Channel 4’s Mirror On The Industry pushes for greater representation

While 77% of people agree that DEI is important in advertising, progress around representation remains largely unchanged over the last six years.

This is the disconnect which lies at the heart of Channel 4’s latest Mirror On The Industry audit.

Now in its sixth year, the report, produced in collaboration with research agency Tapestry, celebrates positive examples of inclusive advertising, whilst pushing for progress, representation and perception change. 

The report was revealed today (30th September) during an event hosted by Channel 4, in partnership with ISBA. As well as uncovering the findings of the audit, the event outlined actionable ways that planners and advertisers can use the findings to implement more inclusive practices.  

When it comes to the inclusion of people we rarely see in TV advertising, key data from the audit shows that several groups remain consistently underrepresented. A truth which underlines the need for greater inclusion. The data found that pregnant women appear in just 0.1% of all UK adverts, LGBTQIA+ people feature in just 2% compared to 3.2% of the population. While only 4% of ads feature disabled people despite the fact that they make up 17.8% of the UK population. 

The missed opportunity of representation

Underrepresentation is not just a social issue, but a missed business opportunity. Bobi Carley, Director of Industry Relations and Inclusion Co-Lead at ISBA, shared that when just 25% of advertisers use closed captions, they are missing out on an audience of over 18 million people. 

She shared that in March, Channel 4 is set to make closed captions mandatory for its advertisers to tackle this issue and push the industry’s benchmarks for inclusion.

“At Channel 4 we believe deeply in our role as a catalyst for positive social impact. Mirror on the Industry is more than an ad audit; it's our commitment to expose where advertising still falls short, and to light up the path forward,” added Rak Patel, Chief Commercial Officer at Channel 4.

He continued: “We want advertisers and agencies to see us as more than a media owner, we’re your partner. We want to walk alongside you in your DEI journey. When levels of representation are greater and portrayal is more authentic, and more inclusive, the stories we tell become richer, the connections stronger, and the business case undeniable.”

Addressing advertising's missing figures

The report revealed that just 5% of all characters in ads featuring people who are defined as  ‘plus-size', a significant drop from 13% in 2023, and when looking at the Fitzpatrick skin colour code, those with darker skin tones are the least likely to appear. The audit also looked at perception and tone of ads, uncovering that working-class characters are less likely to be portrayed as confident or happy.

The Mirror On The Industry research highlights three key opportunities: The power of storytelling through ad format, the balance between aspirational and relatable characters and storylines and the inclusion of people we rarely or never see in TV advertising.

Exploring ways that creative can facilitate better representation, the audit explores how montage-style adverts are more likely to feature characters from underrepresented groups. Yet, individual characters receive significantly less screen time and 87% of tokenistic portrayals occur in this style. The findings underline the challenge of achieving authenticity and quality in storytelling. 

As well as shining a mirror on the industry, the report aims to provide advertisers with recommendations urging the industry to push boundaries and tell untold stories. It also pushes for better research and portrayal of lived experiences and pushing the line between aspiration and relatability. 

At the launch event, a panel session hosted by journalist and broadcaster Anna Richardson saw Kelly Gordon, Founder at With not For, Emma Gardner, Founder at With Not For, Melda Simon, UK Chapter Lead at Unstereotype Alliance, Dom Hyam, Global Client Director at Purple Goat agency and Joe Wawrzyniak, Senior FMCG Brand Leader at Chille Dairy discuss how the industry can move toward greater inclusion.  

The panel discussed how inclusion is not just a nice-to-have but business imperative. Research from the Unstereotype Alliance confirms that inclusive ad campaigns deliver 3.5% higher shorter-term sales and 16% higher longer-term sales. Melda Simon, UK Chapter Lead at Unstereotype Alliance, urged that inclusion equals income.

With the Mirror On The Industry report adding to a myriad of data points that underline the commercial opportunity of DEI, Dom Hyam, Global Client Director at Purple Goat, shared that “the fear of doing it wrong is a fallacy; once you start doing it, the sentiment is positive.”

The speakers shared that the need to push inclusion from a social good to a marketing practice can be achieved by measuring, tracking and embedding knowledge from reports such as Mirror On The Industry into the work. 

“The data from Mirror on the Industry makes it clear: too many communities remain invisible or inauthentically portrayed,” said Bobi Carly, Director of Industry Relations & Inclusion Co-Lead at ISBA. She continued: “Brands have the power to change this. By investing in inclusive storytelling, rooted in lived experience and informed research, advertisers can build deeper trust, drive stronger commercial outcomes, and reflect the society they serve.”