Untangling Ethnoracial Underrepresentation in Adland: The Role of Political Bias and the Potential of Multicultural Education

Abstract

Abstract: The United States advertising workforce remains predominantly White with only slight gains in ethnic/racial demographics over the decades. Cultural intelligence is invaluable in the rapidly diversifying US populace; the advertising industry could benefit from a workforce that fully represents the communities they serve. This inquiry seeks to understand why meaningful change is difficult, what factors are involved, and how advertising educators can assist in diversification efforts. Our national survey of US advertising professionals in all fifty states probed topics including the talent pipeline, benefits of diversity, valued skill sets, and political ideology for this study. Findings revealed differences in how self-identified conservatives and liberals viewed these topics, providing a relevant but rarely explored lens. One ideology emerged as more resistant to change, aligning with neuroscience studies addressing unconscious bias as associated with political ideology. Findings also correlate with another study that finds political ideology is indeed a factor in perceptions of ethnic/racial diversity. How political ideology affects diversity in the advertising industry deserves further research. Contact hypothesis suggests educators can counterbalance unconscious bias through multicultural education. Recommendations include a review of multicultural education approaches to update programs with cultural intelligence. The implication is that advertising educators can better equip the next generation for a multicultural marketplace while creating a path for consequential diversification in the advertising workforce.