Cultural Blind Spots

Lack of Diversity = Cultural Negligence

Things that you cannot take back: A stone after it has been thrown, a word once it has been spoken, an offensive ad after it is published, and an audience after cultural negligence. A hooded top with the words “COOLEST MONKEY IN THE JUNGLE” on a black child model is the latest public relations nightmare in the world of advertisement. The international retailer H&M published an on-line advertisement for its U.K. site; however, the tone-deaf and racist ad quickly spread through social media, resulting in H&M pulling it.

The question is, why did “they” not realize the severity of the cultural insensitivity. Are “they” diverse enough to throw a flag on the play of cultural negligence in the room where decisions are made? Furthermore, even if there are a few token diverse voices in the room, is the environment and leadership diverse enough to encourage as well as respect the voice(s) of cultural awareness and inclusion?

H&M is not the only organization that has seen its lack of diversity affect the campaign message in a racially tense era. In 2007, HP depicted a white man in an office with 6 black sprinters in starting positions that appeared to be bowed to their master. In 2017, Nivea had an ad with a tag line “White is Purity”, which white supremacist were happy to retweet. In 2011 and 2017, Dove released ads that were interpreted as blacks using the product to cleanse themselves of their brown skin.

Imagine the impact “they” in the advertising team would have if the group was a true representation of the consumers they target. According to The National center for Education Statistics, in 2014, the number of minority students enrolled in the public schools was 50.3%, making it higher than whites for the first time in U.S. history. As the minority transition to become the majority, companies need to execute a plan to guarantee the right representation at all levels of the organization. If they do not, they will continue to have advertising PR nightmares that lose more patrons than they gain.  H&M released a statement that apologized for offending and stated its commitment to diversity and inclusion. It will be interesting for them to share what their organization diversity numbers are currently, particularly in the advertising department.

According to a U.S. Black Consumer Survey from 2017, 70% of black millennials say they are more likely to buy from a brand that takes a stand on race-related issues. With heightened race tensions in society and constant reminder of opinions and feelings smeared through social media today; what percentage of black millennials would buy from a brand that is tone-deaf to race and negligent to their culture? This segment in the market is one that companies need to capitalize on, not offend. In order to capitalize, companies need to make a conscious effort that starts in the human resource department. The number one priority needs to be an overhaul of hiring practices and retention strategies to attract and retain a diverse talent pool that brings cultural awareness and inclusion. Only then can “they” have the voices in the room to depict an accurate society. “No! This is completely inappropriate and offensive!” is what someone in a diverse and inclusive room would have said when calling a young black boy a monkey was suggested.