Unstereotype Alliance launches new report on inclusive marketing amid growing scrutiny and rapid technological change

State of the Industry Report: Unstereotype Alliance launches new report on inclusive marketing amid growing scrutiny and rapid technological change

Leading voices from Unstereotype Alliance members and allies including AMV Group, Diageo, LIONS, Mondelēz International, and WFA, on the commercial case, the AI opportunity and risk, and what comes next.

As a shifting inclusion landscape and the rapid advance of generative AI reshape the marketing industry, the Unstereotype Alliance, convened by UN Women, has today published its 2026 State of the Industry Report. Drawing on the voices of senior leaders across brands, agencies and industry bodies worldwide, the report provides a comprehensive assessment of where inclusive marketing stands, what is driving it forward, and what threatens to hold it back.

The report examines the five forces that have most shaped inclusive marketing and advertising since the Unstereotype Alliance published its first State of the Industry Report in 2021: Unstereotyped content as a driver of brand value; shifting consumer expectations toward authenticity; workplace inclusion as a foundation for progress; the influence of digital and social media; and the use of AI and technology - balancing risk with opportunity.

Stephan Loerke, CEO of the World Federation of Advertisers, sets the context: "The reason members still prioritize inclusive marketing is because it drives business growth, and in fact has been one of the biggest drivers of growth in the last decade."

The commercial case is conclusive, now momentum must hold 

The report builds on the Unstereotype Alliance's landmark research with Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, which demonstrated that brands with more inclusive advertising practices generate 3.46% higher short-term sales and 16.26% higher longer-term sales. They are 62% more likely to be a consumer's first choice, command 54% higher pricing power and enjoy 15% higher loyalty.^[1]

Yet the report makes clear that progress remains uneven. While 2025 saw the biggest improvement in positive gender portrayals since 2021 with a 30% increase in GUM scores^[2], representation of disabled people, LGBTIQ+ communities and older consumers continues to fall short according to global data. Only 3% of ads tested feature someone living with a disability, against a global population of 15%.

Gül Şener, Associate Professor, Bahçeşehir University, said: "In Türkiye, inclusive advertising is evolving. Women are increasingly portrayed in non-traditional and occupational roles; however, men continue to be portrayed in mostly traditional roles. A comprehensive transformation requires expanding progressive portrayals of masculinities alongside empowered femininities."

The creator economy as the new frontier

The report positions the creator economy as a critical channel for authentic brand building, with over half of marketers increasing investment in online video, streaming, and influencer collaborations in 2026^[3], while consumers use these platforms to hold brands accountable; 32% of Gen Z say influencers have increased their trust in brands over the past year^[4].

AI: the industry's greatest opportunity and its most significant risk

Generative AI emerges as both the most promising and most urgent issue facing the industry. Research cited in the report found that 44% of AI systems demonstrate gender bias and 26% demonstrate both gender and racial bias^[5], yet only 51% of marketers currently use human oversight to test AI-generated creative before release^[6].

Jacqui Stephenson, Global Responsible & Purpose Marketing Officer, Mars and Deputy Vice Chair of the Unstereotype Alliance, said: " Generative AI is being adopted at speed across marketing, but it’s still a burgeoning area and there’s a real gap in confidence in practically embedding inclusion. That matters, because GenAI can scale creativity and efficiency quickly, but it can also scale bias just as fast if we’re not intentional. Under Mars’ stewardship, the Unstereotype Alliance has formed a working group dedicated to bridging that confidence gap: convening members to co-create practical guidance and help ensure this next wave of innovation delivers more representative, inclusive outcomes."

What the industry must do next

Xavier Rees, CEO, AMV Group, said: "The conversation about representation in advertising has become more nuanced and sophisticated and that's a good thing. Among the advertisers and marketers that are getting this right, there has been a shift away from numerical representation towards more authentic portrayal, avoiding stereotypes and painting a more inclusive picture of the world."

Elspeth I’Anson, Interim Head of the Unstereotype Alliance, said: “Nearly a decade in, the Unstereotype Alliance has helped transform inclusion from an aspiration into a commercial imperative backed by evidence. New forces such as AI, the creator economy, a shifting consumer landscape, are reshaping how culture gets made and who gets seen in it. The strength of the Unstereotype Alliance has always been its collective reach and it’s through the scale and diversity of our global membership that we will continue to bring the industry together, driving the kind of progress that no single brand or agency can achieve alone." 

The State of the Industry Report is available to download now.

ENDS

Contributors to the State of the Industry Report

Meghan Johnson, Vice President, Global Commercial Transformation and Excellence and Chief of Staff, Mondelēz International; Stephan Loerke, CEO, World Federation of Advertisers; Samwel Ombogo, Chief Executive Officer, The Marketing Society of Kenya; Xavier Rees, CEO, AMV Group; Gül Şener, Associate Professor, Bahçeşehir University; Frank Starling, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, LIONS; Gráinne Wafer: Global Category Director, Beer, Vodka, Liqueurs, Convenience – Diageo; Keith Weed CBE, Chair, UK National Chapter, Unstereotype Alliance.

About the Unstereotype Alliance 
The Unstereotype Alliance seeks to eradicate harmful stereotypes from advertising and media to help create a more equal world. Convened by UN Women, the Alliance collectively acts to empower people in all their diversity (including gender, race, class, age, ability, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation and more) by using advertising as a force for good to drive positive change all over the world.  Launched at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in 2017, the global membership of the Unstereotype Alliance currently stands at 240 companies, with 12 national chapters across five continents that tackle culturally-nuanced stereotypes at a local level (http://www.unstereotypealliance.org).

For media enquiries contact: media.team@unwomen.org

^[1] Unstereotype Alliance.” Inclusion = Income: The Business Case for Inclusive Advertising,” 2024.

^[2] Gender Unstereotype Metric Review, 2025

^[3] Kantar. “Brand Z: The Most Valuable Global Brands 2025,” 2025

^[4] Edelman. “Trust Barometer 2024,” 2024

^[5] Stanford Social Innovation Review.” When Good Algorithms Go Sexist: Why and How to Advance AI Gender Equity,” 2021

^[6] IAB. " AI Adoption Is Surging in Advertising, but is the Industry Prepared for Responsible AI?,” 2025