MAD WHITE MENKeeping brands relevant in an

increasingly multicultural world

HEY, HONKY! Chances are most of you reading this are white. If you aren’t, please beg our pardons. We are merely

stating a fact. Most people who work in advertising and marketing are white. If you work in a creative department of an ad agency or sit on the executive floor of any corporation really, just pick your head up and look around you. Are you surrounded by white faces or brown ones? Are you adrift amongst a sea of sameness that only exists at work, but not when you step out onto the street? If so, you may be suffering from sheltered honkey syndrome. It’s okay. Rest assured you are not alone.

We are living in an increasingly diverse country, but you wouldn’t know by looking at our media. White

people may make up 63% of the population today, but that number is changing fast with non-white populations booming in population size and spending power. Much has been written on the browning of America. Our president is half black.

Yet, we are surrounded by white people propaganda in an increasingly non white America. Whether it’s

advertisements or the media or even Hallmark cards, non-white consumers feel it. They feel when you are not talking to them and when you are trying too hard. The problem is, most people in advertising don’t know how to talk to ethnic groups because most people in advertising are white. That’s why we’ve done some research with non white people to gauge how brands can better speak to them and their families. ! We learned there are a lot of myths about how white people think about race and ethnicity when it comes

to advertising and brands. This report sets out to dispel some of them, while offering recommendations on how to move forward. Because not addressing these groups or addressing them in the wrong ways can and will have some pretty big implications for brands, now and in the future. So let’s unite, white people. It’s time to put down our lattes and look up from our navels. The revolution has already begun.

Disclaimer: this report is written by a white person.

CONTENTS Myth - We market to white people because they’re the

majority ! Myth - Ad agencies are melting pots ! Myth - Advertising isn’t racist Myth - Brands don’t discriminate ! Myth - White people are aspirational

MYTH: IT’S SMART TO MARKET TO WHITE PEOPLE; THEY’RE THE MAJORITY

Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates, 2012

DEBUNK White people are the fastest shrinking dominant racial group in U.S. history. !Last year, there were more non white babies born than white babies. White women are far more likely to be childless than Hispanic or African American women. !More white people are dying than are born. White people are the oldest ethnic group with a median age of 42. (The median age for Asians is 34. Under 32 for African Americans and under 28 for Hispanics).

MYTH: AD AGENCIES ARE MELTING POTS

DEBUNK Ad agencies are mostly white and mostly

run by white men African Americans make up 5.3% of ad

agencies. ! Hispanics make up 9%. ! For an industry that prides itself on being

“in the know,” it’s ironic the boys club still rules.

! There is even a 3% Conference held every

year to represent creative women in advertising.

! “I am just stunned by an industry that’s

been so entrenched in the good-old boy system for so long.”

- Cyrus Mehri, Civil Rights Lawyer, Mehri & Skalet

Source: NAACP, The Madison Avenue Project, 2010

From top: Lord Saatchi, Martin Sorrell, Lee Clow, Jeff Goodby, Alex Bogusky

Modern Mad Men

IMPLICATIONS Brands that have the potential to

capture growing multicultural markets will benefit greatly from a deeper understanding of these consumers.

! Brands who do not embrace

diversity in an authentic way now will only become irrelevant to consumers in the future.

“Urban youth is a huge market. A

40 year old white man can’t relate.”

- Filipino Creative Director

RECOMMENDATIONS Identify multicultural opportunity

targets for your brand. Conduct qualitative ethnographic research that uncovers authentic insights for these targets.

! Embrace diversity from top to bottom

- not only in external communications, but also internally in the hiring and promoting practices within your organization as well affiliated agencies who handle communications for the brand.

!

MYTH: ADVERTISING ISN’T RACIST

DEBUNK: Although ads cannot be as

overtly racist as they once were, many negative ethnic stereotypes still permeate advertising.

! African American, Hispanic and

Asian consumers we spoke with noticed the biggest stereotyping in advertising, with African Americans feeling they suffer the “worst” portrayals.

Source: Qualitative Interviews

Black Women With Attitude Whether it’s being portrayed as

angry, domineering or just wild - black women recognize they are heavily stereotyped in advertising.

! 77% of African American women are

concerned about their portrayal in the media.

! 71% say they are portrayed “worse”

than other racial groups. !

“I feel like the angry,‘crazy ass black chick’ is still everywhere [in

advertising]. It’s like if people don’t realize we can be calm. Yes, there are calm, rational black women. We do exist.”

Sources: Qualitative Interviews, 2007 Essence/P&G poll

STEREOTYPES

The Big Black Stud Oftentimes in advertising, black men

are portrayed as big, strong, athletic, combative and virile. Rarely are they given intellectual or more human roles.

Source: Qualitative Interviews, Online posts

STEREOTYPES

“How about a picture of LeBron with a hammer and nail in his hand

surrounded by children as he donates some of the NIKE money to build homes

for his lost brothers and sisters? Show a side of LeBron nobody sees, one that

cares. Beat back the stereotypes.” 

"The media depict [African-Americans] as more aggressive, athletic and combative. The biggest challenge I have with boys is to build their understanding that there's more to achieve than being a football player, basketball player or rap star.” - Stanley Miller, Executive Director, NAACP

The Latina Lover Hot-blooded and sexy - these are

the stereotypes many of the Hispanic respondents we spoke with identified in advertising. While not overtly offensive, it does paint a one dimensional portrait of hispanic women - one they feel does not portray who they really are.

