Cannes LIONS Live 2021: Measuring Progress Toward Better Representation in Content

On the surface, we can see that progress has been made towards creating a more inclusive media industry. However, once you start to look more closely and measure the representation of on-screen talent by gender, race, ethnicity and sexual orientation, it’s clear that there is still much more work to be done. According to Nielsen’s Being Seen on Screen: Diverse Representation and Inclusion on TV report, women make up 52% of the U.S. population but comprise only 38% of top recurring cast in popular broadcast, cable and streaming programming. Additionally, people of color account for 40% of the broader U.S. population but are present in only 27% of top TV roles.

While there is a strong industry push towards a more inclusive entertainment future, brands are in a unique position to really help drive forward progress. Maryl Widdows, VP, Product, Inclusion Analytics, Nielsen, met with Madeline Di Nonno, President & CEO, Geena Davis Institute during Nielsen’s Cannes LIONS Live 2021 virtual experience to discuss how brands can get involved to not only positively impact the industry, but society as a whole.

Together, they explored the importance of measuring content in order to strive toward more accurate representation, including:

What is the value of visibility of underrepresented groups in content for viewers, and what role can brands play?
How can you use data to dispel widely held misconceptions around representation in entertainment?
Where are the biggest opportunities to advance the causes of creating equity, fostering inclusion and reducing negative stereotyping in entertainment media?

Watch our on-demand recording of this session for more insights into the opportunities for brands to help drive better representation in media.

Be sure to check out on-demand recordings of the other sessions from Nielsen’s Cannes LIONS Live 2021 virtual experience: