GroupM and Mindshare have launched an Inclusive Influencer tool in a bid to accelerate diversity and inclusion in influencer marketing. The tool is designed to eliminate unconscious bias and redefine beauty standards within creator campaigns and responds to the declining self-esteem and body confidence among women and girls, which is often exacerbated by social media and AI tools.

The Inclusive Influencer tool is part of GroupM’s Influencer AI Planning Tool and can be adopted across all categories. It enables brands to deliver more representative campaigns by promoting inclusion of ethnicity, disability, LGBTQI, First Nations, size, body, skin and hair type, and more, in creator content. In doing so, the tool will help brands align their media investment with their brand values and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) commitments.

"We recognised the need to move beyond brand safety to prioritise human safety", said Head of Inclusive Innovation at Mindshare, Sam Turley. "So, working with GroupM, we redesigned our technology to optimise for both client and ethical outcomes. The solution is a win-win: brands that adopt a more inclusive approach see commercial impact across all key brand metrics whilst also supporting vital creator communities and fostering diverse representation."

The launch of the Inclusive Influencer tool comes at a time when creator marketing spend is forecast to reach approximately $24 billion by the end of 2024. The tool is already gaining traction, with 23 local talent agencies and 744 talent already opting in.

"The way Influencer Marketing is done is very manual from strategy through to planning and execution, and relies on personal relationships with partners and talent. Inclusion should be the default. We knew there was a better way – so we built our technology to enable inclusive sourcing of talent. This means we can deliver our clients influencer marketing that is inclusive by design, connects authentically with audiences and helps marketers better align their media investment to their brand values and DEI commitments," said Creator Marketing Lead at GroupM, Michaela Tan.

General Manager at BornBred Talent, Stephanie Scicchitano, said: "This simple but impactful use of tech reframes the approach to diversity. It removes the bias and will make it so much easier for creators, brands and talent agencies alike to make sure that influencer campaigns are inclusive and represent Australia’s true diversity."

The Inclusive Influencer tool will be unveiled as part of SXSW Sydney at TikTok House on Thursday 17th October and will be rolled out across GroupM agencies, making it available to all clients across the group.