The Empathy Trajectory: An Interview with AAPI Consumers
May is a time to recognize the histories and triumphs of Asian American and Pacific Islander cultures. At Ideas To Go, we proudly believe in the power and essentiality of bringing diverse perspectives together to foster new ideas which would not be possible without our Creative Consumers® associates. To welcome AAPI Heritage Month and celebrate the impact our AAPI CCs have made for us and our clients, we’d like to share a collection of insightful interviews from seven of our amazing AAPI Creative Consumer® Associates.
Our interview centers around empathy and a ‘growth mindset’ as heavily inspired by a presentation Chief Analytics & Insights Officer of P&G, Kirti Singh, gave earlier this month at the Yale Customer Insights Conference. In his presentation, he demonstrated the importance of empathy in understanding one another and growth in driving problem-solving to provide value.
Below are fun photos of all the amazing AAPI Creative Consumer® Associates that participated in the creation of this article and their detailed ethnological background.
CC Sophie:
“I am multiracial – including Filipino, Native Hawaiian, Chinese, and mixed White / European. My family consists of various multiracial and ethic identities, so the non-abbreviated version is: Native Hawaiian, Filipino, French, German, Austrian, Jewish, Polish, Italian, Irish, Chinese.”
CC Heather:
“I am a fifth generation full Chinese-American on my mom’s side.”
CC Justin:
“My family is from South India.”
CC Stephen:
“My ethnic background is half Filipino and half white. My paternal grandparents were born in the Philippines and moved to Hawaii in their teens to work on a pineapple plantation. My father grew up in Hawaii, and while he experienced more of his Filipino culture growing up, my siblings and I were unfortunately more removed from the culture.”
CC Wendy:
“I am 100% Japanese.”
CC Mat:
“I am first generation Filipino-American.”
CC Michelle:
“I am an American born Chinese; however, I have no known relatives in China. On my maternal side, my great, great grandparents left China and immigrated to nearby Malaysia, so although generations of my mother’s family were raised in Malaysia, they are Chinese not Malay. On the paternal side of my family, my great grandparents had to flee China due to their political activism and settled in Hawaii, so while my grandfather and father were born in Hawaii, they are Chinese and not Hawaiian.
This is a picture of me interacting with the Bridge Monkey statute at the Old Gate Bridge in Heidelberg, Germany. I thought the monkey was holding a biscuit/cookie so I pretended to take a bite; however our tour guide later informed me that it is a mirror to remind people to have self-reflection when traveling. Oops!”
Positive Initiatives that Haven’t Gone Unnoticed
We asked our Creative Consumer® Associates to first share recent strides they’ve seen companies taking in the right direction.
REPRESENTATION:
Many of our CCs chimed in to share their experiences with representation and brands that’ve actively been including more diversity in their advertising. Our CC Stephen shared that “having more Asian models and actors within advertisements as primary characters” makes him feel more visible and appreciated as an AAPI individual. For our CC Michelle, she’s not only appreciated representation, but seeing AAPI representation displayed naturally stating that:
“Being seen and feeling heard by brands typically includes seeing BIPOC realistically represented in advertisements as well as the brand sponsoring cultural and political events that represent me and my beliefs. I love when a brand features BIPOC actors/models without putting them in stereotypical attire or environments; like in the recent Taco Bell commercials there are AAPI actors just hanging out and eating with friends of the same and different ethnicities.
As far as featuring AAPI in their ads: Taco Bell, Jack in the Box, Navy Federal Credit Union, and Prudential come to mind. Their ads feature ethnically diverse actors of various ages interacting naturally with products and aren’t specific “cultural callouts” that make you wonder if they are trying too hard to meet diversity initiatives.”
CC Justin added onto this with a great example of how Proctor & Gamble has incorporated diversity into their advertising, stating:
“I love that companies are being more inclusive these days with the models they chose. Before in my day, seeing people of color in big companies wasn’t something that you see every day. Feeling that connection when you see someone similar in that space is extremely refreshing. P&G is a good example. When they share their products, you can see them using people of color or of different backgrounds and upbringings which isn’t something I saw all the time when I was growing up. Not only do P&G ads include people from diverse backgrounds, but thankfully they also use their platform to spread powerful messages about equality, tackle controversial issues, and discuss topics related to diversity and identity in people of color. This is something you can clearly see in their day-to-day marketing and ads on tv”
Our CC Sophie touched on diversity in the beauty and fashion space as it is an integral place for variance to be present. She explained that,
“I grew up partially in Hawai’i, and I strongly identify with and feel very close to my family and my roots there. So, whenever I see Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and multiracial models I get really happy. We are so rarely recognized in the fashion and beauty world, so seeing campaigns that actually include Native Hawaiian and Filipino folks is something I would love to see way more of. Inclusive fashion and beauty need more investment from everyone involved. The positive effect it has on me, my family, and my people is truly necessary when working towards a more inclusive world.
