Building an inclusive brand
“Truly inclusive brands walk the walk at every level. That means building an inclusive culture, building inclusive teams, developing deep degrees of customer intimacy with the diverse customers you serve, and having quality relationships within their communities as well.” – Forbes.com (Jan. 5, 2021)
It’s 2021. Brands showing diversity, equity and inclusion shouldn’t be ground-breaking, it should be the norm. But sadly, that isn’t the case. Many working in C-suites, PR and communications, etc. across all sectors are white and therefore, view the business world through that lens. That is neither responsible nor sustainable.
When creating brand strategies, it is imperative to include different voices and lived experiences at the table; from vision to implementation. There is nothing worse than asking for feedback from marginalized persons when the campaign is basically done.
Your business should be looking at its inclusivity at all levels. From the board and executive leadership to staff and customers. Are you walking the walk?
When developing an inclusive brand, businesses should look at the following:
1. Diversity is a core value; not a campaign.
When creating their strategic plan, the Canmore Museum placed a direct inclusive value in the plan. Thus, making the public declaration that diversity, equity and inclusion would be a value they are measured against and not just lip service.
2. Change your language
Words have power and hold memories, emotions and values. San Diego’s Museum of Man operated under that name for over 40 years. Through a two-year process with extensive community engagement, they changed the name to Museum of Us on June 24, 2020, to better reflect gender equity.
3. Ensure you connect with ALL your audiences
Inclusion also means ensuring those with disabilities can access your messaging. Create inclusive assets by captioning videos and writing proper image descriptions, and ensuring that not everyone looks the same in our photos and videos. Representation matters.
4. Actions over words
Placing a black square on your IG feed then never speaking about BLM or racial issues again is performative. If your business is perceived to be taking advantage of BLM or Truth and Reconciliation for marketing purposes, your audience will walk away. Authenticity and transparency matter and if it appears your business is not taking appropriate action (both internally and externally) on diversity, equity and inclusion, your reputation will be difficult to repair.
5. Understand your implicit bias
Implicit bias is our unconscious attitudes towards people or groups of people. These biases often predict how we will behave more accurately than our conscious values. It is imperative to understand we all have implicit bias and work within our businesses to identify risk areas and then institute specific decision-making processes to avoid acting on those biases.
I encourage all businesses to undertake diversity, equity and Inclusion training. Key principles include:
Do your homework
Reflect on the reality of your community
Celebrate variety
Approach with integrity and authenticity
Diversify your network of influence
Deliver inclusive customer experiences
ABC is here to help build your inclusive brand. Reach out.