The rise of bi-ethnic TV commercials

Daily Beast -  Why are all these companies jumping on the diversity bandwagon?

[Their TV] commercials can certainly help to attract consumers who come from biracial families or relationships. They are also increasingly more representative of the world we’re living in today.

But perhaps the biggest selling point is they help to attract the broad base of customers whose values align with those portrayed through these ads—inclusion and diversity, explained Americus Reed, marketing professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.

“That’s a large group of people that are out there, that have this sense of attitude and belief that would make them say, ‘Hey that’s cool that company X or Y is actually doing this,’” he said in a recent phone interview.

It’s becoming increasingly important for brands to make their values clear to customers, explained Reed. The public is no longer simply interested in which product might be slightly better; they also want to feel good about the company’s values.

A 2016 report by pregnancy and parenting website BabyCenter and market research company YouGov, found 80 percent of the some 2,000 parents surveyed were pleased to see diverse families in ads. And 72 percent of them said “a brand that shares their values is an important factor in their purchasing decisions.”