New guide aims to improve Latina media representation

NBCUniversal and Telemudo have partnered with the Association of National Advertisers’ SeeHer initiative to release a guide aimed at improving Latina representation in marketing and entertainment. "Latina Characters: Authentic Representation and Storytelling Guide" will be introduced Tuesday at the 2021 ANA Multicultural Marketing and Diversity Conference. It offers users a series of guiding questions in scripting Latina characters, and is the latest push in the #WriteHerRight campaign. Some of the questions include: Are there any Latina heroines? Have the artists portraying the Latina characters been invited to share their own experiences, in their own words? “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,” Dr. Knatokie Ford, an executive advisor for SeeHer, said in a press release. “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.” The focus on Latina representation is not just morally imperative, but also savvy business, according to Mónica Gil, executive VP, chief administrative and marketing officer for NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises. “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,” Gil said. Marc Pritchard, Procter & Gamble's chief brand officer and a SeeHer co-chair, also voiced his support for the effort. “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,” Pritchard said in a statement. This is the second SeeHer writing guide. The first debuted earlier this year in collaboration with the Oprah Winfrey Network and was centered around the representations of Black women in advertising and entertainment. Register for Ad Age Next: Streaming at AdAge.com/NextStreaming.

New guide aims to improve Latina media representation

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