Diversity in UGC

7 ways to make your marketing imagery better reflect reality

With so much content to make these days, turning to stock can sometimes be the most efficient answer. (Until one can develop a user generated content strategy, that is.) But stock imagery has long had a diversity problem. That means that every single marketer has a diversity problem. Lack of representation in your communications can leave a large percentage of your audience feeling like you just don’t see them.

The Catch+Release curators face this problem every single day as they curate Found Content for clients. So they’ve done a lot of thinking about how to do diversity right. We asked them to help us put together this list of diverse stock sites that you can start searching right now.

Here are 7 ways to diversify your user generated content and make your marketing more relevant to your audience.

1. All-Inclusive Photo Project

People of color have historically been underrepresented in travel industry imagery. But Celebrity Cruises has found an interesting way to start a conversation around changing that with their new All-Inclusive Photo Project. The cruise line has partnered with diverse photographers from around the world to capture stunning images of travelers and change makers including people of color and people with disabilities.

The images — captured by world-renowned photographers Annie Leibovitz, Giles Duley, Naima Green and Jarred Seng — are stunning, of course. But the goal of this project is more than just pretty pictures for Celebrity. The cruise line is making this open-source image library available to all other travel media and brands so that they can use them to add diversity and inclusion to their content, too.

Anyone can see the photos, read about the project and even request access to the entire royalty-free collection of over 90 images at allinclusivephotoproject.com.

From the site: "Travel marketing doesn't always show the full spectrum of who we are. Too often, the images used to promote travel are not reflective of the real people you see on vacation. At Celebrity Cruises, we were reflecting on our brand's own marketing efforts during the pandemic, and identified a need to build on our brand's rich diversity and inclusion efforts to do even more. And not just for us, but for the entire travel industry."

The All-Inclusive Photo Project may be the first time a brand has attempted to make travel marketing better reflect reality. But, over the years there are many other places to find diverse content for your projects.

‍

2. The Gender Spectrum Collection by VICE

The Gender Spectrum Collection was created by VICE media in 2019 to help media outlets better represent transgender and non-binary people. They expanded the collection in 2021.
‍
From the site: ”With this collection, we hope to encourage richer portrayals of trans and non-binary personhood: These images do not define members of these communities only by their gender identities, but as people with careers, relationships, talents, passions, and home lives.” Hear hear!

The photos are meant to be used editorially, so they can’t be used for commercial purposes. But that doesn’t mean they have to be used solely for stories about LGBTQ+ subjects. In fact, VICE recommends using them for stories on everyday topics like beauty, work, education, relationships and wellness. And therein lies the brilliance: Including transgender and non-binary people in stories not explicitly about gender identity paints a more accurate depiction of the world we live in today.

3. Nappy

Created by SHADE, an influencer management agency for black and brown creators, Nappy provides beautiful, high-res still photos of black and brown people for free. Nappy makes it easy for companies to be purposeful about representation in their designs, presentations, and advertisements.

All photos posted on Nappy are licensed under the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license. That means you can download, modify, share, distribute or use them for whatever you want for free. In fact, Nappy encourages it. Because, as they say, “the more you use them, the more we’re helping improve the representation of black and brown people in media.”

Nappy is helping to tackle diversity, one photo at a time.

4. Iwaria

African culture is often depicted sterotypically in stock. Iwaria is a free stock photo site built for Africans, by Africans. It was founded by two young creators from the West African country of Benin, Aurelle Noutahi and Basile Barrincio. The name is derived from the word Iwari, which means “come discover” in Yoruba, one of the most spoken languages in Africa.

Iwaria features photography from African photographers and depicts Africans in everyday situations. Like getting their nails done. Or eating lunch together as a family. You can also find pictures of African food, landscapes, monuments and more.

5. Women of Color In Tech

WOCINTECH wants women to be equally represented in the tech industry. So they built a free stock collection that offers authentic images of diverse women professionals working in a variety of roles within the technology sector. The collection features photos of female entrepreneurs, software engineers, IT analysts, infosec professionals, marketers and other roles making up the tech ecosystem. If youre looking for images of women in tech, look no further.

6. UK Black Tech

A small (and free) stock library is just one of UK Black Tech’s initiatives designed to support, promote, represent, and encourage the continued growth of diverse innovators and tech innovation across the UK. You don’t have to be in the UK to use their images. But you must provide appriate credit.

They also have their own list of diversity stock illustration and photo sites. So feel free to jump down that rabbit hole.

7. Curate Authentic Found Content Regularly

Stock initiatives are an important first step to finding diverse images for your content. But, in the end, stock is always going to be stock. And the only true long-term solution for every brand is to develop a diverse Found Content curation strategy. That means regularly hunting in social media. And living among your audience and prospects, wherever they are and whatever they really look like.

Whether you work with outside curators like those at Catch+Release or use in-house resources to find the assets you need, make sure you are representing your entire audience. And don’t forget the appropriate clearance and licensing. Catch+Release has made it easy to license any shot you find. Just drop it into our licensing engine and let us do the work. We’ll make sure that everyone gets the money and credit they deserve.

‍