Imagine browsing vacation options and never seeing people whose body looks like yours or whose family resembles your own. As photographer Jarrad Seng comments: "The aim of advertising is to present a world for people to aspire to. But if in those worlds you never see a person that looks like you, then how can you feel like that space includes you?"
The desire to belong and to see ourselves reflected is deeply rooted. And while commercial images might show a more varied cast of people than they did 20 years ago, true diversity is still a far-off destination. How can your organization benefit from working on better representation? Everyone, even customers and employees who don't feel marginalized, appreciates brands that attempt to make the world a fairer place. Increasingly, they'll come to expect it.
