UNILEVER: Integrating inclusive thinking across every brand

Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

Opportunity

We find ourselves in the midst of a global awakening with social inequality reaching a critical point. Covid-19 has exacerbated inequalities and racial injustice has been exposed the world over. A new study commissioned by Unilever with Kantar exposes the scale of the problem within our own industry, with almost half of those from marginalised communities feeling they have been stereotyped in some way through advertising.

Initiative

Unilever is committed to help build a more equitable and inclusive society and see an opportunity to use the power and scale of their brands to drive real change. This includes broadening its 2016 commitment to Unstereotype and challenging itself to create marketing – not just advertising – that will help influence the next generation of people to be free from prejudice. With the launch of Act 2 Unstereotype, Unilever is taking a forensic approach to ensure ED&I is embedded at every point of the end-to-end marketing journey. It aims to provoke and integrate more diverse and inclusive thinking across every brand – from insight generation to the way product design is briefed, to the way people are represented in front and behind the camera.

With Act 2 Unstereotype Unilever is working with partners like BRiM to improve Black representation in marketing both infront and behind the camera. Within ‘Who You Work With’, for example the Unilever AdPro sponsors not for profits like Bid Black, who are on a mission to normalise the presence of Black filmmakers in creative roles in the advertising industry, and increase awareness and access to Black directors, cinematographers, editors, colourists and more.

To create better representation ‘In Your Work’, meanwhile, Unilever’s Race & Ethnicity Tension Finder tool, a proprietary research tool, captures the latest insights on local race tensions to identify the most salient issues, what’s emerging and inform on areas of focus for Unilever. Unilever recognises that as the cultural landscape is constantly evolving, it is critical for organisations and individuals to invest time in ongoing learning and education about Black representation in marketing.

To that end, Unilever also hosted a dedicated cultural immersion on Unstereotyping Black Representation in Marketing for marketers and agencies. The session gathered leading voices and award-winning creatives and artists, to speak to Unilever about the power of Black culture and how their brands can authentically and positively be part of it. To accompany the session new Communication Guidelines were launched to educate brand teams on the history and nuances of stereotypes that Black people face and how brands can help advance alternative, more progressive and authentic stories of the Black community. 

Impact

By serving the Black community in an inclusive, progressive way, Unilever believes its brands can be at the forefront of shaping a fairer and more inclusive world. Rewiring how an organisation like Unilever ‘does’ marketing is no small undertaking. The holistic approach of Act 2 Unstereotype means that everything from insight generation, creative development, to driving the agenda for a more inclusive and diverse workforce in their creative agencies as well as casting choices and production partners is being challenged.

However, as Unilever’s chief brand officer and chief diversity & inclusion officer, Aline Santos, says,

“If we want to see systemic change in society, we need to see systemic change in our industry. Meaningful representation of Black people in advertising and inclusive storytelling to shift the cultural narrative is vital. Inclusive marketing is not a choice anymore; we must act now.”

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