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Intent and Impact: A New Measurement for DEI
James Ambalathukal – Director, Strategy & Insights, Magid
Mike Bloxham – EVP, Global Media & Entertainment, Magid
Mike Bloxham and James Ambalathukal of Magid partnered with twelve networks and streaming services in a study to identify factors of cultural authenticity in drama, comedy and unscripted programs. With research into the creative elements that resonate with diverse populations from qualitative studies and online surveys, Mike and James described the importance of authenticity in how audiences relate to emotional content, how they see themselves in the content and ultimately, how they perceive the content itself. The various levels of signals that diverse audiences assess as good or bad representation include storytelling components and physical production elements, which help separate out what drives positive and negative perceptions of these shows for actionable results. Key takeaways:- There are different levels of expectations with different genres. Sitcoms and reality content without representation can connect to audiences if relatable character journeys and storylines are present. Projecting family and community values goes far. In dramas, applying specificity and non-verbal cultural details on the set or in a character, like authentic hair and wardrobe, even if not part of the narrative, is a driver of authentic representation. Other kinds of content like adult animated shows, news programming and sports are not viewed through a DEI lens.
- Marginalized communities value representation but don’t want to be reduced to just the racial and ethnic parts of their identity.
- Effective representation is strongly connected to perceptions of authenticity.
- Authenticity isn’t just a preference; it has real impact on content engagement.
- Story elements influencing perceptions of authenticity share similarities and differences across various cohorts.