Research suggests advertising not representative of British life

The majority of the study’s respondents ( 55%) said advertising does not reflect life where they live, with one in 10 ( 11%) of respondents agreeing that it does.

The study also found a geographical split in attitudes, with Londoners more likely to agree that advertising reflects life in their area ( 18%) compared to 1% of respondents from the North East.

The majority of respondents ( 56%) agreed that the debate around diversity in advertising is more widespread than ever.

Conducted on a quarterly basis, the consumer confidence and attitude tracking study of 1,000 people also suggests people aged 18 to 24 are more likely to be positive about advertising, with almost half ( 46%) of this age group agreeing advertising is more representative than it has ever been.

Young people also have a higher level of expectation for advertisers to be socially aware, with almost two-thirds of respondents ( 63%) saying brands had a responsibility to challenge stereotypes, compared with a third of those aged 65 or over.

Frances Revel of the7stars said: “This latest wave of The QT highlights that advertising needs to do more to break out of its London-centric bubble and ensure it is reflecting the diversity of real people across the length and breadth of Britain.

“Also, there is a clear message that younger consumers expect advertisers to have a position on wider social issues, and those brands who have a real sense of purpose and honesty – who are unafraid to break taboos – will be the ones who will succeed with audiences of the future.”

Recent research from Trinity Mirror found that there is a disconnect between London and the rest of the UK when it comes to marketing and communications.