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How to create a diversity and inclusion marketing strategy
Diversity marketing helps organizations attract new customers, but to implement a strategy, marketers need an internal D&I initiative and to learn about their audience.
Embracing diversity isn't just about social responsibility. It's also a good business move.
Diversity and inclusion (D&I) have become pivotal aspects of contemporary marketing strategies because customers increasingly expect brands to share their values. Marketers who prioritize D&I in their campaigns can meet the evolving needs of broad customer demographics and see benefits like improved personalization and brand loyalty.
To implement an effective diversity marketing strategy, organizations must commit to internal D&I initiatives, understand diverse customer segments and use inclusive imagery.
3 reasons diversity marketing is important
D&I marketing has become vital for organizations due to various factors, such as increasingly global audiences and greater demand for social sustainability.
1. Increasingly diverse customer demographics
As organizations serve people from a wide assortment of backgrounds, cultures and identities, non-inclusive marketing can alienate customers and miss opportunities for engagement and growth. Marketers must align campaigns with all segments of their audience if they want to resonate with people. This strategy helps organizations stay relevant and competitive.
Additionally, marketers must recognize the nuances within customer segments so they can tailor messaging and offerings to meet various people's needs. These personalized marketing efforts can foster strong connections and drive sustainable growth over time.
2. Increased demand for social sustainability
Brands that align with people's values and promote inclusivity can build deeper connections with their audiences and attain long-term success. Modern consumers value social responsibility, seek out organizations that align with their beliefs and use social media to scrutinize brands' ethical and social effects. So, organizations that prioritize D&I in their marketing strategies can position themselves as responsible corporate citizens, attract customers and protect their reputation.
3. Greater creativity and efficiency
Organizations that embrace D&I marketing strategies are often more creative and innovative than competitors, according to Deloitte research. These strategies can involve many elements, like inclusive imagery in advertisements and the creation of diverse marketing teams, each of which can help organizations increase profits.
Organizations that hire diverse marketing teams can boost creativity and innovation in campaign development as these teams bring a variety of perspectives from which to solve problems. Additionally, teams that value D&I can improve efficiency because employees who feel valued and represented tend to be more motivated and productive.
Diversity in marketing can also reduce risks associated with narrow targeting, such as missing out on potential customer segments, because it ensures campaigns can reach a wide audience.
6 steps to create a diverse marketing strategy
An effective D&I marketing strategy requires organizations to tailor content to different cultural contexts but begins with an internal D&I program.
1. Commit to an internal diversity initiative
To implement a successful D&I marketing strategy, organizations must first cultivate D&I within their business. HR departments often lead this charge, but marketing teams can collaborate with HR as they develop D&I training programs, recruit diverse talent and foster an inclusive workplace culture.
Additionally, an internal D&I initiative can help organizations authentically reflect diversity externally. Organizations that have D&I marketing strategies but lack an internal D&I program risk accusation of deceptive marketing.
2. Understand all customer segments
Marketers must conduct comprehensive market research to identify and understand all segments within their target audiences. They should research demographic factors, such as age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background and cultural preferences.
A deep understanding of customers lets marketers adapt messaging and content to resonate with diverse audience segments.
3. Use inclusive language and imagery
Language and imagery can shape audience perceptions and create more inclusive marketing campaigns. For instance, marketing materials that represent a wide range of identities and experiences often create a sense of belonging and connection among audiences.
However, marketers must ensure they embrace language and imagery that respects their audiences. D&I campaigns that portray stereotypes about different groups, whether intentional or unintentional, can offend people, spark public backlash and damage a brand's reputation.
4. Integrate diversity into all marketing channels
Marketers should integrate diversity into all channels to link their brand to a larger mission, like social sustainability. This strategy can earn people's trust, generate brand loyalty and increase customer retention.
For example, marketers can use TV and email marketing to reach wide audiences, but they should also use social media and digital marketing platforms to amplify diverse voices and perspectives. Social media can help organizations make meaningful connections with customers, because it offers a more interactive experience than traditional channels.
For instance, marketers can create social media content that reflects the diversity of their audience and encourage participation from various audience segments. Additionally, marketers could engage with influencers and content creators from diverse backgrounds to help them reach and foster meaningful connections.
5. Tailor content for different cultural contexts
Cultural norms vary across regions and communities, so marketers should tailor content to all possible contexts and respect local cultural norms to connect with global audiences. For example, organizations can partner with community leaders in various regions in which they conduct business to gain an understanding of their cultural contexts.
They could also participate in local festivals and initiatives to better understand the nuances of the community. Language nuances, cultural symbols and historical context within marketing materials can affect how people perceive a brand.
6. Measure and optimize diversity marketing efforts
Marketers should establish KPIs -- like audience engagement, conversion rates and brand sentiment -- to measure the effectiveness of D&I marketing initiatives. Additionally, marketers can use data insights to identify trends, preferences and areas for improvement. These metrics can help marketers continuously test and improve their strategies to ensure ROI.
Diversity in marketing strategies can help organizations thrive in rapidly changing marketplaces. Organizations that commit to internal D&I initiatives, understand various audience segments and measure marketing efforts can create meaningful connections with their target audiences and drive sustainable growth.
Griffin LaFleur is a MarketingOps and RevOps professional working for Swing Education. Throughout his career, Griffin has also worked at agencies and independently as a B2B sales and marketing consultant.
