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.
Deepak Varma – Head of Neuroscience Insights – NA, SE Asia & Pacific, The Kantar Group
Key Takeaways
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 AccessThe Spanish-language TV network is focused on the shortfalls of different measurement companies when it comes to capturing its audience. “One of the challenges – or opportunities – for many of the new measurement companies is representation. That comes into light at Univision because we represent such a strong presence of the Hispanic community,” said Brian Lin, Univision’s SVP of product management and advanced advertising sales. Lin spoke with AdExchanger about Univision’s goals to make its TV advertising more measurable to marketers:
Two Samba TV analyses explored representation in popular TV programs.
Representation of Hispanic Characters on TV. Samba TV published an analysis on the racial diversity (or lack thereof) featured in top TV shows*. The study concluded that representation on such shows was severely lacking. It also found evidence that diverse households prefer watching shows with diverse leads, making the status quo even less tenable for studios and advertisers aiming for mass appeal.
One of the most striking disparities between TV representation and the Census was that of Hispanic actors: In the US, 18% of the population identifies as Hispanic, whereas only 3% of top-billed actors across the shows surveyed were from that racial group. While overall, representation of Hispanic actors is lacking, an increasing number of shows (e.g., Mayans M.C. and Pose on FX) and movies, are paving the way for more accurate presentation.
Source: Fine, R. (2021, October 12). Centering Hispanic Stories in Film and TV: How Representation Drives Viewership. Samba TV.
Representation of LGBTQA Characters on TV. Of the Top 20 most-watched shows*, 13 (65%), had at least one main character** who was explicitly identified as being LGBTQA. Meanwhile, seven had no LGBTQA representation.
The study identified 216 main characters across shows; 19 were LGBTQA, for a total of 9%. Comparatively, 5.6% of U.S. adults identify as LGBTQA, indicating that TV has made representational strides. However, there is still ample room for improvement. Only six of the top shows had two characters who were explicitly identified as LGBTQA. None of the top shows had transgender characters.
Although none of the top 20 shows centered primarily around LGBTQA plotlines, some further down the list did, i.e., RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1), a reality drag competition.
*Based on a ReelGood list of top shows. Excludes reality and “true-crime” programming
**Main characters defined as those featured in the majority of episodes
Source: Fine, R. (2021, June 24). Pride on TV: How do popular shows represent LGBTQA characters, and who’s watching? Samba TV.
On Nov. 9, 2021, the third installment of the ARF Cultural Effectiveness Council’s Navigating the Messy Middle series examined how media, marketing, and research teams are facing capacity issues due to record departures, and how many Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts (DEI) are likely to shift as a result. Led by the ARF Cultural Effectiveness Council Co-Chair’s Janelle James, a dynamic discussion took place with our self-nicknamed (learn about them in the recording) guests Pepper Miller “Black Cultural Activist,” Founder & President of Hunter Miller Group, Joanna Lara “The Igniter,” US Multicultural Brand Partner & Strategy Lead at Google and Co-Founder of Latinos in Tech, and Carla Ebola “Mrs. KPI” EVP, DEI Lead at Energy BBDO.
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