A televised speech that looks like a TV program. In the new Netflix advertising spot, we meet Nawell Madani, Alban Lenoir, SCH, but also the young Bakary Diombera (Commuters 2). A troop led by Stéphane Blé, President of the Republic of the series In place played by Jean-Pascal Zadi. These headliners and rising stars represent both actors embodying minorities and the biggest hits in France on the American platform.
To the point of wondering if, ten years after its arrival in France, Netflix has dusted off practices while shaking up castings? “It is a company that has put inclusion at the heart of its identity, in its workforce and in its productions,” responds straight away Marie-Lou Dulac, founder of DIRE & Dire, a diversity and inclusion consulting agency. In the United States, one in two people in their team is a woman, many are in management positions. With more diverse teams, the creations are affected. »
Two objectives: inclusion and segmentation
In France, due to the absence of ethnic statistics, it is more difficult to really feel the change. In July 2023, the Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication (Arcom), in its study on the representation of French society in the media, noted that viewers welcomed the diversity presented by the platforms on screen with more than 40% of people perceived as non-white, of which more than a third (37%) are not assigned negative roles (37%).
To succeed in shaping its strategy, Netflix maintains two, sometimes contradictory, objectives: inclusion and segmentation. “In American society, there is multicultural marketing, for example in cosmetics or entertainment, with channels dedicated to communities. Netflix wants to be part of this trend, while also targeting white people, judges Marie-Lou Dulac. The idea is to normalize diversity. Even if we are a white spectator, we can appreciate Lupine. »
Progress but a long way to go
More inclusions of minority characters, creation ofan equal opportunities fund to support communities underrepresented on screen with $100 million over five years… According to the USC Annenberg Institutewhich collaborates with the platform to evaluate its inclusion policy, 55% of the main roles in Netflix series and films between 2018 and 2021 were given to a woman, and almost half (47%) of the main roles in 2020-2021 was awarded to an underrepresented ethnic group.
A desire that shines through in the latest spot on the platform. A source close to the filming thus indicates to 20 minutes “having wanted to represent France through its different facets, and in its geographical and cultural diversity”. But, even if the success of the platform pushes other actors in the TV and cinema sectors to adopt good practices, the data concerning minorities is far from being “delusional”, recalls Marie-Lou Dulac, insisting on the road that remains to be accomplished.
A telling example: Muslims represent a quarter of the world’s population, but are only represented by barely more than 1% of characters in popular television series, noted USC Annenberg in 2022. “We haven’t finished imagining France,” summarizes the platform to close the trailer. We confirm, the construction is underway.