How to Put Authentic Diversity at the Heart of Your Brand
By: Bryan Clark
In today’s advertising landscape, diversity is increasingly prioritized, especially for federal organizations under inclusion initiatives. Companies are also struggling with their Diversity & Inclusion programs and what they should look like to best connect with their customer base. Yet, authentic representation goes beyond meeting certain mandates. It’s about creating stories that genuinely connect with people and reflect their experiences. As a creative director, I’ve seen the difference between campaigns that “check a box” and those that truly resonate with diverse audiences. Authentic brands tell stories that reflect real lives, foster trust, and build stronger connections.
When brands focus on optics alone—such as featuring different skin tones without considering context, culture, or lived experiences—they risk alienating the very audiences they seek to include. True representation must respect individual stories rather than flattening them into token visuals. Effective diversity requires a long-term commitment, with diversity woven through a brand’s ongoing narrative across multiple campaigns, becoming part of the brand’s core values.
For federal clients, this approach carries even greater significance. While pressure may exist to quickly showcase inclusion, authentic brands go deeper, transforming how people see themselves in relation to the brand. Audiences today recognize performative diversity; they respond to brands that honor their identities and connect on a personal level.
True representation also means involving diverse voices in shaping the message, creative process, and campaign direction. This takes more than diverse models—it requires collaboration with creatives from varied backgrounds, research into cultural nuances, and openness to new perspectives. Effective diversity in advertising becomes a lens that uplifts society and forges lasting connections with audiences.
Step 1: Make Diversity a Long-Term Commitment
One of the biggest mistakes brands make is attempting to pack every aspect of diversity into a single ad or piece of marketing material. While this might seem efficient, it often feels forced and insincere. True representation unfolds gradually over the course of an entire campaign, with diversity woven through various touchpoints. This allows for more nuanced, authentic storytelling where different voices, backgrounds, and perspectives are highlighted across multiple pieces.
Why It Matters: A long-term approach helps brands build deeper connections with their audiences, reinforcing that diversity is an integral part of their brand identity.
Example: In its recruitment campaign for the U.S. Census Bureau, MarCom Group prioritized authentic representation by featuring real individuals from diverse backgrounds and tailoring ads to reflect the unique demographics of each neighborhood. The creative team transcribed ads into relevant languages, and community representatives reviewed them to ensure cultural accuracy. In Native American communities, MarCom collaborated with local representatives to ensure photos properly reflected traditional styles and attire. This approach demonstrated how a thoughtful, localized strategy can foster genuine connections and reinforce a brand’s commitment to diversity.
Step 2: Engage With Your Communities
Authentic representation requires understanding the communities you aim to portray. Guessing what resonates with an audience can lead to misrepresentation and missed opportunities. Instead, involve the community in the creative process. Whether through focus groups, interviews, or direct collaboration, brands should engage the people they want to represent. It’s essential to think broadly about the audience and which communities should be represented, including race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic background, and religion.
Why It Works: Engaging directly with communities brings depth and relevance to campaigns. It allows brands to build real relationships with diverse groups, ensuring that their stories are told with care and authenticity.
Example: Absolut Vodka’s campaigns for the LGBTQ+ community date back to the 1980’s and involve direct collaboration with LGBTQ+ advocates and influencers. By working closely with the community, Absolut ensures its messaging is inclusive and genuinely reflective of the experiences and challenges of those it aims to represent.
Step 3: Choose and Create Authentic Images and Video
Using stock images or staged group shots to show diversity may seem efficient but often feels superficial. Instead, brands should focus on capturing real, lived experiences. Authentic visuals connect more deeply when they reflect genuine emotions, like joy or resilience, and align with the campaign’s message.
When creating original content, collaborate with diverse creators and capture people in real, relatable settings. This approach avoids tokenism and allows for unscripted moments that bring unique stories to life.
Why It Matters: Authentic representation builds trust and an emotional connection, showing audiences that diversity is a true brand value.
Example: Airbnb’s “We Accept” campaign used real stories and footage of people in natural settings, creating a powerful, genuine representation of diversity that resonated with viewers.
Step 4: Measure Your Success
It’s not enough to include diverse faces in a campaign; brands need to assess the deeper impact of their diversity efforts. Evaluate audience engagement to determine if diverse communities are responding positively and interacting meaningfully. Use sentiment analysis to gauge whether people feel represented and valued. Then assess long-term brand perception to see if a consistent commitment to diversity enhances how audiences view your brand over time.
Why It Matters: Understanding the long-term impact of diversity efforts within communities allows brands to foster meaningful change and create authentic representation. Each campaign is an opportunity to build respect and celebrate diverse stories.
Example: Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream measures campaign success by its impact on the social issues they advocate for, not just visual diversity. By engaging with communities and tracking brand perception over time, they ensure their campaigns go beyond performative gestures to create real impact.
Brands have the power to create meaningful change through authentic representation. Going beyond a diversity checklist involves telling stories that resonate deeply with real people. When brands make diversity a core part of their identity and consistently commit to authentic storytelling, they build trust, forge deeper connections, and create lasting impact.
As creative leaders, we have the opportunity to celebrate diverse stories in every campaign. By leading with respect and authenticity, we can help shape an advertising industry that uplifts and inspires all people.