Exclusives

New York-based marketing agency has tapped Gracenote and its Inclusion Analytics solution to use data and analytics to help advertisers better connect with underserved audiences, and improve consultative offerings around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

The use of Gracenote Inclusion Analytics will give IPG Mediabrands’ clients new visibility into gender, race, ethnicity and sexual orientation of talent appearing in popular linear and streaming TV programming, allow them to target audiences and meet new marketing objectives.

“As the make-up of the United States population continues to diversify, so do the content preferences and desires of TV watchers as well as consumers more broadly,” said Stacie deArmas, SVP of diverse insights and initiatives at Gracenote parent company Nielsen. “A massive opportunity exists to serve all groups by advancing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in media and creative content. Realizing the scale of the opportunity, Mediabrands is leading the charge with its clients by leveraging data-driven insights from Gracenote Inclusion Analytics.”

Using Gracenote Global Video program metadata, along with its Studio System celebrity race and gender data, Nielsen Television Ratings and Nielsen SVOD Content Ratings data, Inclusion Analytics delivers a variety of unique metrics, including Share of Screen, Inclusion Opportunity Index and Share of Audience, all quantifying the visibility of cast members representing different identity groups. The solution also provides insight into the make-up of viewing audiences and how they compare to the general population.

Mediabrands has made recent investments in equity and inclusion advocacy, including the launch of the industry-first Equity Upfront endeavor, which aims to raise visibility and receptivity of black-owned and targeted media businesses. Mediabrands has also developed a Media Responsibility Index to improve industry standards around brand safety and responsibility in advertising, and the agency has also pledged to invest a minimum of 5 percent in black-owned media channels by 2023.

“One way we can contribute to a more representative and welcoming media and entertainment landscape is by supporting programming that presents diverse casts and content,” said Brian Hughes, EVP and managing director of audience intelligence and strategy for MAGNA, the media investment and intelligence division of IPG Mediabrands. “This mission begins with the data to analyze shows not only by viewership but also by how balanced casting is. Increasingly, advertisers want to invest in programming that reflects the values of their brands and equity-and-inclusion benchmarks are a key part of that.”