CHICAGO, June 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Numerator, a data and tech company serving the market research space, has released new data on diverse representation in advertising, sourced from a sentiment survey of over 1,200 consumers, equally balanced between Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X, and Boomers+. Overall, 63% of consumers say diverse representation in advertising is important to them, though younger, urban, and racially diverse shoppers place a higher emphasis on the importance of diversity and its positive impact than older, rural, and white consumers.
Overall Representation Findings:
- Nearly two-thirds of consumers think diverse representation in advertising is important. 63% say diverse representation in advertising is definitely or somewhat important to them, while only 16% say it is unimportant.
- Racial and ethnic diversity, age diversity, and disability representation were listed as most important across generations. When asked which types of diversity are important or compelling in advertising, 62% of consumers cite racial and ethnic diversity, followed by age diversity (56%), disability representation (56%), LGBTQ+ representation (37%) and gender identity (34%).
- Younger consumers place a higher importance than older generations on LGBTQ+ representation and gender identity. 45% of Gen Z shoppers and 40% of Millennials say LGBTQ+ representation is important or compelling; 40% of Gen Z and 44% of Millennials say the same of gender identity.
- The majority of consumers say diversity in advertising has a positive impact on society. Overall, 51% of consumers say it has a positive impact, with certain groups skewing higher: Gen Z (58%), Millennial (55%), urban (59%), Black (71%), Asian (62%) and Hispanic/Latino (58%) consumers.
- Advertisements that feature diverse representation can sway consumer purchasing. 47% of consumers say they are likely to buy from a brand that includes diversity in their ads, while 41% say representation would not impact their decision to buy products. Only 12% of consumers say they are unlikely to buy from brands who feature diverse representation.
- Consumers are split on the current level of diverse representation in advertising. While 47% of consumers believe the amount of representation is “just right,” 31% think there is too much and the remaining 22% believe there is not enough.
- Gen Z and Black consumers want more diversity. Gen Z is 44% more likely and Black consumers are 76% more likely to say that there is not enough diverse representation in advertising, while Boomers+ consumers are 30% more likely to say there is too much, along with Gen X consumers (22% more likely).
Importance of Diversity Representation in Advertising, By Generation
Percentage of Consumers Responding
| Total | Gen Z | Millennial | Gen X | Boomers+ | |
| Racial & Ethnic Diversity | 62% | 66% | 64% | 55% | 63% |
| Age Diversity | 56% | 51% | 56% | 53% | 64% |
| Disability Representation | 56% | 54% | 54% | 50% | 64% |
| LGBTQ+ Representation | 37% | 45% | 40% | 32% | 31% |
| Gender Identity | 34% | 40% | 44% | 29% | 25% |
| Religious Representation | 28% | 29% | 32% | 28% | 25% |
Source: Numerator Surveys, June 2023
LGBTQ+ Representation Findings:
- 44% of consumers agree that LGBTQ+ representation in advertising is important. When specifically asked about LGBTQ+ representation, 44% strongly or somewhat agreed with the statement “it is important to have LGBTQ+ representation in advertising.” Different generations and ethnicities were even more likely to agree, including Gen Z, Millennials, Black consumers, Asian consumers and Hispanic/Latino consumers.
- Over three-quarters of consumers feel positive or neutral when they see LGBTQ+ individuals or themes represented in advertisements. Positivity and neutrality around LGBTQ+ representation is again significantly higher among younger, urban and racially diverse shoppers. 24% of shoppers report feeling negatively about LGBTQ+ representation, which is higher among Boomers+, rural and Midwest shoppers.
- Consumers are split on whether LGBTQ+ representation in advertising has a positive impact on society. 37% of consumers do not think LGBTQ+ representation has a positive impact on society, while 34% think it has a positive impact and 29% are neutral.
- The positive impact varies heavily by age, race, urbanicity and regionality. Over 40% of Gen Z, Millennials, urban, Black, Asian and Hispanic/Latino shoppers think LGBTQ+ representation has a positive impact. Over 40% of Gen X, Boomers, Rural, White and Midwest shoppers think it has a negative impact.
- LGBTQ+ representation affects consumers’ buying habits. 40% of shoppers say they are likely or very likely to buy from a brand that includes LGBTQ+ representation in their advertisements or product offerings, 21% say they are unlikely or very unlikely to do so, and 39% say it has no impact on their purchasing decisions.
Numerator’s Quick Pulse representation survey was fielded 6/01/23–6/03/23 to 1,202 individuals, equally balanced between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X and Boomers+.
About Numerator:
Numerator is a data and tech company bringing speed and scale to market research. Numerator blends first-party data from over 1 million US households with advanced technology to provide 360-degree consumer understanding for the market research industry that has been slow to change. Headquartered in Chicago, IL, Numerator has 2,000 employees worldwide; 80 of the top 100 CPG brands’ manufacturers are Numerator clients.
