Salzburg Global Fellow Rika Holden shares her efforts to shape a more inclusive advertising landscape
This op-ed was written by Rika Holden, who attended the Salzburg Academy on Media and Global Change on "Imagining Inclusive and Equitable Futures" from July 16 to August 1, 2023.
Working as an advertising consultant in Japan exposed me to the poor representation of marginalized individuals and communities in advertisements. I noticed how advertisers would prioritize short-term profits while neglecting social issues and responsibilities, such as by perpetuating discriminatory and inequitable gender representation. This motivated me to analyze advertisements through business and social lenses, laying the foundation for the "Towards Change" project.
"Towards Change" emerged from a compelling need to address and transform regressive norms and practices in the advertising industry. This project aims not only to analyze why stereotypical representations of marginalized groups persist, but also to foster more inclusive representation through alternative ideas from the community. The trial workshop I organized during the Salzburg Academy on Media and Global Change was a crucial step in this journey to critically analyze and tackle stereotypes deeply embedded in mainstream advertising.
Harnessing the power of civic engagement
While in Salzburg, I connected with professors and students from various countries as well as a social business mentor from Japan about one controversial advertisement. We had productive conversations about how the advertising industry tends to showcase only certain people, relying on stereotypes and preconceived notions. By gathering opinions from this diverse group of people, I realized that the key to shaping an inclusive advertising landscape is including voices from a wider range of communities in the advertisement creation process.
The trial workshop that I conducted at Salzburg Global aimed to test if civic voices could create a better advertisement by re-imagining a banned advertisement. The success of this workshop solidified my motivation for the next steps, leading me to launch a larger project in Bristol the following year.
Our civic-engaging project consisted of two steps: the first was a series of open online workshops, and the second was an exhibition to showcase the reimagined advertisements created through the workshops. Our workshops were intended to demonstrate to participants that they could play a crucial role in the ad creation process; this equipped them with greater awareness of the importance of inclusive representation in advertising and encouraged them to become more conscious consumers. Our approach emphasized the importance of understanding cultural contexts and creating content that resonates with both civic audiences and advertisers.
These workshops allowed us to engage directly with the public and industry stakeholders from various sectors, including academia, market research, creative agencies, and social organizations both within and beyond the UK; this fostered a collaborative environment where diverse perspectives could be shared. The subsequent exhibition conveyed the tangible social impact of our initiative by showcasing our work and gathering diverse audiences in an open space for productive dialogue.
Multi-stakeholder dialogue and exhibition
The outcomes of our workshops were showcased in an exhibition held on May 10, 2024 at Watershed in Bristol.
The exhibition also featured a panel of inspiring women who shared their insights on inclusivity in advertising, including Carol Watson, Global Chief Inclusion Officer at Burson Cohn & Wolfe. The exhibition was made possible with financial support from leading women driving the development of diversity, equity, and inclusion in advertising, including Jaye Cowle, Founder of Launch, Rupa Shah, Founder of Hashtag Ad Consulting, and Aisha Thomas, Founder of Representation Matters, as well as a creative agency, Fanatic UK.
Our project was highly evaluated and even received media attention from ELLE Japan and Fanatic UK, but this does not mean that our citizen-created advertisements are perfect. We have organized speaker sessions and displayed critiques from various experts to show our openness to different perspectives and ongoing dialogue. By engaging in open discussions with experts from business, advertising, academia, and philanthropy, we aim to stimulate substantive and sustained change in the world of advertising.
Towards a responsible advertising future
Continuous feedback from diverse audiences and communities, particularly marginalized groups, is crucial for the advertising industry to fulfill both economic and social responsibilities. Incorporating these voices from the outset of the creative process through interactive workshops and two-way communication mechanisms is essential.
I hope the advertising industry will continue evolving into a platform for sharing and implementing diverse thoughts and ideas, especially in addressing societal issues like stereotyping and inclusivity. However, I fear that without adequate engagement and dialogue, the industry may not fully capitalize on its potential to foster societal change.
Salzburg Global Seminar provided me with a space to communicate openly with the global community, and I believe that the same model should be applied to the advertising industry to drive social change. The "Towards Change" project aims to make a start.
Rika Holden is the founder of the "Towards Change" project, aimed at promoting inclusive representation in advertising. She has worked as an advertising research specialist in Japan and is now studying social business in the UK. She is enthusiastic about creating a more inclusive advertising world.
