Diversity Is Key for the Ad Playbook
- Latif L. Williams
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
2025 was a gut-wrenching year for diversity and inclusion programs in the U.S. You saw the headlines and the mouths that dropped when several retail giants and corporations cut back on initiatives that help reflect the melting pot the United States has become known to be. While the changes were easy for the brands to make, the backlash that followed certainly was not.
What Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Is and What It Is Not
Let’s take a moment to explore Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in Corporate America. Companies that embrace and reinforce these initiatives know that they reflect important lessons about societal values, representation, and cultural awareness. Some of best DEI results manifest through hiring decisions, marketing practices, community outreach programs, etc.
On the flip side, the DEI naysayers often argue that these programs are unnecessary and suggest that they give hiring opportunities to candidates solely based on their race, religion, gender, etc. In reality, that mindset is a million miles from the truth.
The DEI and Advertising Link
One of the simplest ways to illustrate DEI outside of hiring is to look at how it shows up in advertising and marketing campaigns. The right staff makeup can easily make or break your brand's reputation or hurt your chances of getting a deal when you need it most. For example, your company wants to land a few new ad accounts. Some of the potential accounts you're eyeballing include a new African American hair relaxer, a popular brand of Indian naan bread, and a queso fresco product aimed at the Latino community. You’ve scheduled meetings with each brand and their executives to pitch your agency for the job.
First up, the African American hair relaxer pitch.
Agency 1: No DEI Staff
Let the brainstorming begin!
The executive staff, composed of 6 white males, gather in the boardroom to discuss the ad approach. Almost immediately, they scratch their heads and realize that there are no women represented on the team or anybody at the table who has ever had the experience of using an African American hair relaxer. This lack of knowledge creates a major hurdle for them as they struggle in their kickoff meeting to explain African American haircare in a way that is relatable to their target audience: largely African American women. Their first reaction: let’s put together a focus group.
Now, let’s switch gears and see what the DEI team is up to.
Agency 2: DEI Staff
Let the brainstorming begin!
The executive staff, composed of 2 white males, 1 black male, 1 black female, 1 Asian male, and 1 Latina female, gather in the boardroom to discuss the ad approach. After carefully considering the target audience(s), this team was able to engage in a lively kickoff meeting based on personal experiences with consumers who would fit into the target market.
The black male executive was able to offer valuable marketing insights that he’s learned just being around his female family members and friends – some of whom wear their hair in it its natural state, while others relax theirs. The Latina female executive also made huge initial contributions, explaining that the Afro-Latina female consumer is a great market to target as well.
Break time.
As both agencies work to perfect their pitch, it's obvious that one of them is off to a head start thanks to the diversity within their own team.
How to Select Your Dream Team
There are plenty of qualified candidates from all different backgrounds with the experience and education to lead and succeed. An impressive resume, a robust skill set and nailing an interview can certainly get you into the door. But in many cases, landing a job is often a game of who you know. Using the latter as an example, if everyone in your circle “looks” just like you, you end up with a homogenous staff and a limited perspective when it comes to important decision making.
Taking the initiative to explore hiring channels outside of your comfort zone invites a more diverse pool of candidates that can potentially help you expand your reach and boost profits. If you’re not sure where to start, consider exploring sites that cater to minorities, women, and LGBTQ professionals. Another great option is to develop relationships with a diverse set of colleges and universities who are busy at work preparing the next generation of executives. This is an easy first step to help you attract qualified candidates that you may have otherwise overlooked.
Business Sense That Makes Cents
The key takeaway is that just by interacting with people from different backgrounds on the job, you can open your eyes to new ideas, new target audiences and new marketing channels. When customers can see people who look like them represented on the screen, you'd be surprised by the sense of connection it can give them to a brand. That's exactly why it makes dollars and sense to set the right tone, language, and representation behind the scenes before marketing your products and services. Who are your customers?
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