Thread by @jdaykin

We've launched a new @WFAMarketers guide to tackling bias in the creative process - it's about moving ALL marketing away from exclusion & negative stereotypes to positive casual representation & inclusion. It's free and open source to steal with pride: wfanet.org/diversity

We defined 12 stages of the creative process - each an opportunity to positively inject different viewpoints & diversity and to better understand your real consumers... or to rush through, exclude & miss opportunities due to bias or limited perspectives. #RepresentationMatters

1. Right from the start, as you identify your business and brand challenges, you can easily accidentally exclude growth opportunities or audiences from your thinking. Is there a positive upside in standing up & doing a better job of representing the real people who buy from you?

2. Almost by default insights have to reduce consumers to average portrayals, but what are you doing to keep their unique differences in your thinking? Are you really listening to diverse consumers or just spending your time debating what an insight is? 😅

3. When clients brief our agencies do we make it clear that diversity & representation matters to us? Do we accidentally exclude groups from our thinking before the work even begins? How can we inspire our partners to come on this journey with us?

4. Do we even have the right people & partners in the room? There are lots of good reasons to work with big agency groups but ways to push them to bring in different voices, and also to involve smaller partners with diverse perspectives alongside them.

5. The Unstereotype Alliance has great resources to support with creative development - it isn't just about whether diversity is Present, it matters who's Perspective we rely on and whether there's depth & Personality, or blunt stereotypes.

6. Pre-testing is often a key part of the creative process, but it can also accidentally be setup to confirm our own incorrect biases, or be used as an excuse to back away from positive representation & inclusion. Bring in diverse perspectives to get an honest POV.

7. We don't always allow ourselves enough time for production, which means we can rush things like casting decisions or fall into sterotypes in styling & staging. Do we go the extra mile to make sure our shoots are inclusive & accessible?

8. A lot gets cut in post production, and especially in shorter cuts of video ads. Does what you end up with still match your aspirations & intention? Who is most often left on the cutting room floor?

9. For global brands localisation is often a challenge - it's often right & necessary to adapt, but are you doing so to make your work more representative or less? In an increasingly globalised world you can be judged for what you choose to sub out.

10. We often forget the huge role that media plays in ensuring positive representation - where are your ads appearing and what are they funding, for good or for bad? What out the box partnership opportunities are there as part of your 360 activation?

11. Launching any new creative/campaign is nerve wracking, but regrettably more representative ones do often face backlash from vocal minorities. Prepare yourself to proportionally respond to the wonderful, and terrible, comments you might get.

12. Keep measuring and learning what works - better representation isn't about 'Purpose' or being 'woke', it's about fundamentally doing our jobs as marketers to connect & cut through to the consumers we serve. Learn what works and build on it.

There are some fabulous examples of this in the guide, though I also cannot wait to see many more. The full document is a free open source download, will continue to be updated with new thinking, and can be adapted for internal use in your agency/brand! #RepresentationMatters