Inclusive advertising shows people of different races, genders, ages, abilities, and sexual orientations in ways that are authentic, and it works because audiences respond when they see themselves reflected. A survey by The Female Quotient with Google and Ipsos, fielded in August 2019 among 2,987 U.S. consumers, found that 64 percent took some kind of action after seeing an ad they considered diverse or inclusive.
Last updated: October 25, 2026
Key takeaways
- Representation has to be authentic. The survey asked what makes an ad feel inclusive, and appearance alone was not the whole answer.
- Newer research points the same way: Kantar's 2024 Brand Inclusion Index found 75 percent of consumers globally say a brand's diversity and inclusion reputation influences their purchase decisions.
- Inclusive advertising covers race, ethnicity, gender identity, age, body type, ability, and sexual orientation, and it extends to who is on the team making the work.
- Measure it like any campaign: brand perception, engagement, and action among the groups the ads are meant to reach.
In this guide
- What is inclusive advertising?
- What does the research say about inclusive ads?
- What does newer research say?
- How does DEI connect to advertising?
- How do you build an inclusive campaign?
- What mistakes make inclusive ads fall flat?
- How do you measure inclusive advertising?
- Frequently asked questions
What Is Inclusive Advertising?
Inclusive advertising is advertising that promotes representation of diverse backgrounds and celebrates the full range of human experiences and identities. It goes beyond showing diversity on screen. Campaigns that feature people of different races, genders, ages, abilities, and sexual orientations can resonate with a broader audience, and they challenge stereotypes and biases in the process. The multicultural marketing practice at 5W applies this thinking to brand campaigns.
What Does the Research Say About Inclusive Ads?
The research says consumers notice and act on advertising they see as diverse or inclusive. The survey by The Female Quotient, Google, and Ipsos asked 2,987 U.S. consumers about diversity and inclusion in advertising in August 2019. Think with Google, which published the findings, reported that 64 percent of respondents took some kind of action after seeing an ad they considered diverse or inclusive, and that LGBTQ and Black respondents expressed the strongest preference for such ads.
The same research found that 71 percent of LGBTQ consumers said they were more likely to interact with an online ad that authentically represents their sexual orientation. These are survey responses from 2019, so treat them as evidence of consumer attitudes at that time. The next section covers more recent studies.
What Does Newer Research Say About Inclusive Advertising?
Newer research from 2023 to 2025 points the same direction as the 2019 survey: consumers say representation influences what they notice and buy, and many still feel brands fall short. These findings are self-reported attitudes, so they show what consumers say matters, not proof that any single ad drives sales.
- Purchase influence: Kantar's Brand Inclusion Index 2024, a survey of more than 23,000 people in 18 countries, found that 75 percent of consumers globally say a brand's diversity and inclusion reputation influences their purchase decisions.
- Noticing and relevance: Dynata surveyed consumers in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States in 2023 and 2025. It reports that over 70 percent notice when ads feature diverse people, and more than half say it matters to see people like themselves represented.
- Cultural attention: Nielsen's 2025 Attitudes on Representation Study, as reported by PPC Land, found that 67 percent of Black consumers pay more attention to ads in media that reflect their culture, compared with 46 percent of the overall population. The same study found that 71 percent of Black consumers feel misrepresented in media.
- Brand investment: HubSpot's 2025 inclusive marketing research reports that 63 percent of businesses invest in inclusive marketing. Inclusive imagery is the most common investment, while only 36 percent use inclusive language, which can leave audiences seeing themselves in the visuals but not in the message.
Dynata's analysis adds a caution that fits the 2019 finding about authenticity: diverse faces are a starting point, but portrayals that lack depth, context, or realism can come across as performative.
How Does DEI Connect to Advertising?
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices connect to advertising through who is represented in the ads and who helps make them. DEI initiatives promote diversity, equal opportunities, and a culture of respect. In advertising, that means representation in front of the camera, diverse perspectives in strategy and creative, and review steps that catch stereotypes before a campaign runs. The guide to authentic DEI public relations campaigns covers the communications side.
How Do You Build an Inclusive Campaign?
You build an inclusive campaign by starting with the audience, involving people from the communities shown, and testing the work before launch. The steps below give a practical order.
- Define the audiences and what each one needs from the brand, in the audience's own words.
- Involve people from the communities being represented in strategy, casting, and creative review, not only in the final images.
- Show people in realistic, positive roles instead of one-note stereotypes, and avoid tokenism in the casting.
- Build accessibility into production from the start, such as captions, audio description, and legible design.
- Test concepts with members of the target groups and revise based on what they say.
- Keep the message consistent across channels so representation does not disappear outside the hero ad.
What Mistakes Make Inclusive Ads Fall Flat?
Inclusive ads fall flat when they treat representation as decoration. The table lists common mistakes and the fix for each.
| Mistake | Why it fails | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Tokenism | One diverse face in an otherwise unchanged ad reads as a checkbox | Make representation part of the story and the casting plan |
| Stereotyping | Familiar tropes alienate the group being shown | Review concepts with people from that community |
| Visuals only | Inclusive imagery paired with language that does not speak to the audience feels shallow | Use inclusive language and test the copy with the groups shown |
| One-time effort | A single campaign without follow-through looks like a stunt | Carry the approach into products, channels, and hiring |
| No accessibility | Ads that exclude people with disabilities contradict the message | Add captions, audio description, and legible design |
How Do You Measure Inclusive Advertising?
You measure inclusive advertising by tracking brand perception, engagement, and action among the groups the campaign is meant to reach, and by recording progress against goals set before launch. Compare results with a baseline from earlier campaigns, and report on the diversity of the teams creating the work as well as the audience response.
Frequently asked questions
What is inclusive advertising?
Inclusive advertising represents people of diverse backgrounds, including race, gender, age, ability, and sexual orientation, in authentic ways that celebrate the full range of human experience.
Does inclusive advertising work?
A 2019 survey by The Female Quotient, Google, and Ipsos of 2,987 U.S. consumers found that 64 percent took some kind of action after seeing an ad they considered diverse or inclusive. Kantar's 2024 Brand Inclusion Index found that 75 percent of consumers globally say a brand's diversity and inclusion reputation influences their purchase decisions.
Is there newer research on inclusive advertising?
Yes. Kantar's 2024 Brand Inclusion Index, Dynata's 2023 and 2025 surveys, and Nielsen's 2025 Attitudes on Representation Study all report that consumers notice representation and that many want to see themselves reflected in the brands they buy from.
What is the difference between diversity and inclusion in advertising?
Diversity is who appears in the ads. Inclusion is whether those people are portrayed authentically and whether diverse voices shaped the work behind the scenes.
How can a brand avoid tokenism?
Involve people from the communities shown in strategy, casting, and review, show realistic roles, and carry the approach across channels and over time.
How should a brand measure inclusive campaigns?
Track brand perception, engagement, and action among the target groups, compare against a baseline, and report on team diversity alongside audience response.
