‘Free to be me’: Is the Marketing Industry doing enough for British South Asians?
South Asian Heritage Month was set up in 2019 and has been observed annually from 17th July - 18th August ever since. It provides a moment in time to celebrate South Asian cultures, histories and communities, a platform to reflect on what it means to be of South Asian heritage in the 21st century and acknowledge the events that have created ties, historic and present between the UK and South Asia.
Photo: South Asian Heritage UK
As we honour the fifth South Asian Heritage Month this year, team members Aishwarya Tardalkar and Ishani Rege have been reflecting upon the theme ‘Free to be Me’.
For us, the theme “Free to be Me” resonates deeply with our commitment to inculcate inclusion-first cultures and spaces within the marketing industry. We realise that the freedom to be and express one’s true self both within the industry and in society at large cannot always be taken for granted. This is something we are seeing play out in real-time as the UK witnessed widespread rioting and violence by the far-right, fuelled by misinformation and regressive, anti-immigrant rhetoric.
The theme has taken on a new meaning as a result of the despair and fear many in the community have been feeling after the recent riots and attacks targeting Muslims, people of colour, immigrants, and places of worship. The community is reeling, especially as these acts of violence have overshadowed what should have been a period of grief and unity following the murder of the three girls in Southport. The press and political leaders have a lot to answer for. Now, their silence is deafening. Islamophobia and the demonisation of migrant groups have become so normalised that blatant racism often goes unchallenged.
In this environment, it is imperative that the media acts responsibly and that brands go beyond divesting from misinformation, to consciously champion the voices of South Asian and other communities of the Global Majority who are being marginalised and attacked.
The South Asian community makes up approximately 7.5% of the UK population, with around 5 million people of South Asian heritage living in the country.
This includes people of Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Afghani, Nepali and other South Asian backgrounds. However, despite this, media and advertising representation and portrayal of the community have been very slow to catch up with the community as they are today. For example, 4.8% represented onscreen in British television and film, 2.6% behind the screens, 0.4% represented in the make-up of British journalism and 0.3% represented in professional English football.
“The theme ‘Free to be Me’ feels very powerful amidst years of anti-immigrant, xenophobic and Islamophobic rhetoric, culminating in the racist violence of the past two weeks. It makes me reflect on the generations of British South Asians and other communities of the Global Majority who have fought against rhetoric like this and claimed belonging and their identities as something they decided, rather than left in the hands of someone else. It is important that the media and marketing industries use their influence positively to enable people to feel accepted and seen, and to widen the horizons of others who may not have any other interaction with people who are different to them, beyond what they see on screens.”
Ishani Rege, Strategist
For us, ‘Free to be me’ is about:
Reflecting on the journeys and achievements of those who have shaped and continue to shape our society
Celebrating individuality to embrace your unique identity, experiences and beliefs
Empowering and giving a platform to new voices that continue to evolve and modernise traditions and culture
Creating spaces where everyone feels valued and accepted for who they are
However, this can only be achieved when the environment and systems that are in place, champion and facilitate authentic inclusion so that freedom to be oneself is because of, rather than in spite of. For brands and the media, this means developing a more insightful perspective to serve this community well.
For brands and the media, this means developing a more insightful perspective to better serve this community. This requires an understanding of:
The long history of the South Asian Diaspora in the UK:
There is a misunderstanding that South Asians began arriving in the UK after the Second World War, when in reality there is proof of South Asian presence in the UK as far back as the 17th Century owing to the British Empire. This misunderstanding is perpetuated by an unbalanced educational curriculum which has led to authors from the South Asian diaspora taking the initiative to spur the conversation forward with books like Shelina Jahnmohamed’s ‘The Story of Now: Why we need to talk about the British Empire.’
The contributions of the South Asian community to the UK:
The South Asian diaspora in Britain have contributed significantly to the cultural, social, economic and political fabric of the UK - from Dadabhai Naoroji, Britain’s first Asian MP, South Asian participation in the Grunwick strike in the 1970s as well as the significant contributions to music, cinema and entertainment, sports, cuisine and literature today from individuals such as singer Zayn Malik, comedians Romesh Ranganathan and Nish Kumar, actors Riz Ahmed and Ambika Mod, cricketers Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid and authors Kamila Shamsie and Sathnam Sanghera, among many others.
The diversity within the South Asian diaspora in the UK
They are not a monolith: As we have covered earlier in this article, South Asians is an umbrella term for people who are from or have heritage from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Unsurprisingly, this leads to a lot of differences in faith, language, cultural practices etc.
There are important generational differences : There are differences between first-generation, second-generation, third-generation etc diaspora which brands should be aware of as they affect attitudes and behaviour. What follows then is that the experiences of British South Asians are not monolithic either. While there are lots of shared experiences, there is a lot of diversity within them as well.
Understanding the importance of the cultural practices and traditions to the South Asian community
Understanding the importance and role of community-building
“Being a South Asian woman in the UK marketing industry comes with its own set of challenges. 52% of people from ethnic minorities in the UK feel that they have to work harder to succeed because of their ethnicity. Sometimes, I find myself being judged based on my skin colour, accent, or other small cues, with people making assumptions about who I am or what I can do. This really highlights how important it is to create environments where we’re truly 'Free to be Me'—where our ideas and skills are what matter most, and we’re seen for who we are, not just because we are a commercially relevant group or a convenient audience to think of when it comes to seasonal marketing activities.”
Aishwarya Tardalkar, Consultant
And so what is the responsibility and opportunity for marketing and media?
Here are six thought starters for engaging with the community:
Represent diverse skin tones, lifestyles, faiths, diets and languages authentically.
Understand the existing negative stereotypes around the South Asian community and ensure they aren’t perpetuated.
Engage authentically during important cultural calendar moments such as Ramadan, Eid, Diwali, South Asian Heritage Month and others.
Connect with the audience throughout the year, recognising their ongoing presence.
Empower South Asian-owned media platforms, including championing South Asian creators, via curating meaningful media placements.
Provide vocal, visible and consistent support against hateful rhetoric.
Want to know more? Get in touch now.