Most brands are missing out on 63% of the market

WHO'S BEING EXCLUDED FROM YOUR MESSAGING?

It's estimated that we each see upwards of 10,000 brand messages a day, ranging from TV ads to social media content and eCommerce experiences. Even today, after all of the conversation around diversity and inclusion, the majority of those messages show one specific cross-section of the population: people who are white, thin, able-bodied, cis-gendered, and straight.

The result: More than 63% of people report that they don't see themselves represented in most advertising. That's nearly two-thirds of the market being excluded.

Efforts by activists and advocates in recent years have begun to broaden many marketers' view of the world, and data is showing that, not only is diverse representation good for us as a society, it's good for business:

• One survey showed that 87% of Gen Z believe strongly there should be better gender equality and inclusion
• That same study showed that nearly 60% would be more willing to purchase from a brand with diverse representation
• A Deloitte study indicated brands that are investing in diversity and inclusion are much more likely to be defined as "high growth"
• 90% of young people say they are more willing to purchase a product that they deem beneficial to society

Real inclusion also comes from hiring/promoting practices, accessibility in our spaces, and training, but in this space, we're talking about digital and marketing, so here are a few of the ways that we can be more inclusive in our messaging:

• Recognize that there is no "general market" – What Inclusive Marketing Looks Like to Me - And How to Get There
• Seek out representative stock content – 4 Websites for Diverse Stock Photos
• Correct our ableist assumptions – How to Avoid Ableist Marketing Strategies
• Work with, and pay, diverse creators – 4 Black Voices on Diversity in Influencer Marketing

One simple step to becoming more inclusive is to make sure that all of our content has alt-text and captions. Instagram is making that just a bit easier by auto-generating captions on uploaded videos – read about it here.

PINTEREST PREDICTS THE FUTURE OF CULTURE

The team over at Pinterest has figured out that, within the mountains of user data points, they have not only insight into what people are into today, but what we're going to be into months from now.

According to their scorecard, they've been pretty accurate so far — 8 out of their 10 predictions for 2021 came true, so if you want to know what's going to be trending across your newsfeeds for the rest of the year, you should probably check out the report.

Our key takeaways:

• Boring is out — big colours, big designs, big vibes
• Friendship is in — rings, tattoos & tarots
• Retail is back, but make it fashion — creative displays & decor
• All of the side hustles — original art, mobile businesses & party rentals
• Get ready for vacation photo dumps — return to travel content
• Any excuse for an "altbash" — pet birthdays, adoption celebrations, moon parties

If Pinterest is right (and we have no reason to doubt them) then 2022 is about to be wild.

READ THE FULL REPORT HERE

Written by Conner Galway, Junction Consulting