We’ve been tracking over 250 major brands—including the NFL—on their reputation for being “inclusive of all different types of people.” To date, the NFL has ranked well below average. In our findings, only 26% of consumers strongly agree that the NFL is inclusive. This is among the bottom one-third of the brands we’ve studied. In fact, a full 13% of consumers in our research go so far as to strongly disagree that the NFL is inclusive of all different types of people. Only a handful of major brands (Goop, Abercrombie & Fitch, Chick-fil-a, Gucci and Facebook) garner as much strong disagreement as the NFL regarding their inclusivity.
As the NFL grapples with becoming more inclusive, it may find some answers by looking to its halftime show headliner Dr. Dre for further inspiration. We couldn’t help but notice that Dr. Dre’s iconic, fashionable headphone brand Beats by Dre is actually among the top rated brands for inclusivity in our research. 39% strongly agree that Beats by Dre is inclusive of all different types of people, ranking #8 on our overall list of 250+ brands:
Top brands in our rankings: % Strongly Agree that the brand “is inclusive of all different types of people”:
The NFL presumably made a very deliberate choice with Dr. Dre to demonstrate that they’re increasingly focusing on inclusivity. Clearly the NFL sees the value of partnerships as a way to help move the brand in this direction. However, we know from working with other brands focused on corporate social responsibility that partnerships are helpful but not sufficient. To accomplish true change and gain people’s respect, organizations need to take ideals like inclusivity seriously and apply them consistently. Through a deeper commitment that goes beyond partnerships, the NFL could raise its reputation for inclusivity—and actually become a more inclusive organization.
We’ll be monitoring the NFL’s inclusivity scores in the months ahead. Want to know how your brand stacks up and what actions to take? Please reach out—we’re passionate about this topic, and helping brands with inclusive marketing is exactly what the newest part of our Bovitz family, Communify, is all about.