! “I don’t get it. Why does the Latina

girl always have to be sexy? I guess it’s not a bad stereotype to have, but we are many other things besides sexy. We come from strong families, we stick together, we love to celebrate life, we are passionate about many things. We are not just pin up girls.”

Source: Qualitative Interviews

STEREOTYPES

The Techy Asian Oftentimes in advertising, Asians

Americans appear as the technological experts and most often appear in ads for smart phones, computers and electronic gear of all kinds

“You’d think we’d have moved

on from the stereotype of Asians as math nerds and science geeks. But no, not really. With all of this technology, it’s evolved into Asians as the ‘help desk’ or ‘IT geek.’

Source: Qualitative Interviews

STEREOTYPES

IMPLICATIONS: Whether black or blonde, yellow

or brown - no one likes to be stereotyped. Advertising that does so only risks alienating ethnicities and genders.

! Some races are more sensitive

to stereotyping than others, with African Americans understandably being more sensitive than other groups.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Check your creative department. How

culturally relevant is the talent at your advertising agency based on the brands in your portfolio?

Be sensitive to stereotyping when casting. Avoid adding token ethnicities to represent multiculturalism.

! Debunk racial stereotypes in

advertising to better resonate with ethnicities.

! Dimensionalize your consumer.

Consider ethnographic research that finds ways to humanize racial groups within your target.

MYTH: BRANDS DON’T DISCRIMINATE

DEBUNK: Brand icons, especially those in

food products, feature caricatures that stereotype ethnicities.

Although most non-white people interviewed were not overly offended by the portrayals of ethnicities, some perceived these brands as “created by white people, for white people.”

Source: Qualitative Interviews

DEBUNK: Sports brands are those that

excel at communicating inclusively without stereotyping.

! “When you see a Nike ad you

don’t think race. You just think cool sports.”

! “I like the Gatorade commercials

because it’s asking what’s inside of you…not what’s on the outside.”

Source: Qualitative Interviews

IMPLICATIONS: Brands with years of equity in

an icon may want to rethink changing their logo.

! Brands that represent ideals

stereotype less than those that represent ethnicities.

RECOMMENDATIONS Stand for ideals over icons. Most

people can identify with what the Nike swoosh stands for. But not everyone can identify with what the Chiquita Banana lady stands for. Consider ways to infuse ideals into your icon that go beyond ethnic portrayals.

! Uncover the universal human truth of

your brand - one everyone connects with regardless of age, race, gender or color.

MYTH: WHITE PEOPLE ARE ASPIRATIONAL

"Being white is not cool. And brands hate being not cool.” - Hispanic Creative Director

DEBUNK: Each generation has a different relationship to brands. Brands seen as

'for white people' are perceived as more aspirational to older generations than they are to younger generations.

! For those older generations in the household born before the civil rights

movement of the late 60’s, brand name products are more aspirational because they were inaccessible to them as children.

“When I was a kid, all the white kids had the brand name things. You'd

look at their lunch boxes at school and they'd all have their Wonder Bread. So in a way it was something I always wanted. I’ll never forget the first time I ate Wonder Bread. One of the little white girls in my class had a birthday party and they served Wonder Bread and Oscar Meyer bologna. It was like a dream when I bit into it. To this day, if I make a bologna sandwich it’s only with Oscar Meyer and Wonder Bread.”

- African American woman, age 62

Source: One on One Qualitative Interviews

DEBUNK: As people grow younger, brands as "for white people" are perceived as

less aspirational. It's more about disposable income and less about skin color. Children see even less of a difference between black and white.

! “It’s funny how they advertise Corona as ‘the Mexican beer.’ Mexicans

don’t even drink it! It’s Mexican beer for white people…kind of like how Taco Bell is Mexican food for white people.”

- Hispanic woman, 22 years old

! “I don't see brands as for white people or as 'white people brands.’ I

see it more as a socio-economic issue.” - Japanese American woman, age 35

! "Dove is the best because it's the best at helping your skin. It doesn’t

matter what color [your skin] is. We all have skin that's dry." - Hispanic girl, age 9

Source: One on One Qualitative Interviews

IMPLICATIONS: Older consumers may have

more of an aspirational affinity to established brand names.

! Younger consumers may find

brands less appealing that pigeonhole them by ethnicity.

! People may aspire towards white

brands…but they don’t aspire to be white.

!

RECOMMENDATIONS Identify the aspirational qualities in

your brand that have nothing to do with being white.

! Research what other ethnicities find

aspirational. Newsflash honkies, not everyone wants to be white or aspires to the things that white people do.

! Research what makes other

ethnicities aspirational. Are there “black people” qualities white people aspire to; Asian qualities that African Americans aspire to, Hispanic qualities that Asians aspire to?

!FIN ! Thanks for your time. We hope you learned something. If you’re

white, we assume you took copious notes in a neat book with a special pen that you will pass off to your manager as your ideas. Ha. Only kidding. We didn’t make that last point to hurt your feelings, but to reinforce the idea that nobody likes to be stereotyped.

! So let’s start implementing change, now. Demographics cannot be

denied. Agencies and marketers who don’t affect change now will only find a rude awakening in the future as they are stuck with outdated brands that do not resonate with the voice of modern America. Let’s be part of embracing the revolution. After all, we are the fortunate ones in the position to really make a difference.

! Go white people. Go.