Seeing Through Identity Marketing—How Brands Sell Diversity and Inclusion While Maintaining Power

Starting in the 1990s, mainstream brands began to embrace diversity and social justice as market strategies, not just moral stances. Campaigns featured multi-ethnic casts, powerful 'girl power' slogans, or endorsements from marginalized creatives. For many young consumers, it felt like real progress: finally, the faces on magazine covers and TV looked more like their own communities.

But often, the reality inside the company told another story. Brands were, and often still are, primarily motivated by the promise of larger market share, not by a commitment to systemic change. The ad campaigns create emotional resonance, but the core of the business—who profits, who works, who leads—might remain untouched. Social psychologists call this ‘performative allyship’ or ‘virtue signaling,’ where the appearance of support replaces material improvements for marginalized groups.

True progress requires matching surface messaging with action—something carefully observing consumers and activists are increasingly demanding.

Select a few brands you see celebrating diversity or social good in ads or on social media. Collect an ad or slogan from each and note what claim they're making. Next, dig deeper—spend just a few minutes online checking if the company’s behavior matches the story. Are they hiring diverse leaders, paying fair wages, supporting communities? Finally, compare what they say to what they do. Notice how your view of these brands changes when you move from slogans to substance—let that perspective guide your future choices and conversations.