New “Latina Characters” Guide Advances Authentic Representation of Hispanic Women and Girls in Media and Encourages Brands to Create Content in Which Latinas Can See Themselves
MIAMI & SAN DIEGO – October 26, 2021 – Today SeeHer, the leading global movement to increase accurate representation of women and girls in advertising and media, in partnership with NBCUniversal and Telemundo, announced a new resource to encourage authentic portrayals of Hispanic women and girls in marketing, media, advertising and entertainment. The first Latina-focused #WriteHerRight guide empowers brands and content creators to apply an intersectional lens and help Hispanic women see themselves – and all of their potential – accurately reflected in content.
The full resource, “Latina Characters: Authentic Representation and Storytelling Guide”, is also available for download in an electronic press kit HERE.
The guide, incorporating insights from SeeHer, NBCUniversal, and Telemundo, features key questions to illuminate the immense opportunity that lies in genuine representation of Latinas and encourages storytellers to address potential blind spots and unconscious biases, as well as language and cultural nuances. The #WriteHerRight guide builds on SeeHer’s longstanding efforts to improve representation for women of diverse backgrounds, seeking to both raise awareness of the complex storytelling needed across Latina characters and provide creative teams with thoughtful ways to reflect Hispanic women more accurately.
The Latina Characters guide will be unveiled at today’s 2021 ANA Multicultural Marketing and Diversity Conference in front of a leading national audience of media and advertising professionals. In addition to providing creative guidance, the resource also highlights the importance of investing in Hispanic female talent at every level, including behind-the-camera, to ensure accurate and nuanced depictions of Latina characters.
“Latinas are integral to the fabric of the American story, so they have a right to be fully seen, heard, and reflected in the content we create and consume,” said Dr. Knatokie Ford, an Executive Advisor for SeeHer. “It is a tremendous disservice to exclude them or reduce them to tropes, stereotypes and caricatures. There is no singular Latina story–there are infinite stories. So, we should endeavor to paint more vivid pictures of Latinas to illustrate the fullness of who they are, where they have been, and even where they hope to be.”
“We’re thrilled to support the ANA in developing this very important tool,” said Mónica Gil, EVP, Chief Administrative and Marketing Officer for NBCUniversal TelemundoEnterprises. “Nearly 1 in 5 women in the U.S. are Latinas influencing a large part of the $1.9 trillion in Hispanic consumers’ purchasing power, so it is important for brands and content creators to connect with them authentically and accurately to fuel their businesses’ growth.”
“Alongside our partners at Telemundo, NBCUniversal is incredibly proud to support the ANA’s work in advancing such vital conversations around representation of Latina characters in advertising and entertainment,” said Laura Molen, President, Advertising Sales and Partnerships, NBCUniversal. “There is a true business imperative for creating genuine connections across all communities, and we support brands and storytellers who embrace their social responsibility and reflect the experiences of all consumers. Efforts like this guide are authentically bringing the force of brand power to the forefront and are celebrating the full range of Hispanic audiences.”
“P&G and its brands are deeply committed to powering progress for the Hispanic community every day and the content we develop and support must feature characters with whom Latinas can identify,” said Marc Pritchard, Chief Brand Officer, P&G and SeeHer Co-Chair. “We see a lot more diversity in ads and programs today, but we need to ensure that Latinas are accurately portrayed in a real, respectful and genuine way that truly reflects who they are.”
The Latina Characters guide poses questions to creative teams across two core categories, focusing on delineating between Latina characters that advance truthful representations and those that perpetuate harmful stereotypes. Questions in the guide are positioned to encourage critical assessment of the depth and nuance given to Latina characters, as well as the character’s honest relationship to cultural heritage, nationality, and other intersecting identities.
The Latina Characters guide was developed by ANA’s SeeHer team through an extensive and robust process, drawing insights from NBCUniversal and Telemundo executives, creators and storytellers and other media industry organizations to devise an in-depth series of thought-provoking questions to guide character creative development.
# # #
About SeeHer:
Despite strides made in recent years to accurately portray women and girls in media, unconscious bias persists throughout advertising and entertainment. The average age, race, body type, and other aspects of women depicted in media today still represents only a small fraction of the female population. SeeHer is a collective of marketers, media organizations and industry influencers committed to creating advertising and supporting content that portrays women and girls as they really are. Led by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), in partnership with The Female Quotient (The FQ), it launched in June 2016 in in Washington DC at the United State of Women. To help marketers benchmark success, the group developed Gender Equality Measure® (GEM®), the first research methodology that quantifies gender bias in ads and programming. GEM® shows that content portraying females accurately dramatically increases both purchase intent and brand reputation. In 2017 GEM® won the prestigious ESOMAR Research Effectiveness Award. The methodology quickly became the industry standard, which led to a global rollout in 2018. In 2019, the movement expanded into new verticals: sports (SeeHer In Sports) and music (SeeHer Hear Her). Visit SeeHer.com and follow @SeeHerOfficial on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
About NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises:
NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises is a world-class media company leading the industry in the production and distribution of high-quality Spanish-language content to U.S. Hispanics and audiences around the world. This fast-growing multiplatform portfolio is comprised of the Telemundo Network and Station Group, Telemundo Deportes, Telemundo Global Studios, Universo, and a Revenue Strategy & Innovation unit. Telemundo Network features original Spanish-language entertainment, news and sports content reaching 93% of U.S. Hispanic TV households in 210 markets through 30 owned stations, 54 affiliate stations and its national feed. Telemundo also owns WKAQ, a television station that serves viewers in Puerto Rico. Telemundo Deportes is the designated Spanish-language home of two of the world’s most popular sporting events: FIFA World Cup™ through 2026 and the Summer Olympic Games through 2032. Telemundo Global Studios is the company’s domestic and international scripted production unit including Telemundo Studios, Telemundo International Studios, Telemundo International, Underground Producciones, an internationally renowned production boutique based in Argentina as well as all of the company’s co-production partnerships. As the #1 media company reaching Hispanics and millennials online, the Revenue Strategy & Innovation unit distributes original content across multiple platforms, maximizing its exclusive partnerships with properties such as BuzzFeed, Vox, and Snapchat. Through Telemundo Internacional, the largest U.S.-based distributor of Spanish-language content in the world; and Universo, the company reflects the diverse lifestyle, cultural experience and language of its expanding audience. NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises is a division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.
PRESS CONTACTS:
Association of National Advertisers
Sarah Shane
SShane@ana.net
NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises
Krystyna Hall
Krystyna.Hall@nbcuni.com
