ASCI & UA Report finds 48% of Indians support Inclusive Representation by Brands

By: WE Staff | Friday, 8 December 2023

In a study conducted by the UN Women Convened Unstereotype Alliance (UA) and the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) on Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) in Indian advertising, 48 per cent of Indians stated that more inclusive representation by brands in India was necessary. The report offers perspectives on how D&I is represented in Indian advertising in comparison to global practice, along with plenty of unique data on D&I-friendly advertising trends in India. Age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and other factors were among the important dimensions of D&I representation that were mapped in the report.

The report indicates a strong demand for inclusive content in APAC, yet research indicates insufficient creation, with only 1 in 5 consumers feeling represented in ads. Kantar's report on corporate ESG goals, presented at the DEI Edge Summit, explores a crucial aspect of these goals of corporates that is supported by organizations like Diageo, HUL, and Disney Star.

The report finds that Indian advertising lacks representation diversity, with less than 1% featuring LGBTQ+ community members and people with disabilities, and less than 1% featuring individuals over 65 years old. Ads also portray stereotypical thoughts with women with fair skin tone, less diverse physical appearance, low non-traditional roles, and less authoritative roles, with 17.5 per cent of women portrayed as caregivers and 39 per cent as slender compared to 16 per cent of men.

A study using the Unstereotype Metric found that positive advertising for both male and female individuals can lead to higher marketing ROI, both in terms of short-term sales gains and long-term brand equity benefits.