Marketing is about speaking to your audience.
The goal of marketing is to increase your market share, the percentage of people in the potential customer community who choose your product or brand over your competitors. The local burger place is competing for a percent of hungry people at lunchtime within a few miles of the shop. An online university is hoping to attract a larger percentage of students who want to learn remotely. Within any market, it’s statistically certain that not all potential customers will look the same.
They will not all have the same hair or skin colors, or even share the same reasons for choosing your brand. But if you hope to grow your customer audience and claim your entire market share, inclusivity in marketing matters.
What is Inclusivity?
Inclusivity is the art of making everyone feel welcome. Inclusivity in marketing is when your marketing materials make it clear that everyone — no matter their appearance, origins, or capabilities — can enjoy your products or services. Inclusivity is making sure that when you depict customers, they represent a wider range of the population than your image of a customer.
For example, a depicted night in your restaurant may include someone in a wheelchair who can comfortably eat at your tables, or people of different ethnicities shopping together in your store. Inclusivity means showing both men and women in roles of both leadership and support. In other words, it shows that your brand doesn’t have an “in-crowd” and an “everyone else”. You are simply welcoming.
How Inclusivity Effects Brand Health
According to Insider Intelligence, consumers expect brands to be inclusive and that 62% of U.S. adults said diversity in a brand’s advertising had at least some impact on the way they perceived the brand’s products and services. 38% said they would be more likely to trust a brand that showed diversity in its advertising.
The single most remarkable thing about increased inclusivity in branding is when someone says, “I can see myself as a customer.” Many people will subtly interpret your brand’s values based on your marketing materials. If you only ever depict one type of family, it is easy to assume this is the only type of family you want to see walk through your doors.
However, an inclusively marketed brand can increase cultural health inside and out. Your team will internalize that the company culture is one of inclusivity, and so will your potential customers. By showing representations of all types of customers (and team members) through your marketing materials, everyone will feel that your brand is a safe and welcoming place to shop and an inclusive place to work.
Those who can see themselves reflected in your marketing content will feel assured that your brand will respect them as customers, and in turn, your team will make this true.
How Can I Start Inclusive Marketing?
Inclusivity is a delicate subject for any brand. One of the best ways you can cultivate inclusivity is to reflect the demographics that make up your community. However, marketing for inclusivity can be challenging, which is why you need a partner who understands how to do inclusivity the right way for your brand and for your community.
As a woman and minority-owned marketing agency, Hot Dog Marketing can handle the delicate process of reflecting your brand’s inclusivity into your marketing materials. We have the background, sensitivity, and creativity necessary to show your brand as an inclusive place in a way that speaks to your audience.
We will help you build your brand by showing customers and on-staff team members alike representation and respect are at the forefront of your company values. Learn more about inclusivity in marketing and what it takes to achieve your inclusivity goals by contacting us today.
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Hot Dog Marketing helps expert service providers and tech companies build their brands at the same rate they’re growing their businesses. We have deep expertise in branding and online marketing for both business-to-business service companies and local consumer service businesses.