Amongst Marks & Spencer’s rainbow Pride sandwich and Bud Light’s campaign with Dylan Mulvaney, the far-right slogan “Go woke, go broke” has been proven incorrect by a recent study. In fact, new evidence released in September 2024 found that inclusive advertising has a positive impact on sales, brand value and business profit. 

The study was conducted by Unstereotype Alliance, an initiative convened by UN Women in 2017 to help end harmful stereotypes in advertising and is spread across five continents. It has 240 member companies and collaborated with researchers at Saïd Business School at Oxford University for this particular piece of work, as well as the Geena Davis Institute.

The academic research analysed 392 brands across 58 countries including Diageo, Unilever and Kantar. It encompassed a variety of categories, such as confectionery, clothing, food and drink, cosmetics, pet food and care, household products, healthcare, and alcohol.

The study highlights the importance of relatable and authentic portrayal in advertising rather than stereotypical advertising, as accidentally enforcing harmful stereotypes can lead to a negative impact instead of a positive one. It proved that so-called ‘woke’ advertising boosts short-term sales by 3.5% and long-term sales by 16%. It also increases customer brand loyalty by 15% and makes the brand 62% more likely to be the customer’s first choice. 

 

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Professor Andrew Stephen, who is Director of the Oxford Future of Marketing Initiative, L’Oréal Professor of Marketing and Deputy Dean for Faculty and Research, commented: “It’s crucial that the decisions we make in business and society are rooted in correct assumptions and scientific fact, allowing businesses to reconsider the role of inclusion in their advertising practices. They can gain a lot from doing so.”

Sara Denby, Head of the Unstereotype Alliance Secretariat at UN Women, has said that “the idea that inclusive advertising content can commercially damage a business has limited progress for too long,” and that the proven data should encourage brands to reflect on their inclusivity to grow their business. 

 

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The Unstereotype Alliance has called on companies to be more inclusive in their marketing and brand strategies, in order to grow their businesses and improve customer relationships.