Breathe
By Rita Alicia Rodríguez
Inclusive advertising campaigns deliver 5% more short-term sales, 16% more long-term sales and 15% more customer loyalty, so why not take it seriously? Unstereotype Alliance
In September 2024, the first global study was published that empirically demonstrated that inclusive advertising (organic and authentic content that truthfully portrays a wide range of people, free of stereotypes) has a significant impact on profitability, sales and brand equity. This study was presented through the Unstereotype Alliance, an initiative led by the advertising industry, leading global advertisers and convened by UN Women.
The interesting thing about this study (supported by the analysis of 392 brands in 58 countries) is that it also exposes the economic impact on different performance indicators of responsible marketing, confirms the new global corporate strategy and the communication standards to be built.
In contrast, what happens when these inclusive narratives are not adopted from an active and conscious role?
To begin with, audiences notice. When an advertising story is presented without being supported by a communication pillar that relies on adding to the conversation, on contributing, in short, on a genuine interest and not just "jumping on the bandwagon" (as the centennials used to say), it will not be welcomed.
Within the framework of 8M, every year important brands around the world dress their products by launching campaigns of temporality. Some of them deserve to win industry awards, I have seen really innovative and relevant campaigns (in some cases, with the honor and gratification of participating), where there was an extraordinary research and work of contribution and social responsibility; others, however, add to the ranking of the most viral memes.
Therefore, it is important to understand, as in everything, that the substance comes first and then participate in the form. Advertising blindness includes precisely seeing from the perspective that I insist so much, belief systems where there is no openness or a "fake" openness prevails, loaded with the limited perspective of a few, who unfortunately are the ones who can decide not only with the "fierce" but with the facts (we return to the forms). Here the key is not to "hit" the date to comply; it is not to implement the campaign because "we have to go out"; neither because "it is part of the budget committed to consume per year", it is really to know what I have to say. Every day we have statistics with data that should move us in different arms to contribute to the conversation, generate reaction, action and empathy.
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