WHY IS DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IMPORTANT IN MARKETING?
Today’s consumers want to see the representation of real people and see themselves in marketing and advertising campaigns. Gone are the days when these campaigns are solely focused on the product, now they are much more inclined towards the customer and relating to their views, beliefs and core values.
What is diversity marketing?
Diversity Marketing is a marketing strategy that appeals to and includes diverse groups of consumers, including groups based on age, physical appearance, ability, gender, race or ethnicity, sexual identity, beliefs, etc. It is an umbrella term that encompasses the intent and motivation behind the content of a diversity marketing campaign or a marketing message.
Applying diversity marketing is not necessarily about catering to every target market, but about knowing who is attracted to your brand and ensuring that those user groups are also represented and included in your marketing campaigns. It’s about choosing the right time and knowing when to represent a certain demographic, that’s when it works correctly.
At Monumental, we believe in supporting a whole diversity ecosystem to power our diversity marketing efforts. We do this by developing diverse talent in-house and through education, amplifying diversity through clients, influencing corporates with diversity marketing and donating our services to impact our communities.
What makes diversity marketing so important?
A survey conducted by Shutterstock examined culture and people represented in images. Results showed that 88% of Gen Xers and 90% of Millennials believe that diverse representation in a diversity marketing campaign can improve a brand’s reputation. In terms of an LGBTQIA+ audience, according to The World Economic Forum’s Audience Representation Index, 1 in 2 LGBTQIA+ consumers said they would stop using a product or service that they deem non-inclusive.
Essentially what this means is that audiences are now more likely to spot when something is done unauthentically, and can immediately recognise when something might not be genuine. This is the exact reason why it’s so important for diversity and inclusion to be present in marketing as, just like the survey suggests, your reputation might be on the line.
For example, a recent BBC podcast focuses on rainbow-washing and how brands at events like Pride are using it just to reach their customers. Nowadays it’s more about, as one interview puts it, “intent” and what the brand is hoping to achieve from being a sponsor or part of a Pride parade. It’s this level of authenticity that is so much more noticeable to audiences of today.
Diversity and inclusion in digital marketing are important because they make audiences feel seen and heard. It also shows a truer picture of society and improves business for those companies that strive for better representation.
It’s a bit like the latest James Bond film that tried to cater for the new generation, who are much less tolerant of the chauvinistic behaviour that the old Bond movies used to portray. In today’s world, it simply just doesn’t cut it anymore.
What are the benefits of diversity marketing?
Reach more types of people. Not only will you be reaching them, but it increases your chances of actually grabbing their attention.
Get closer to your audience. You’ll be able to gain a better understanding of what makes this particular audience tick, allowing you to tailor and personalise your marketing efforts to improve this in the future.
Grow brand recognition. People respect a brand that offers diverse and inclusive marketing that better reflects every target audience.
Better results. People are more likely to want to buy from a brand when they see diversity and inclusion in its diversity marketing campaigns. This will help make your efforts a lot more cost-effective and have a better ROI.
Increased brand advocacy. Word of mouth will always be one of the strongest marketing channels. Showcasing and supporting your diversity values will allow customers to feel closer to the brand and increase opportunities for share-ability and referrals.
Better employee retention. For your own business, your own workforce will see how you are attempting to better the economic landscape and feel as though they would be listened to
That’s why we are committed to being diversity-driven. We truly understand its purpose and can generate great results with this at the core of what we do. We like to champion those who might be considered a minority and thrive when we are fighting for a cause that we believe in.
How to achieve Diversity and Inclusion in Marketing
Below, we’ve outlined how this can be achieved – believe us, it’s not as difficult as you might think.
Know your audience. To represent your audience in your marketing campaigns, you will first need to research audience aspects such as age, gender, income level, location etc. in order to target them. By collecting data from your audience you will be able to understand them better and know what they are looking for and what they want.
We would highly recommend you make a Buyer Persona. This will help ensure that you target diverse groups and consider alternative communication methods.
Use real content from real people. Visual content is one of the best ways to implement diversity and inclusion in your digital marketing strategy, authentically. One of the best ways to do this is through user-generated content, taking images of real customers and advocates and making them a central part of your content marketing campaigns is more valuable than studio-generated content or stock images.
Continuous practice. Diversity and inclusion are an ever-changing landscape. Staying relevant and making your content inclusive is a work in progress. Be sure to update your data, monitor behavioural changes in your customers and conduct periodic research to ensure that things are the most up-to-date they can be.
Show your support. By this, we don’t just mean throwing some money at a charity for a particular demographic. We would want to see businesses actively getting involved, creating a focus group, helping the community out first-hand, etc. Essentially, put your money where your mouth is, otherwise it’s just empty words.
Final thoughts
Diversity and inclusion marketing shouldn’t just be an overnight decision. It needs to be well-thought-out and executed correctly as, according to the survey results, there can be a real catastrophic impact on your business. It’s worth putting the time and effort in at the beginning to ensure that things go smoothly, but it’s equally as important to understand that it might not be perfect.
These new practices and ways of working are a learning curve for everyone, but it’s better to try and learn along the way than to ignore them altogether. If you want to find out more about diversity marketing, please click here.