The first company that comes to mind is Parade Underwear. They are absolutely making strides in the right direction, especially since they did not release their product to market until they had very diverse products and marketing. In fact, I am positive that it was built-in, and their business plan may even have been centered around diversity. If I, as a consumer, can honestly say that, then what they are doing is both a big deal and is landing as intended. I remember getting ads when they first launched and thinking to myself how cool it was to see all kinds of bodies in their marketing in a much more genuine way than I had seen before. That is what I love to see, inclusion at step one before launch, and less retroactively (although a focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at any stage should still always be invested in).”
RECOGNITION:
Another initiative our CCs have found to make a lasting impression on them is recognition of real AAPI members in the community. CC Wendy shared that she values companies that bring awareness to AAPI issues stating:
“Some positive initiatives that I have seen companies and brands take to make me feel heard are publicizing articles, lists, and collections along with issuing mission statements and declarations to bring attention to AAPI Month.
I view any brand that is speaking out about current issues in the community as making me feel heard. i.e. Sandra Oh, Daniel Dae Kim, Olivia Munn, Charles Melton, Lula Wang, Mindy Kaling, Simu Liu, George Takei, Ashley Park, Jeremy Lin, and others expressing their thoughts about the rise in hate crimes. Good Morning America covered this story.”
CC Heather joined in by covering the importance of activism, education, and inclusion both internally and externally. She gave a great example of this and said:
“BASF Corporation, headquartered in NJ with sites across the globe, has an active and effective employee resource group which holds regular events to educate through social activities Asian cultures. On an even broader level, the CEO joined over 2,000 other CEOs and Presidents in pledging to advance workplace diversity and inclusion.”
GIVING BACK:
Actions speak louder than words – a constant message the CCs shared with us through this interview. Our CC Stephen perfectly summarized the issue of limited follow-through by companies across industries stating that, “donating to important organizations that actually help Asian people, rather than just making blanket statements like ‘Stop Asian Hate’, which doesn’t lead to material change” is one of the major ways companies can reduce hardship felt by the AAPI community.
CC Michelle followed this up with two great examples of companies following-through, saying:
“For many years McDonald’s was a top sponsor of the Dallas Asian Festival - providing financial backing as well as hosting a booth with fun, family-oriented activities, coupons, and giveaways.
Univision also supported a voter registration event in collaboration with the Dallas Mavericks. This was important to me because they recognize the importance of civic participation and the reality that POC often don’t participate or run for office, so they worked with a popular sports team to create a fun, engaging and easily accessible way for people to register and get information about upcoming elections in a non-partisan environment. (This) really broadened my understanding of and elevated my perception of it as a media company. I applaud their involvement in the local community and willingness to support an expansion range of institutions and initiatives.”
CC Wendy mentioned another company she felt did a great job of giving back, stating:
“East West Bank made a commitment of six million dollars to support AAPI organizations and initiatives. It speaks volumes to me because they were one of the first to step up to The Asian American Foundation AAPI Giving Challenge.”
Companies can find ways to support AAPI individuals even outside of direct donations. Our CC Mat shared an especially brilliant company with a unique plan of action explaining that:
“There is a company called “Copper Cow” that started producing Vietnamese coffee. Not only did they have their beans sourced from local Vietnam farmers, a portion of their proceeds from a coffee purchase is donated to AAPI organizations to help Asians and Pacific-Islanders in struggling low-income city neighborhoods.”
What We Still Wish to See
While our AAPI Creative Consumers® associates presented many examples of companies on the right path, there is still a whirlwind of hate that the AAPI community faces daily. With there still being many steps to be taken, we asked the CCs to share several of the areas they felt work needed to be done and what it could do for them.
CC Sophie explained the need for more communication between corporations and diverse groups – specifically multiracial individuals.
“I can absolutely tell if a company has reached out to and gained insight and participation from any one of my ethnicities. I can think of many times as a multiracial person when I see diversity campaigns that may be well-intentioned but do not include so much of my identity. Uplifting and giving space for multiracial folks is absolutely necessary when working towards furthered justice and inclusion. It would mean the world to me to see someone in the mainstream publicly identifying themselves as multiracial. This can be quite rare, and while I am thankful for so many strides in DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), multiracial folks are often left out of the conversation. The impact it would have on me includes sparking pride in my background, feeling acknowledged and heard, feeling welcomed, and being encouraged to participate.”
