Marketers Need New Strategies to Fight Cultural Divisiveness

Advertising success relies on clear, concise and culturally-considered communication. Yet just 22 days into 2025, legal mandates and corporate maneuvers suggest that facts They are not important to consider when crafting what we say, how we say it, or how we show it.

Everyone was let down a bit shake it after Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement that Meta Eliminate their fact-checking policies on Facebook, Instagram and Threads – their reasons are free for freedom of speech, but if the speech is accurate in representation or description it is no longer a disqualifier. If the opinion can be taken as fact or misconstrued, whether deliberate or not, undermine the reliability of the data we depend on to inform marketing strategies.

This is compounded by recent developments in state privacy laws that affect aggregated data: So far, 19 states have deviated from the Washington Privacy Act, which regulates the management and oversight of personal data. The reason is that ethnicity, race, and related attributes are now treated as sensitive personal information that must be redacted.

While these measures are honorable to prevent the use of information to discriminate, there is a flip side: Data that are mapped against how a person self-identifies helps us understand. different perspectives. It is an integral component for quality control. Without this context, we are prevented from recognizing the nuanced insights needed to create fair and effective campaigns.

The fundamental problem with these two developments – Meta’s policy change and changes to data privacy laws – is the ripple effect in marketing. They are effectively licensed to compromise ethical standards when designing narratives that represent different cultures.

According to a study by Nuance Matters44% of people believe that brands focus too much on surface-level representation, neglecting a deeper cultural understanding. This is a clear indication that we must take extra care to avoid misshaping how people see the belief systems, behaviors or values ​​of others from what we create.

The stakes are high. African American, Asian American, and Native American families collectively represent 17.4% of the U.S. purchasing powerthat equates to nearly $1 of every $5.75 spent. Hispanic purchasing power is expected to reach $2.8 trillion next year. Failing to engage these communities in a meaningful way could mean losing billions in potential revenue. We walk a fine line of both affirming and dissipating prejudice, and if consumers feel left out, it’s the dollars that walk right out the door.