Diversity, tokenism, and comic books: Crafting better strategies

This article examines aspects related to diversity and inclusion in the context of media products. Specifically, it looks at key issues surrounding strategies to increase diversity and inclusion in comic books that come up short because of problems of implementation and execution. Using the context of Marvel Comics’ “All-New, All-Different” strategy, whereby the firm created a myriad of new characters from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds, we explain how diversity strategy can backfire. In our analysis, both netnographic and interview data show how issues of perceived tokenism and of content creation without appropriate depth can thwart consumer acceptance of diversity and inclusion strategies. Consumer rejection of these strategies can harm both sales and brand equity. Implications for marketing managers and content creators are discussed.