By communicating and including diverse input from not only real consumers, but also employees and leadership roles, underrepresented groups can help to eliminate bias and blossom the innovation process. This is exactly what Wendy made clear in her response:
“I think that companies can work on better expanding their diversity and outreach at the grassroots level in-house first. I believe that all industries can benefit from working on diversity and outreach. I believe that it needs to occur all the way up and down to socioeconomic ladders. It would be nice if companies had safe spaces for people to discuss bias and ways to overcome bias. The impact that would make for me as an AAPI individual and consumer would be brands and companies that showed empathy towards everyone, all people. The impact would help me feel more comfortable and more understood.”
Not only should we be working to integrate personnel and input from diverse groups, but it is also important to desegregate culturally specific products as Heather explains:
“Although (the food industry) has been expanding to include more Asian products, rather than being isolated in the “Asian” aisle or specialty section, stores should work towards integrating products throughout stores, advertisements, and restaurants. In Hawaii, rice-type fast food from McDonald’s is as popular as their hamburgers”
Equal representation is still an issue that many brands have yet to tackle. Even within representation, some Asian American and Pacific Islander groups are still being marginalized with further representation needed in for these groups. Stephen voiced his concerns regarding this limited representation stating:
“As a Filipino, I also feel I don’t see Filipino models, actors, and workers as often as other Asians, so that would be nice to see a little more of that. It would make me feel seen and not as isolated, which is easy to feel as a Filipino even within the Asian community. (I want to) feel seen and stand out, and not feel that we are simply assimilating with whiteness.”
CC Mat added onto this by explaining social media’s role in representation, saying:
“Social media is the most obvious platform companies can work to expand their diversity and outreach…With everyone on their scrolling on their phones, the exposure will help with AAPI representation in the mainstream. This is especially true in media, food, and clothing.”
The Role of Empathy
Inspired by the P&G presentation from the Yale Customer Insights Conference we attended earlier this month, we asked the Creative Consumers® associates to brainstorm where they feel empathy fits into expanding diversity and inclusion. CC Justin had a great take on the value of empathy and its pertinence to discovering solutions that address concerns for minorities, stating:
“If we are only looking at a problem from our own eyes and not through the eyes of our fellow neighbors or our community, we will never truly find a true solution that will last and that will benefit everyone and not just a special, lucky few.”
Our CC Michelle had a great insight to add to this describing the silence many AAPI individuals feel forced into. This unjust treatment not only restricts AAPI members but acts as a gatekeeper for great contributions.
“In the AAPI community, many of us are constrained by the “model minority” stereotype. We are expected to work hard and stay silent while others around us are promoted and praised. When we try to get a seat at the decision-making table, we may be shut down or have our ideas ignored because people are not used to us voicing an opinion and they may view the interaction or us negatively. When we are vulnerable enough to value the contributions of every person, we open the door to wholeheartedly valuing ourselves.”
Currently, there has been an abundance of political turmoil and bias afflicting our systems and medias stemming from a lack of empathy. CC Wendy speaks to the role of empathy against bias by stating:
“The role of empathy plays an enormous role in expanding diversity and inclusion because it is only through a deeper understanding of emotions and biases that we find the willingness to risk change to challenge the turbulent landscape that society is experiencing.
Empathy is important so that we can understand something objectively and subjectively, so that we can delve into our own subconscious bias and overcome bias. I believe that this is important to address the systemic issues plaguing society. Together, with empathy, the exploration of bias can overcome - we can be the overcomers.”
Mat summed up the discussion on empathy describing it as providing “a more profound perspective of a people or a culture beyond an image of an AAPI model on a billboard or a brief anecdote in a social media influencer tweet.” He goes on to state that, “Empathy is required for self-reflection in order to realize that all people of color go through similar, if not the same struggles in everyday life and these are moments that we can all relate to and persevere.”
Establishing the ‘Growth Mindset”
We always encourage our collaborators to keep an open mind to any and all ideas they come across during our projects. In wrapping up our interview, we asked our CCs to tell us about their most memorable project stories in which they’ve both seen themselves grow and help pass on perspective growth to our clients. CC Justin described his experience with ITG thus far and how he’s been able to ideate uniquely thanks in part to his culture by saying,
“Even though my time here has been limited, I love how inclusive things are at ITG. They do an amazing job in trying to leave out bias and try to make sure they are getting the whole picture when looking at something. I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience here and can’t wait to hopefully make more of a difference in the world.
In one of my recent experiences, I was able to share how my culture was able to use a different part of their home for cooking than most people. Bringing in a different perspective where my culture has a different view on things was a great way to show that not everyone does everything the same way and that there may be different reasons why people do the things that they do.”
