Striking a balance between inclusivity and entertainment in advertising

livemint.com:

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Mumbai: For years, Indian advertising has followed a narrow set of beauty standards—fair skin, conventional looks and a certain body type. But as society evolves, brands are under pressure to become more inclusive.

The real question is: Should advertising lead this change, or just reflect the society’s gradual shift? Some say that while inclusivity is important, advertising’s main goal is still to sell products, not change society. “Until societal and cultural change happens, you can’t expect advertising to lead the way," says Sandeep Goyal, veteran adman and chairman of Rediffusion. He believes the core job of advertising is to reflect what society aspires to, making a connection with consumers in just a few seconds.

But is inclusivity always the best way to create that connection? Younger, more progressive consumers seem to think so. Manisha Kapoor, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), says one of the biggest challenges is the lack of diversity in body types. “Casting agencies say brands want a certain kind of model, and brands claim agencies don’t show them other options.

But who’s really asking for this diversity?" she wonders. Research, like a study by Kantar, shows that Indian consumers feel more underrepresented in ads than their global counterparts. “These are the actual consumers —tall, short, dark, fair, thin, or fat.

Where are they in the ads?" asks Kapoor. And this gap is a problem for brands that are targeting younger audiences. “Younger consumers don’t just shrug off ads that don’t resonate with them—they outright reject them," she adds.