This year has rightly seen a surge in calls for a more inclusive society. From a creative perspective, this encompasses everything from the content used to customer communications to even the search function on brand websites. Equally as important as the use of diverse and inclusive creative content are the technological tools and platforms that help bring creative to life.

Leaders today are constantly thinking about the evolving partnership between humans and technology, and the significant role it plays in combatting or perpetuating biases that exist online and in our everyday lives. Technology has the ability to help promote inclusivity in the creative industries, though there is still much work to be done to ensure an equal and fair marketplace. 

Diversity and inclusion have only grown in importance, with Gartner noting that consultants in this space are no longer pushing for change; they’re actually experiencing a rise in inbound requests for plans and actions to further progress across society. From a media perspective, an Incorporated Society of British Advertisers (ISBA) survey of the British public found that 68% of respondents believe that diversity in ads is paramount. However, just 42% feel that TV ads are demonstrating that diversity.

And in fact, even less thought (36%) that TV adverts do a good job of representing all groups within British society, highlighting a stark need for more diverse, inclusive content and the technology to enable it. Our latest diverse imagery in marketing research further confirms this, where 90% of respondents stated that they expect marketers to use more diverse representation in their campaigns, with an overwhelming majority of 86% agreeing it helps a brands reputation if they do.

The value of inclusive language

This trend is also evidenced by changes in Shutterstock’s search data as marketers look to connect with consumers using more authentic and representative visuals. We’ve recently experienced an increase in demand for inclusive content through searches on our platform. Specifically, over the last three months, searches for ‘diversity’ and ‘inclusion’ have increased 20 and 25% respectively. Searches for ‘diversity and inclusion’ have surged 140%. Emerging trends like this have led us to shift the way we orient our platforms and work with our contributors.

As the Senior Director for Contributor Marketing at Shutterstock, my team has been focusing on educating contributors on the value of inclusive language, given they are responsible for tagging their own keywords and search terms on the content they upload to the platform. From LGBTQ to Indigenous content, we have worked to promote widespread usage of inclusive language by combatting offensive terms and potential biases that may be built in into the way our website works. We’re constantly reviewing and making changes to our search function to get this right, and know it is crucial to our creatives, those who search and use content, and the wider good of the industry for us to do so.

For the broader industry, keywording is just one example of the many ways marketers and creatives are leveraging technology to better optimise and enhance their work. AI systems are increasingly aiding creatives, from ad creation and placement to customer service experiences. It’s also being used to rethink the creative process of how to make and market certain products, looking at what content will resonate most with consumers, be it marketing communications or even television and film. According to Salesforce’s State of Marketing Report, 84% of marketers are using AI, a huge surge from 29% in 2018. A key component of this is using customer data to derive more relatable and authentic campaigns and content. When using this data responsibly, brands can better connect with and understand the customer as their needs evolve, including the growing desire for greater authenticity and inclusivity in the media platforms they engage every day.

Similarly, Deloitte’s 2021 Global Marketing Trends Report found that CMOs have turned to AI to automate work (77%) to allow for employees to focus on strategy. This includes breaking down and closely examining different consumer demographics, across age groups, geographic locations, race, gender, and more, to better match imagery and messaging to relevant markets. AI and similar technologies have allowed creative departments to home in on audience targeting and personalise content to truly resonate with consumers.

Human bias impacts technological design

Still, AI and technology is not without its faults within the creative industry. These platforms and systems are built and learn from the human mind, that of the CMO, or maybe data scientists and analysts. Without proper testing and training and an inclusive workforce building the technology itself, these programs could be built to include subconscious biases that could hinder the fairness of creative, without us even realising it.

These built-in biases can decrease the overall effectiveness of certain campaigns, and even exclude or alienate key demographics if they are not addressed. That’s why it’s crucial that marketing and creative leads partner with technology leaders within their organisations to ensure inclusivity is embedded across all aspects of the creative process. For Shutterstock, it is a key reason why we are focusing resources on our platform search function.

I’ve had the privilege of connecting with a lot of key leaders in this space, which has led me to a few key learnings on how to make sure technology does not hinder the progress we’re making as it relates to driving inclusion in the creative industry. This means brands today need to unlearn and relearn everything they do from the way they create to the way they distribute content.

It’s crucial for brands to listen to key stakeholders and prioritise diverse voices across the workforce, customer demographics, and more. We can try to be better each and every day, aided by the support of technology if we can overcome the inherent bias that exists within ourselves, within our brands, and within our industries.