Stephen explained his growth as a CC from his exposure to individuals of all different backgrounds as well as how he’s used his own experience to push a client to break out of their box by saying,
“Working with other Creative Consumers® associates who have different lifestyles as me has given me perspective of the needs of various customers and appreciate the things that they may want out of a product, even if it may not be necessary for me. I think my understanding of the needs of POC, and disabled people has allowed me to bring up questions and concerns that other people may not consider, which in turn can allow the client to explore these questions more deeply with target demographics.”
In Wendy’s time with us, she explained that she has adopted the Forness® Mindset and how she’s been able to be more empathetic, creative, and better communicate through her time as a Creative Consumers® associate.
“ITG challenges our bias brains in the most creative ways. The creativity helps us explore our humanness and honestly, survive this crazy world. ITG turned my thinking upside down and inside out for the better. I am a forever ‘yes, and-er!’….My diverse perspective gained from ITG training changed my approach as a full-time caregiver. ITG creative training allows me to pass on the creativity, the idea of being a ‘yes, and-er’, and to always see the diverse and vast options we have as human beings. Being able to understand bias is helpful with all communication and decision making. Having a diverse perspective keeps the empathy flowing, the understanding occurring, and the ideas growing and expanding. Never say never - miracles occur - we can be the overcomers and the small percentage that defy the odds. In all things, I try to pass on the beauty of ITG, the creativity of ITG, and the wisdom of ITG.”
Mat shared an incredibly inspiring story of a time he felt a new realization of the importance of humanity in tandem with business- centricity during a breakout session, saying:
“For me, one specific instance of perspective shift came during an E-deation zoom call regarding a health drink. During a breakout session, a fellow CC had brought up that the sample branding for the drink appeared to be overwhelmingly sports-centric and elitist when It could have potential to be more friendly to a wider casual demographic. When asked to elaborate, she explained that as an active person herself and having experienced poverty at a younger age, the images and mood portrayed of similar products felt out of reach and not viable because she was lulled into a false pretense that she was only able to afford the off-brand or generic versions of said products. That brief conversation with her expanded my view of not just approaching something from a business logic, but also take into account the human aspect of why a brand, an item, or a service exists.”
CC Mat went on to tell us about an instance in which he broadened the scope of a client’s perspective during an ideation session centered around streaming services:
“One time I was able to help a client grow through my perspective was during an E-deation for a TV streaming service. I mentioned that the United States being a melting-pot that it is, the big cities have populations (especially the older generation) don’t always have access to content from their home country. Moreover, not everyone is familiar with VPNs to bypass region locks and access said movies and shows. These movies and shows from one’s home country give them ease and nostalgic entertainment during times of homesickness and feeling left out. This was especially true for me when I was abroad in an Asian country, finding myself missing American dramas that I would like to watch but could not because of limited regional availability. I believe the client noticed this and took note of the possibilities of providing additional service that cater to specific cultural audiences or possibly even not having region-locked content altogether.”
Sophie shared that for her, the best part of any ideation is when she feels truly surprised by an insight another person shares from their diverse background that she would not have thought up on her own. She went on to share how she’s been able to lend perspective to others as a multiracial AAPI individual and her excitement towards being able to share her ideas with eager and forward-thinking clients:
“Every single time I have been on a project with ITG it has helped broaden my horizons, and I especially want to highlight how diverse the thought process is (due to a diverse group of people) when we are ideating a new product or idea. I always leave those calls feeling so socially satisfied and having explored ideas and thought processes I never would have come up with myself. My favorite part is when another CC mentions something on a call that totally shocks me or is a perspective I have never thought of before – I love those experiences because they allow me to grow and become more inclusive in my daily life.
I would say that my experience belonging to the AAPI community is actually in everything that I do with ITG, and much more than any one specific time. The way that I see my background helping clients grow is primarily by me having a seat at the table. I am proud to be multiracial, and my perspective is as unique as my experience as with all folks in reference to their identity. Something I have noticed while working on a project with ITG is that the clients really listen to us – and really want to hear our perspective. With that in mind, I am thrilled to have a space to be able to express myself and share my authentic perspective in all the work I do with ITG.”
We’d like to close our article with a quote our CC Michelle sent when emailing us her amazing responses.
“I appreciate y'all using your power and position to highlight the AAPI community. As you know, the last few years have been especially challenging as hate crimes against the AAPI community increased dramatically and recent events have only heightened division and anxiety nationally. Being able to participate in this activity allowed me to think about my place in the community with optimism and pride. I can't tell you how much it helped my mental state.”
Our team at ITG is so grateful to have such wonderful Creative Consumers® associates. They provide endless value and insight not only to us, but to many clients every single day. There is much that has yet to be done to bring equity to the members of the AAPI community, but with great minds like those of our CCs, empathy for one another, acceptance, and a motivation to grow, we move closer and closer to that goal. Happy Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month!