As a founder member of the Unstereotype Alliance, Unilever says it’s championing advertising that authentically and positively represents a diverse range of people.

Now, new research shows how this approach is helping to boost profit, sales and brand value.

Unilever joined UN Women to co-found the Unstereotype Alliance in 2017, establishing an industry-led initiative to eradicate harmful stereotypes in advertising. Now, new research shows that this approach isn’t just good for inclusion and representation, it’s better for business too.

A study conducted in partnership with Saїd Business School at Oxford University explored proprietary data from Unstereotype Alliance members, including Unilever, representing 392 brands across 58 countries. Companies across categories from consumer goods and confectionery to healthcare, household products, pet food, personal care and more, shared details about the impact of their inclusive advertising campaigns – with positive results.

The study looked at multiple metrics such as sales, financial performance, consumer preference, loyalty, brand equity and market competitiveness and found improvements in every area.

The findings confirm that inclusive ad campaigns deliver a 62% likelihood of being a consumer’s first choice; 3.5% higher shorter-term sales and 16% higher longer-term sales; and 15% higher consumer loyalty.

“This report highlights the undeniable business case for more diverse and inclusive marketing and will prove a powerful tool as the industry strives for even more progressive, impactful work moving forward,” said Unilever Chief Growth and Marketing Officer Esi Eggleston Bracey. “Unilever has led the charge in creating bold, unmissable advertising that is progressive, provocative and inclusive for years, from our work with Dove, Rexona and LUX to name but a few key brands.”

The company says it has been committed to reflecting the realities of its consumers’ communities since 2016, when it first launched the Unstereotype initiative with the aim of eradicating harmful stereotypes from advertising. It broadened this ambition in 2021 to embed equity, diversity and inclusion across every point of the end-to-end marketing process with the launch of Act 2 Unstereotype, demonstrating our ambition to be inclusive and representative of the people it serves, both on-screen and behind the camera.

Per research from Kantar analyzing its campaigns during 2023, its inclusive ads delivered 123% greater enjoyment of ads; 116% increased ad distinctiveness; 103% stronger brand power; 108% brand difference; 95% improved brand meaning; and 86% greater brand persuasion.

Campaigns that Boost Brand Power

The company’s inclusive marketing strategy is helping to boost brand power, with Dove’s 2023 campaign, “The Code,” as an example.

The emotive campaign raised awareness of the damaging impact AI-generated images can have on female confidence. The campaign film received over four billion organic impressions and more than 500 million organic views, while achieving strong results across Dove’s key performance indicators.

According to Unilever, 94% of women agreed it demonstrated Dove’s desire to ensure a broader definition of beauty is accessible to everyone. Fifty-seven percent of respondents said they felt more positive towards Dove after seeing the campaign.

Smashing Labels and Records

In China, Unilever’s LUX brand’s “Smash the Labels” positioning and campaigns aim to empower women to express their femininity with confidence, free from fear of misogynistic judgement.

Campaign videos have received more than 124 million impressions and 37,000 engagements on social media, while contributing to a consistent increase in market share for LUX over the past three years, per the company.

Meanwhile, Unilever’s deodorant brand Rexona (also sold as Degree and Sure) launched its “Just Warming Up” campaign last year, using the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 as a “cultural catalyst” to encourage greater inclusion in sport.

The campaign sparked more than one billion views on TikTok and over 2.3 billion earned media impressions. Rexona was also ranked the top-recalled brand in Australia and Latin America during the tournament.