The Truth on Authentic Inclusive Marketing and How to Make It Happen

The biggest misconception about inclusive marketing is that it's some major disruptive change being thrust upon the industry. 

Prioritizing inclusivity isn't a divergence – it's a (long overdue) course correction. When we talk about inclusive marketing, we're talking about what it looks like to shape what brands offer and how they go to market to create meaningful and measurable social impact that also maximizes bottom-line business results. By including brand-relevant cultural context, brands make stronger emotional connections that unlock impact and deliver dollars and cents. 

So what’s holding us back? 

There is a perilous tendency to obsess over perceived downsides – ROI questions, risk of backlash, etc. – and it holds marketing leaders back from fully embracing and leaning into what is obviously the highest impact path forward.

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to participate in an edifying episode of Live with Marketers, where I chatted with Alex Rynne and Maddy Kulkarni about creating inclusive moments that authentically create change and deliver on business goals. 

Drawing from that conversation, let’s set the record straight on what I like to call responsible marketing: authentic, inclusive marketing that makes a real social impact.

Why transcending the performative is essential to growth

Authentic, inclusive marketing maximizes value at the intersection of measurable societal impact and every marketer's most important jobs to be done: elevating brand reputation, and achieving commercial goals. Let's refer to these three kinds of value as the marketing "triple top-line".

But triple top-line impact can't be achieved without transcending the performative.

Consider the following flywheel effect:

• Brand creates change that matters to society
• Society rewards brand with attention and goodwill
• Attention and goodwill drive commercial success
• Commercial success leads to long-term commitment
• Brand creates MORE change that matters to society

And on and on it goes...

But the flywheel only works when social impact is real.

Mastercard TrueName, Google RealTone, and Citi's Action For Racial Equity are three of my favorite examples you can learn more about here.

The data is clear: purpose is profitable. So why the widespread hesitation about going all in?

Much of it comes back to misconceptions and misguided trepidations, like the one stated at the outset of this article. Let’s confront a few of the most pervasive among them. 

Knocking down 3 barriers to inclusive marketing

Three simple and perfectly reasonable changes in perspective can help facilitate better conversations about inclusivity in your marketing.

1. Stop treating inclusivity as "political"

An interesting thing I noticed a while back: Many brands and teams that claimed to “not get political” were perfectly open to speaking out in support of Ukraine. Why is that? No one can argue that war isn’t political. 

It seems like marketers felt comfortable speaking up about this because it was very obviously the right thing to do. How is that any different from taking a stand on inclusiveness in society?

Understandably, many brands tread carefully in areas of political sensitivity to avoid alienating segments of their audience, but we need to stop viewing matters of equality and human rights as political. 

2. Reframe the risk of inclusive marketing

What if we anger people in our audience who disagree? What if our message is misinterpreted even by those who agree? What if we flat-out miss the mark and get called out? 

Like I said earlier, marketers and business leaders can (and do) freeze themselves in place with endless conversations about theoretical risk points when it comes to taking a firmly inclusive stance.

I encourage you to think about this from the other side. The biggest risk is standing still, and sticking to the status quo.

Ask yourself honestly: is this a passing trend, or is this a new imperative? Gen Z is the most diverse generation ever across a spectrum of identity traits. The demand for inclusive marketing is only going to grow. That's just the reality. 

Are you going to take the lead or follow behind? Fortune favors the bold.

3. Don't obsess so much about measurement

It seems like many marketers treat social impact as a specialized category, needing its own unique financial justification and rigorous measurement process. Instead, it should be treated in the same way as any other campaign or initiative: set goals and then figure out if you’ve achieved them.

While the bottom-line benefits of inclusive marketing have been broadly proven out, it is folly to focus too much on immediate revenue impact. That’s only part of the equation, because the social impact and reputational impact are critical, and will pay dividends in the long term.

Good marketing isn’t about a straight sales pitch. It’s about engaging with your customers, showing them you have their back, and earning their business. So think about what your audience wants from you as a company: according to the Edelman Trust Barometer, 80% of people said they want brands to solve society’s problems.

Make inclusive marketing part of your brand’s DNA

We can’t truly embrace the principles of inclusive marketing if we’re continually getting caught up in the “buts” and “what ifs.” The truth is that if you’re not adamantly leaning into inclusive marketing, you’re already falling behind. The opportunity to be a part of the most important conversation in marketing is right in front of you, and taking it isn’t just the right thing to do from a moral standpoint — it’s also the right thing to do for your business, and that, as a marketer, is your responsibility.

Lola Bakare is a CMO Advisor, Inclusive Marketing Strategist, and author of Responsible Marketing: How to Create an Authentic and Inclusive Marketing Strategy (available for preorder and shipping July 2023)