Navin said that one of the reasons advertisers still struggle with reaching diverse consumers is because media planning for major brands does not incorporate representative data. But in addition to data, effectively reaching consumers also requires nuance.

“Diversity is not just defined by ethnicity, but by ideology, cultural identity, geography, and media context,” Navin said. “There’s a big opportunity for brands to reimagine audience planning with big data and AI to address a much larger set of cohorts that can be defined in more nuanced ways.”

Brands still have the opportunity to show up meaningfully in the moments that matter to their customers, especially with creative messaging that resonates in content that culturally connects, according to Navin.

“The bottom line is: Representation alone isn’t enough. Relevance is what drives results. When there is quality data driving these decisions, the impact is measurable,” Navin said.