GroupM and Mindshare have launched its Inclusive Influencer tool to accelerate diversity and inclusion in influencer marketing.
Led by Mindshare’s mission to drive Good Growth, the agency has spearheaded the development of the Inclusive Influencer tool which aims to remove unconscious bias and reimagine beauty standards within creator campaigns.
The launch of the tool comes as the influence of social media and AI tools is often seen to contribute to declining self-esteem and body confidence among women and girls and exacerbate issues around body acceptance, as highlighted in Dove’s recent Global Report on The Real State of Beauty.
It also coincides with creator marketing spend forecast to skyrocket to approximately $24 billion by the close of 2024, according to Influencer Marketing Hub.
The initiative empowers brands to support and invest in creators who challenge narrow representations and encourages creators to proudly reflect their true selves. This Inclusive Influencer filter sits within GroupM’s Influencer AI Planning Tool and can be adopted by all categories to enable brands to deliver more representative campaigns. The Inclusive Influencer filter prompts inclusion of ethnicity, disability, LGBTQI, First Nations, plus size, body, skin and hair type and more, to broaden representation in creator content.
This ensures that creators authentically align with brand values, audience and are brand-safe.
“We recognised the need to move beyond brand safety to prioritise human safety”, Sam Turley, head of inclusive innovation at Mindshare, said.
“So, working with GroupM, we redesigned our technology to optimise for both client and ethical outcomes. The solution is a win-win: brands that adopt a more inclusive approach see commercial impact across all key brand metrics whilst also supporting vital creator communities and fostering diverse representation.”
Michaela Tan, creator marketing lead at GroupM, added: “The way Influencer Marketing is done is very manual from strategy through to planning and execution, and relies on personal relationships with partners and talent. Inclusion should be the default.
“We knew there was a better way – so we built our technology to enable inclusive sourcing of talent. This means we can deliver our clients influencer marketing that is inclusive by design, connects authentically with audiences and helps marketers better align their media investment to their brand values and DEI commitments.”
Twenty-three local talent agencies and 744 talent have already opted in.
Stephanie Scicchitano, general manager at BornBred Talent, said: “This simple but impactful use of tech reframes the approach to diversity. It removes the bias and will make it so much easier for creators, brands and talent agencies alike to make sure that influencer campaigns are inclusive and represent Australia’s true diversity.”
This initiative builds upon GroupM and its agencies’ ongoing commitment to fostering a more inclusive media landscape. It is due to be unveiled as part of SXSW Sydney at TikTok House on Thursday 17th October. It will be rolled out across GroupM agencies and will be available to all clients across the group.