LAS VEGAS – Efforts by businesses to promote diversity, equity and inclusion are undergoing a significant shift after a Supreme Court ruling in 2023 struck down affirmative action policies at U.S. universities. But consumer brands still must consider the sensitivities of a multicultural marketplace to understand the changing needs of customers and to create effective advertising campaigns.
“I’m mindful that it’s not easy. It’s complex, not because diversity is complex or equity or inclusion, but because I think the meaning surrounding those things have shifted so significantly, and brands want to be very thoughtful on how they engage,” Emily Graham, chief equity and impact officer at Omnicom Group, said in this interview at CES with Lisa Granatstein, editorial director of Beet.TV.
Because brands typically want to protect their reputations, they may avoid taking risks with campaigns that incorporate principles of diversity, equity and inclusion. Graham said she attended a session at CES where executives from Mastercard, Panasonic and Microsoft discussed the need to be courageous.
“To be inclusive requires a level of bravery to innovate in your business and know that you might get backlash, or you might get pushback,” Graham said. “It requires a level of thoughtfulness, a level of teamwork, a level of thinking through the difficulties. But it can happen, and I encourage companies to keep trying.”
You’re watching “The Future of Representation: Technology Meets Humanity in Advertising,” a Beet.TV Leadership Series at CES 2025, presented by XR Extreme Reach. For more videos from this series, please visit this page. You can view all of our CES 2025 content here.
