I want to discuss inclusion based marketing. The idea of inclusion based marketing was the subject of one of my first podcasts, episode 11. In that episode I addressed diversity and inclusion and how those two play together in marketing efforts.
Diversity and inclusion are very similar, but I also feel very different. They must work in tandem together. Diversity really defines diverse populations such as race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, gender expression, disability, nationality, language, religion, and socio-economic status, etc. These are all forms of diversity which could be the basis of a marketing campaign. Your target market could be based off of any one of the diversities mentioned above.
Inclusion on the other hand is really the act of intentionally engaging with a diverse group of people or communities. So while having a diverse population is generally a positive thing, it is not an automatic benefit without an effort to be inclusive. Inclusion at its core is about making people feel included into a pre-existing group or structure. Diversity by its nature almost singles out a group because they are diverse.
Many companies and businesses have been or are currently marketing their products to diverse communities based on segmenting their audience. They will break down their target markets and have a well crafted effort to reach out to a broad diverse community. For example, a company may be marketing to the LGBT community and have separate ad campaigns for their LGBT audience which can be seen in LGBT specific media. This could be the case for any diverse group they are marketing to. There is nothing wrong with this strategy per se.
The current trends are pointing to inclusion based marketing and advertising. So rather than isolate a specific audience like LGBT folks, companies are starting to include LGBT couples in their mainstream advertising. Kaiser Permanente was at the forefront of this trend. In 2011, GLAAD recognized them for “Outstanding Print Campaign – Mainstream Market.” Click here to see the ad. This ad really demonstrates inclusion on so many levels and it ran in mainstream publications.
Amazon Kindle also showed their support for same sex marriage in a big way. They have a wonderful ad that really shows an LGBT couple being a total non-issue. Watch the commercial below.
The beauty of this commercial is that it really demonstrates inclusion. They could have put an ad together that only showed an LGBT couple and one that only showed a straight couple. But rather, they put both audiences in one and didn’t make a big deal about it. This is what makes this commercial a favorite of mine. The ad can also be seen airing on many mainstream channels, not just isolated to the confines of LGBT specific programming and media.
What are you doing for your LGBT marketing? Or what is the company you work for doing? Are you focused on being inclusive? If so, tell me in the comments below!
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Unfortunately some of these companies marketing their wares to the LGBT Community are leaving them out when it comes to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. In branding and marketing, in today’s global economy, the people working for a brand should be reflective of your consumer base.
[…] Once you’ve figured out who it is that you’re marketing to, the next step is figuring out where to find them. Like I previously talked about, some advertisers utilize a carpet-bombing approach with the LGBT community, inundating every vaguely LGBT website and newspaper with the same ads. This approach, while it may have merits, is far too costly and unwieldy for most small and medium sized businesses. Try to figure out what magazines they’re reading, what radio stations they’re listening to, and what sorts of events they’re attending, and meet them there. I can tell you that I read a mix of business publications and LGBT publications. If I see an advertiser in Boston Spirit Magazine or The Rainbow Times (both monthly reads for me), that has a certain level of appeal that they are marketing to the LGBT community. But if I see those same advertisers with an LGBT inclusive ad in Entrepreneur, Fast Company or Inc, then that sends up an entirely different message. Being inclusive in your mainstream advertising is going to take the cake any day. I wrote a post a few months ago about Inclusion Based Marketing, read here for more info on how to be inclusive in your efforts. […]
[…] who you might be able to work with to get your marketing strategy off the ground. And remember that inclusion based marketing triumphs all. The more proactive and visible you can be about your support of the LGBT community […]
[…] in all of your marketing efforts. I call this concept of including LGBT folks in your marketing, Inclusion Based Marketing. You can read more about this […]
[…] Inclusion Based Marketing […]
[…] I’ve written about the difference between diversity and inclusion before – diversity being the art of intentionally separating people by commonalities. And inclusion the art of intentionally being open and accepting of everyone regardless of their commonalities. This is a really simple way of stating it but for more on this, head over and read the previous blog post here – Inclusion Based Marketing […]
[…] Inclusive – I am continually talking about Inclusion Based Marketing, a phrase I coined in years ago. Inclusion based marketing is really going out of your way in your […]