Does diversity and inclusion in products, staff or advertising impact buyers’ purchase decisions?
Corporate conversations around diversity and inclusion are stranger to no industry. While most brands dove right in with policies focussed on diversity and inclusion, several brands have distanced themselves from such efforts in recent times.
In this piece, we’re exploring whether such initiatives have any bearing on consumers’ shopping decisions.
For roughly two in five consumers across markets (38%), aspects of diversity and inclusion don't matter when choosing where to shop, a recent YouGov survey that polled consumers across 17 international markets reveals.
But among those for whom diversity and inclusion does influence purchase decisions, more than half (53%) factor in diversity and inclusion in products (brand sells products made by and for diverse groups) and nearly half (47%) say their choice to shop is influenced by whether diversity and inclusion is reflected in the staff.
Other aspects of diversity and inclusion that influence shoppers’ purchase decisions include advertising (42%) and clientele (38%).
In almost all aspects shoppers were polled for, more women than men say their purchasing decisions are influenced by those factors. The gap between the two is significant when it comes to the influence of diversity and inclusion in products (56% of women, 50% of men) and in advertising (44% of women and 39% of men).
Equal proportions of men (36%) and women (36%) consider diversity and inclusion in ownership (when a brand is owned by members of diverse groups).
Looking at data from individual markets, we see that Americans are the most likely across markets to factor in all the aspects of diversity and inclusion listed in our survey when choosing where to shop from. Singaporeans and Indians lead among Asian consumers, in factoring in several diversity aspects when shopping.
Diversity and inclusion in staff
Americans lead (69%) in saying they factor in this aspect of diversity and inclusion when making purchase decisions, followed by Brits (67%) and Australians (62%). In Asia, Singaporeans are most likely (49%) to agree.
Diversity and inclusion in advertising
This aspect of diversity and inclusion, that involves representing many types of people in ads, influences Americans the most (58%), followed by Australians (53%) and Brits (52%) across all markets, and consumers in India (44%) the most in Asia, closely followed by those in the UAE (42%).
Diversity and inclusion in executive staff
Americans lead in this category as well (54%), followed by equal proportions of Brits (47%) and Australians (47%). Indians (35%) lead in Asia.
Diversity and inclusion in clientele
Diversity in clientele matters to more than half of all Americans (at 54%, the largest proportion of consumers across markets). Hong Kongers (48%) and Australians (48%) follow Americans.
Diversity and inclusion in products
More than three in five Americans (63%) factor in whether a brand sells products made by and for diverse groups, when shopping - the most likely across markets to do so. Indonesians (60%), Singaporeans (59%) and Britons (58%) follow.
Diversity and inclusion in ownership
Finally, Americans (55%), Australians (44%), Indians (43%) and Brits (43%) are the most likely across all 17 markets surveyed to look into whether or not the brand is owned by members of diverse groups when shopping.
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Methodology: YouGov Surveys: Serviced provide quick survey results from
nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. The data is based on surveys of adults aged 18+ years in 17 markets with sample sizes varying between 279 and 783 for each market. All surveys were conducted online in March 2024. Data from each market uses a nationally representative sample apart from Mexico and India, which use urban representative samples, and Indonesia and Hong Kong, which use online representative samples. Learn more about YouGov Surveys: Serviced.