The Association of National Advertisers’ SeeHer initiative has created its first #WriteHerRight storytelling guide, focused on Latinas, to be released today as part of its annual Multicultural Marketing and Diversity Conference in San Diego, Calif.

The guide, developed partnership with Telemundo and NBCUniversal, is intended to be a resource to encourage authentic portrayals of Hispanic women and girls in marketing, media, advertising and entertainment. This first #WriteHerRight guide encourages brands and content creators to help Hispanic women see themselves reflected in content. Additionally, “Latina Characters: Authentic Representation and Storytelling Guide” features questions that aim to illuminate the opportunities to promote authentic representation of Latinas, addressing potential blind spots and unconscious biases, as well as language and cultural nuances.

“Latinas are integral to the fabric of the American story, so they have a right to be fully seen, heard, and reflected in the content we create and consume,” said Dr. Knatokie Ford, an executive advisor for SeeHer. “It is a tremendous disservice to exclude them or reduce them to tropes, stereotypes and caricatures. There is no singular Latina story — there are infinite stories. So, we should endeavor to paint more vivid pictures of Latinas to illustrate the fullness of who they are, where they have been, and even where they hope to be.”

The #WriteHerRight guide builds on SeeHer’s own efforts to improve representation for women of diverse backgrounds, seeking to raise awareness of the complex storytelling needed to portray Latina characters as well as provide creative teams with thoughtful ways to reflect these characters.

“We’re thrilled to support the ANA in developing this very important tool,” said Mónica Gil, executive vice president and  chief administrative and marketing officer for NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises. “Nearly 1 in 5 women in the U.S. are Latinas influencing a large part of the $1.9 trillion in Hispanic consumers’ purchasing power, so it is important for brands and content creators to connect with them authentically and accurately to fuel their businesses’ growth.”

Laura Molen, president of advertising sales and partnerships for NBCUniversal, said the SeeHer campaign is a vital tool for marketers at a time of changing demographics in the U.S.

“There is a true business imperative for creating genuine connections across all communities, and we support brands and storytellers who embrace their social responsibility and reflect the experiences of all consumers,” Molen said. “Efforts like this guide are authentically bringing the force of brand power to the forefront and are celebrating the full range of Hispanic audiences.”

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