or presence in ads and content was not enough. Creative that resonates with multicultural audiences needs to incorporate elements of empowerment, appear in representative programs, and show underrepresented groups in positive, non-stereotypical ways. The following are edited highlights from the panel discussion.
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Charlene Polite Corley – VP Diverse Insights & Partnerships, Nielsen
Key Takeaways
NBCUniversal and Magid partnered to determine how diverse consumers self-identify and how that informed their life experiences in relation to representation and authenticity, particularly in their brand and content choices. Research from clients, consumers and field surveys showed that, while multi-cultural audiences are multi-faceted, they are connected by common threads from shared cultural pillars, shared success and struggle, a sense of community and the straddling of two worlds. These findings led the team to a framework for “ideal representation” as a hierarchy of four distinct levels that define what consumers consider most important in being authentic.
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Chloé Gingrich – Global Insights Strategist, Gaming & eCommerce, Meta Stephen Gray – Vertical Research Manager, Meta
Key Takeaways
Deepak Varma – Head of Neuroscience Insights – NA, SE Asia & Pacific, The Kantar Group
Key Takeaways