Leading marketing and data analytics business, Kantar, has launched its new Brand Inclusion Index (BII), a global study which highlights some of the most inclusive brands in India along with the significant issues of discrimination for Indian consumers.
Key findings include:
Discrimination Rates: 68% of Indians report that they discrimination, particularly in commercial places and brand touchpoints. This is significantly higher than the global average of 46%.
Impact of DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) on Consumers: Globally, 75% of consumers assert that a brand’s DEI reputation influences their purchasing decisions. This was even higher in India, where 86% of consumers consider DEI important in both life and brand choices.
DEI is yet to make its mark on Indian advertising:
- More women are seen in Indian ads than the global average, but the majority of them remain confined to traditional roles of homemakers and mothers. Only 7% of women are featured in non-traditional roles.
- Fairness of skin may have transitioned to glow but skin colorism continues to exist in many creatives.
- Most body sizes remain slim and small. Only 7% feature diverse body types.
- Ageism dominates the industry with 40+ women represented in less than one out of five ads (15% in India vs 26% globally).
Underrepresented groups are most vulnerable: Ad protagonists and characters in India are painted in broad strokes of what they, their homes, beliefs and lifestyles look like, ignoring ethnic minorities, LGBTQ.
Ads that successfully portray people positively provide greater predicted ROI for advertising investment. While there has been growth in the industry in positive portrayal of males over the last year, there has been a drop in female portrayal since last 2 years.
Globally, people with disabilities and LGBTQ+ individuals report the highest rates of discrimination (81% and 62% respectively), underscoring the need for targeted efforts to create more diverse and inclusive environments and content.
Top Inclusive Brands:
India: The top five most inclusive brands in India are: Google, Tata Motors, Amazon, Jio, and Apple. Category wise, the India top Brand Inclusion Index scorers are – Google (Technology), Tata Motors (Automotive), SBI (Banking), Dove (Skincare).
Global: The global index lists Google, Amazon, Nike, Dove and McDonald’s as the top five most inclusive brands.
These findings reveal that Google dominates both national and global lists, ranked by Kantar as the most inclusive brand. Consumers, particularly those who come from marginalized communities, praised Google for its commitment to DEI in its internal policies, products and marketing, as well as its authentic representation of people from all walks of life.
Valeria Piaggio, global head of diversity, equity and inclusion at Kantar, said, “It’s a myth that inclusion marketing is about marketing to minorities. Inclusion marketing is expansive marketing. One of the fundamental ways to grow your brand is to predispose more people to it. Yet when brands exclude consumers – whether that’s because people don’t feel welcomed when shopping in stores or their advertising doesn’t reflect diverse communities – it’s an easy miss. Millennials and Gen Z prioritise diversity and inclusion even more than other groups, and as these populations grow in size and buying power these issues will carry more weight. Brands will be rewarded if they stand by their values – especially in the face of vocal communities which stoke the culture wars by pitting minority groups against one another.”
Soumya Mohanty, managing director and chief client officer- South Asia, Insights Division, Kantar said, “In a country of India’s size, the term under-represented groups can be misleading for brands to use as a guiding light. Minorities can translate into millions of people who may choose or not choose to buy your brand, based on how well they feel seen, heard and voiced in your brands. It is a business imperative for brands to prove that they are serious and committed about DEI. The Brand Inclusion Index – our breakthrough study on brand inclusion – gives clear indications of how to achieve the inclusivity imperative. Our analysis of what’s behind the most inclusive brands is that they all have three things: a well-thought-out DEI strategy that stems from company actions and is committed long-term, impeccable creative execution, and bravery. The element of bravery will be increasingly important. As in other moments in history, when there’s significant social change, there are groups of society that seek to maintain the status quo, feel threatened, and as a result, react loudly.”
Kantar’s 2024 edition covered 648 brands in 18 countries across 28 different languages.
