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Growing up, did you play with hyper-sexualized Barbie dolls, boys-only Thomas the Tank Engine trains, or slim, white Disney princesses? If so, you\u2019re not alone, but this is no longer the case for\u00a0Generation Alpha.<\/p>\n
Brands like Mattel, once criticized for promoting unrealistic body standards and gender stereotypes, now portray themselves as feminist and progressive. The\u00a0recent Barbie movie\u00a0serves as a prime example of this shift.<\/p>\n
Millennial parents are actively seeking out toys, books and movies to\u00a0educate their children about life and teach them values that align with their own, from body positivity to\u00a0diversity\u00a0to accepting others and embracing their sexuality.<\/p>\n
At the same time, Millennial parents are quick to criticize brands that are not reflective of their values. Social media campaigns like\u00a0#CancelDrSeuss, which called attention to racist imagery in the author\u2019s books, are an example of consumers holding brands accountable for their past missteps.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s notable about these calls for accountability is that they often stem from a brand\u2019s history of exclusion, such as\u00a0American Girl\u2019s limited number of dolls with marginalized identities, or the racist depictions of Indigenous people on\u00a0Disney\u2019s old Splash Mountain ride. These critiques highlight a broader societal shift towards inclusivity and cultural sensitivity.<\/p>\n
Revamping products<\/h2>\n
As marketing researchers, we aimed to understand how entertainment brands are adapting to changing political, cultural and social norms.\u00a0Our recent study\u00a0identified three primary ways these brands are evolving: through changes in their products, shifts in hiring practices and increased involvement in their communities.<\/p>\n
Some brands have made efforts to revamp their products, ranging from apologizing for past mistakes to removing offensive features or overhauling their market offerings entirely. Apologizing, such as\u00a0the disclaimer Disney has added to some of its older movies about racist stereotypes, was one of the most common actions brands took.<\/p>\n
Other brands, like Warner Bros., have opted to remove problematic traits from their characters. In Space Jam: A New Legacy,\u00a0the character Lola Bunny was redesigned to not be hypersexualized\u00a0like she was in the first film. Other brands have discontinued products deemed problematic, as seen when\u00a0Dr. Seuss Enterprises\u00a0pulled six books out of circulation.<\/p>\n Such actions are sometimes carried out concurrently. In, 2014, Mattel issued an apology for a\u00a0book it published that enforced gender stereotypes about women not being able to code.<\/p>\n Since then, the brand has conducted a range of systematic changes, such as the introduction of a diverse line of dolls of different professions, even those previously masculinized in the market, as well as dolls with different\u00a0body types\u00a0and\u00a0skin tones, and dolls with different disabilities.<\/p>\n Along with changes in their products, brands have also reformed their workforce towards equity, diversity and inclusion to varying degrees.<\/p>\n For instance, Nintendo has promised to be more transparent in their recruitment process, since women currently occupy only\u00a023.5 per cent of their global managerial positions. This stands in contrast with Mattel, the parent company of Barbie and American Girl, whose\u00a0board of directors\u00a0has five women out of a total of 11 members, with 30 per cent belonging to\u00a0ethnic minority groups.<\/p>\n Disney, in comparison, has dedicated a page on its website to provide transparency regarding the\u00a0racial and gender diversity of its workplace\u00a0across the various levels. This signals its commitment to fostering a more inclusive workplace culture.<\/p>\n These efforts come at a time when companies are increasingly recognizing the importance of diversity and inclusion not only as ethical imperatives, but\u00a0as strategic advantages for long-term success in today\u2019s global marketplace.<\/p>\n The last change entertainment brands have been making in response to social pressures is increasing their involvement within their communities.<\/p>\n Some brands have pursued traditional approaches of donations to different non-profit organizations like\u00a0American Girl\u2019s support for Save the Children.<\/p>\n Other brands have partnered with non-profit organizations representing people with disabilities to guarantee the inclusiveness of their products. For example, UNO teamed up with the National Federation of the Blind to\u00a0create a Braille version of the card game.<\/p>\n Thomas and Friends participated in a\u00a0United Nations sustainability campaign\u00a0and\u00a0consulted with UN advisors\u00a0to ensure the inclusiveness of their new shows.<\/p>\n Other brands started and maintained their own non-profit organizations to push for changes. Sesame Workshop, the organization behind Sesame Street, provides education materials to help children understand\u00a0sensitive social issues like racism.<\/p>\n As our understanding of diversity evolves, so too do our expectations of the media and entertainment we consume, especially when it comes to shaping the values and perceptions of young minds.<\/p>\n Consumers wield significant influence in shaping the trajectory of entertainment brands, as evidenced by their demands for more inclusive and socially conscious content. By holding brands accountable for their actions and advocating for change, consumers play a role in driving the evolution towards a more equitable and diverse entertainment landscape.<\/p>\n In today\u2019s ever-evolving socio-cultural climate, entertainment brands must constantly adapt to stay relevant to parents and their children. These actions can be reactively pursued due to socio-cultural pressures, or taken proactively as brands attempt to stay ahead of trends.<\/p>\n Irrespective of the source of change, to contribute sustainably to inclusion, diversity and equality, the changes need to be echoed on multiple fronts: in products, in the workplace and within our communities.<\/p>\n This article is republished from\u00a0The Conversation\u00a0under a Creative Commons license. Read the\u00a0original article.<\/p>\n By Aya Aboelenien, Assistant Professor of Marketing, HEC Montr\u00e9al and Chau Minh Nguyen, PhD Candidate in Marketing, HEC Montr\u00e9al.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/593011\/original\/file-20240508-16-sve4my.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip\")
Equity, diversity and inclusion<\/h2>\n
Changing to stay relevant<\/h2>\n
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