Diversity and mental health dominate TV and the advertising industry
Mental health and diversity dominated Advertising Week APAC and according to a panel of TV industry leaders, these are also topics that takeover our TV screens though free-to-air TV programming.
Key points:
- “What I find interesting is with free-to-air mass-market television is, we can pose questions, we can raise agendas and then within our own four walls - because they are discussed with participants, and talked outside on social media - we can surface those issues and give them a life much bigger than TV itself” - Nine head of content production and development, Adrian Swift
- “If you pursue an old fashioned white Australia approach on TV, you are missing 70-80% of people. So, it’s a matter of economic reality for us as entertainers, or whether you say it’s a moral thing which we should be doing anyway, or whether it’s excellent and essential business for us, we have to reflect Australia. That’s what we have to do” - Foxtel director of content Ross Crowley
There were few topics that dominated this year’s Advertising Week APAC like diversity and mental health. Even during panels on the future of marketing and automation, these two issues managed to weave their way in and grab the lion’s share of the 40-minute slots. These societal challenges are addressed on TV in drama story lines or news reports each week, explained a panel of speakers from Ten, Nine, Seven and Foxtel.
Adrian Swift, head of content production and development at Nine, reiterated television’s place in society as a cultural cornerstone and the role it plays in giving a voice to the changing palette of issues affecting Australians. When it comes to achieving diversity, Swift said there’s more work to be done, but Australian TV has gotten better at reflecting society with shows like The Voice and Ninja Warrior setting the benchmark.
While the panel, led by Think TV’s Kim Portrate, was positive about their network’s reflection of modern Australia, it’s worth noting that each has been criticised at one stage another for “white-washing”. Since its conception, Ten’s The Bachelor has come under fire for its predominantly Caucasian cast and networks have been criticised across the board for a lack of diversity in programming.
TV’s journey to diversity is not dissimilar to the journey currently being undertaken by advertising agencies in creating more multicultural workforces. They too have faced scrutiny over the years for a lack of diversity and allowing male-dominated cultures to thrive.
As Foxtel director of content Ross Crowley said it’s no longer a moral decision for TV to reflect the Australian population, it’s an economic decision. He said if networks are only reflecting “white Australia”, they are potentially missing out on reaching almost 80% of people. Likewise, McCann CEO Nicole Taylor said on separate panel that diversity unlocks creativity, which is the economic driver for advertising agencies. It’s never been clearer that there’s a financial imperative for being diverse.
While the negative headlines are often the ones remembered, other programs, including Seven’s My Kitchen Rules and Nine’s Family Food Fight, have made great gains when it comes to reflecting Australia’s multicultural population. With diversity mentioned in the majority of talks throughout Advertising Week APAC, it’s clear it’s no longer a fringe topic.
Neither is mental health, which was another topic widely explored during Advertising Week APAC and one that is currently being covered by Seven. Home and Away is introducing a storyline around depression in men over 40 to start the conversation for viewers, said Seven head of drama Julie McGauran.
She said TV and programs like Home and Away have an innate power to convey messages in a non-confronting way that can help people communicate about topics like depression or online grooming.
With TV and advertising both on the cornerstone of culture, the two worlds have aligned in putting important conversations on agenda of Australians.
