women

Cross-Cultural Insights Strategies for 2025 – a Round Table Discussion

  • By Danielle Zito (Ipsos), Young Pros Officer
  • Cultural Effectiveness Council

The ARF Cultural Effectiveness Council's event on “Cross-Cultural Insights Strategies for 2025” brought together industry experts to discuss the evolving landscape of cross-cultural marketing in the wake of recent developments in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The four panelists – Jasper Snyder (Founder and CEO of MAPS Insights), Erika Digirolamo (Senior Director, Global Media & Analytics at Circana), Jason Klein (COO and Co-Founder of SeeMe Index), and Ola Mobolade (Chief Strategist at Omnivore) – began with brief presentations of their recent research. They then engaged in a rich round-table discussion moderated by Janelle James, Head of Cultural Intelligence at Ipsos North America and Co-Chair of the ARF Cultural Effectiveness Council. A recurrent theme was the necessity for organizations to be consistent and transparent in their DEI approaches to mitigate backlash while navigating the ever-changing demographics and consumer expectations. Additionally, the event underscored the need for brands to measure and benchmark their inclusive marketing efforts continually. The roundtable discussion also stressed that diversity is an inevitable aspect of future market compositions, particularly with Gen Z's increasing influence as consumers and employees.

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How the Deliberate Use of Slurs Impacts Prosocial Advertising

  • JOURNAL OF ADVERTISING RESEARCH

When a slur is used, people hear it. Usually, it is either morally wrong or used in a negative way. However, certain nonprofit organizations have turned these words into tools to grab attention in provocative prosocial advertising campaigns. This study examines how such sexist and homophobic slurs can influence consumer engagement and cognitive elaboration. The findings suggest that advertisements containing offensive language can increase the perceived importance of the issue and motivate individuals to seek help or register for training sessions. However, the effectiveness of such advertisements depends on the audience's prior exposure to sexism or homophobia and their perception of the issue's importance.

The study also highlights the potential risks and benefits of using offensive language in social marketing. While offensive advertisements can capture attention and provoke thought, they may also alienate certain audiences. Social marketers should carefully consider their target audience and the context in which offensive language is used to maximize the positive impact of their campaigns.

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