These Brands Are Creating Culturally Sensitive Advertising—Here's How You Can, Too

By Ella Fisher

Going global has become a top priority for companies all over the world. However, reaching international markets comes with its own set of challenges. New markets mean you may be selling to different demographics. And within any audience, there will be people from minority groups, including women, people with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ citizens, and BIPOC communities.

If you want your brand to be a global success, it's important to understand that markets today have become more progressive and diverse, and ignoring a community could be detrimental to your brand.

Sticking to archaic marketing strategies that disregard the importance of cultural differences can only hurt your company. The buying power in minority groups is growing and consumers are more likely to align themselves with brands that promote diversity. This is why ads today should have cultural sensitivity.

What is cultural sensitivity?

According to a definition by the Red Shoe Movement, cultural sensitivity is “being aware that cultural differences and similarities between people exist without assigning them a value—positive or negative, better or worse, right or wrong.” Cultural diversity encompasses a broad range of interests, sociological backgrounds, and life experiences, and includes religion and political leanings.

In short, cultural sensitivity is a set of skills that can help you relate to and respect people from backgrounds that are different from your own. It is based on the premise that everyone should be treated with respect, no matter their race, sociological background, sexual orientation, or other characteristics.

Why is cultural sensitivity so important in advertising?

Employing culturally sensitive advertising strategies allows you to value and respect the cultural differences in minority groups around the world. By adapting your messaging to reach global markets, you will be able to connect with audiences around the world on an empathetic level, which is a key to success.

Ethics aside, there are huge benefits to marketing to minority groups. For example, in the United States, multicultural consumers make up almost 40% of the population. And while multicultural consumers make up almost half the U.S. population, marketing media spend for this market is surprisingly low—5.2% to be exact.

Another huge problem we need to overcome is the lack of or misrepresentation of minority groups in advertising. A look at the representation of minority groups in advertising is eye-opening.

In online ads, characters of diverse ethnic backgrounds are less likely than white characters to be shown as a member of a family. And only 1% of ads represent or feature people with disabilities even though 15% of the global population are currently living with a disability.

One study found that only 10% of ads included people of lower socioeconomic backgrounds. In addition, female characters in ads are 14.1x more likely than their male counterparts to be shown partially or completely nude, 6.9x more likely to be visually or verbally objectified, and 6.1x more likely to be physically objectified.

Ignoring cultural diversity is not an option, especially if you want to reach a global audience. Inclusive and diverse advertising now plays a big role in customer retention rates. Fifty-nine percent of people say they are more loyal to brands that stand for diversity and inclusion in online advertising than to brands that don’t.

Brands creating culturally sensitive advertising

Many brands today are paving the way for culturally sensitive advertising, including Nike, Coca-Cola, Dove, and Google, according to research conducted by Adobe. Nike's online ad campaign "You Can't Stop Us" shows us why.

This ad not only showcases fantastic diverse athletes, but it also heavily features an inclusive range of sportswear, like adaptive activewear for people with disabilities and the Nike Pro Hijab for Muslim female athletes.

Ads like these help multiple communities all over the world connect with a brand. If consumers see themselves in your advertisements, they are more likely to resonate with you and purchase from you in the future.

Trust is also a vital part of gaining and retaining customers these days, and one way to gain your customers’ trust is by taking an active stance on global issues. The Coca-Cola ad "Open Like Never Before" successfully demonstrates how to take a strong stance on a cultural issue impacting global consumers.

The ad points out the global impact Covid-19 has had on people from all walks of life all over the world, and shows that embracing ourselves, our mental health, and our differences can create a more positive world for everyone.

More articles from AllBusiness.com:

• Ethical Marketing in the Age of the Coronavirus
• Expanding to Asia? 5 Key Considerations to Bear in Mind
• Why Workforce Diversity Is Key to a Small Business’s Success
• Tips for Managing a Diverse Employee Base
• Diversity Is Good for Business—Here Are Simple Ways to Build a More Diverse Team

How to create culturally sensitive advertising

Here are four tips to follow:

1. Research and tests are essential

Testing your ads for cultural sensitivity is an important first step. Yet, fewer than one in 10 brands review their ads for inclusion as part of product design and marketing campaigns. In addition, before adding any cultural references to your ads, conduct research to ensure these references are not offensive, incorrect, or harmful.

Once your ads are complete, show them to a test group and make sure they approve of your ad, especially if it features cultural references. For example, if your ad features religious or cultural clothing, then they need to be worn appropriately by actors that represent that religion or culture.

2. People from all demographics need to be represented

Today, representation matters. In fact, brands that included a diverse range of people in their ads saw an average stock gain of 44%.

When creating your culturally sensitive ad, be sure to feature people of all genders, ages, ethnicities, abilities, and sexual orientations. The more demographics you include in your ads, the more people will resonate with you and your message.

3. Choose imagery wisely

Choosing the wrong photos, images, icons, and logos can be offensive to certain communities, and can be detrimental to your brand’s overall reputation. To be safe, stay away from flags, religious symbols, and certain political imagery. These images could reference a particularly hurtful time for a marginalized group.

4. Words matter

Slang and idioms in one culture can mean something completely different in another. So, if you opt to use slang, then be sure the words are being interpreted appropriately. If you’re still unsure of whether your message will become misconstrued, then avoid using them altogether.

Culturally sensitive advertising—you can't afford to be ignorant

Cultural sensitivity starts with each one of us. It's important that we actively take steps towards educating ourselves, asking difficult questions, and correcting our mistakes.

Businesses of any size cannot afford to be ignorant of cultural differences or underestimate the importance of representing all customers. Brands that understand this are the ones that will be successful.

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