Advertising not representative of lower-income households, finds study
Of the 2,000 UK adults surveyed by UM, six out of 10 ( 62%) expressed concern that TV adverts often only portray wealthy homes, while two-thirds ( 63%) believe those with a lower income are negatively stereotyped in advertising.
Additionally, 41% of survey respondents from C1, C2, D and E social grades felt that media representations of those from their social background are often caricatured.
A third of respondents ( 32%) felt that public perceptions of those with low wealth have worsened over the past three years, and of those, 57% blame media coverage for the negative perceptions. When asked for their view on why poorer sections of society are not represented in advertising, 43% of respondents said it’s because it ‘makes people uncomfortable’.
The study, part of UM’s ongoing research on stereotyping in advertising, highlights the need for brands and the industry to address socio-economic diversity as well as focusing on gender, ethnicity and sexuality-based stereotyping.
Michael Brown, head of insight at UM, said: "We keep being told that successful advertising is all about authenticity, yet poorer Britons feel caricatured – if and when they appear in advertising at all.
"Many brands are rightly taking a stance against gender- and sexuality-based stereotyping, backed by the recent moves by the Advertising Standards Authority, but there are still more harmful stereotypes apparent both in the media and in ads."

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2 Comments
Luis Caraballo
7 years ago
Hi Katie - please can you let me know what does UM stand for? I'd like to be able to find this report you're referring to in your article.Thanks!!
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Katie McQuater
7 years ago
Hi Luis, it's media agency UM: http://umww.co.uk/
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