Key Takeaways

• Many consumers in Latin America are no longer content to let brands sit on the sidelines of tough conversations. The events of 2020 have increased the public’s expectation that companies take a position on key social issues, such as discrimination, gender equality, and systemic racism.
• Although some companies have shied away from addressing important social issues, others have been investing heavily in creating more diverse and inclusive campaigns. As a result, consumers can better identify brands that align with them on social issues.
• Given the significant role advertising plays in shaping society, companies that embrace a social cause should stick to brand values, know their audience, and have a strategy to mitigate potential backlash.
• There remains an apparent disconnect between brand intent and consumer perception—especially when dealing with the portrayal of historically underrepresented groups of people. It is increasingly important that companies accurately portray the local communities they plan to target—while also fully embracing diversity in their marketing campaigns.
• Male chauvinism sometimes finds its way into advertisers’ portrayals of men and women, too. As more consumers speak out against potentially harmful traditional gender stereotypes, advertisers must avoid the further propagation of them.

WHAT’S IN THIS REPORT? This analyst take explores how brands in Latin America are striving to be more inclusive, especially of groups who have been historically underrepresented, excluded, and stereotypically portrayed in advertising.

KEY STAT: According to April 2019 data from market research company MindMiners, internet users in Brazil believed that advertising had a considerable amount of power to promote diversity and reduce environmental problems, social inequalities, and corruption.