Ethnic minority women report negative ad portrayals and invisibility

Brands still have work to do when it comes to how they portray ethnic minority women in advertising (if they portray them at all, that is), according to new research* for the Unstereotype Alliance carried out by media agency UM.

Key findings 

• A quarter (26%) of ethnic minority women in the UK think their ethnic group is portrayed negatively in ads; that rises to 29% for Black Caribbean women and to 30% among Middle Eastern women.
• More than half (52%) of Middle Eastern women, 50% of Southern Asian women, and 48% of Jewish women say never or rarely see people from their ethnic group in ads.
• Nearly three quarters (72%) said they would be more likely to buy products and services from brands who represented their ethnic group positively and authentically.
• Almost half (49%) of respondents felt YouTube was the best advertising channel for representing ethnic minority groups; just 22% recognised people from their ethnic group on Twitter ads.
• Entertainment brands (34%) are among the worst offenders as regards stereotyping ethnic minority women in advertising.

Why it matters 

“The argument for inclusion and authenticity among brands and advertisers is a commercial one, as well as a moral one,” says Rachel Forde, chief executive/UK at UM. “Brands can be more successful, as well as become better corporate citizens, simply by reflecting their full audience in their marketing.” 

*Media agency UM surveyed 2,000 UK women from ethnic minority backgrounds (including Black African and Caribbean, Jewish, white continental European, Middle Eastern, South East Asian and Southern Asian) on behalf of the Unstereotype Alliance.

Sourced from UM, Unstereotype Alliance [Image: Getty images]