People want authenticity in their food. 

We need authenticity in our relationships. And we definitely crave authenticity in marketing.

Today, we’re going to talk about authenticity in marketing.

These days especially, more and more consumers want brands to be authentic. That is one of the things that makes inclusive marketing – and really, most marketing effective. Authenticity.

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Episode 97 - Inclusive marketing ethics

Shaq Buick commercial

Jimmy Kimmel - Basketball mean Tweets

Fresh Prince of Bel Air cheesesteak episode

Kendall Jenner Pepsi Ad

Ben & Jerry's bans 2 scoops of same flavor

Marketing ethics, or more specifically, the ethics associated with inclusive marketing doesn’t get talked about nearly enough as it should.

Of course, I’m a big proponent of brands engaging and serving people from underrepresented and underserved communities. But there are times when I wish brands wouldn’t focus on specific communities, and would just leave them alone.

Why? Because in certain instances, brands do more harm than good when engaging with certain underrepresented and underserved communities.

In this episode I walk you through 5 inclusive marketing ethical considerations, and the mindset you need to have to ensure you're not causing harm to the communities you want to serve.

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Find links to everything covered in this episode here

Representation matters. We know this. But all representation isn't created equal. In this episode, I walk you through how to do representation in marketing the right way, infused with insights from consumers.

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2021 State of Representation in Marketing Study

Orange FIFA Women's World Cup ad

Episode 51: How To Create Inclusive Content That Makes More People Feel Seen with Natasha Pierre

Episode 53: The Inclusive Marketing Framework The Big Brands Use with Jerry Daykin

Episode 45: Factors That Influence Your Customers' Success That You Should Be Aware Of

Meryl Evans post on LinkedIn about accurate portrayal of people with disabilities

Everyone has been talking about artificial intelligence (AI) of late. And as more brands and marketers incorporate AI into their workflow, it is important to understand the implications of how AI impacts the inclusiveness of your marketing efforts.

To help us navigate this, I sat down with Joyann Boyce, an inclusive marketing strategist, and founder of Inclued AI.

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Inclued AI

Previous episode with Joyann - #75: Inclusive marketers react to campaigns from Barbie, Sainsbury's, McDonald's, and more

Marketing Made Inclusive podcast

Inclusive marketing is about more than just communications. The foundation of delivering experiences that enables you to attract and retain more consumers, including those from underrepresented and underserved communities, is an inclusive product.

The products and services you deliver, need to be designed with the identities you've chosen to serve in mind.

In this discussion with inclusive product design expert Sabrina Meherally, founder of Pause & Effect, we walk through the essentials of designing products that make it possible for more people to achieve success.

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Pause & Effect

Sabrina Meherally on LinkedIn

There's plenty of articles and other content that showcase inclusive marketing examples. The problem with many of those, is they don't really help you understand the different ways in which a brand can engage in inclusive marketing and the impact those various approaches have on the end consumer.

It is important to recognize that not all forms of inclusive marketing are created equal.

In this episode, I'll walk you through my Inclusive Marketing Spectrum, and will give you examples of what brands in each category on the spectrum looks like in practice.

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Links to examples mentioned in this episode

There's no one right way to do inclusive marketing. However, there are some best practices and core principles that when applied will enable you to achieve success in your efforts, and make a positive impact not only in the lives of those you want to serve, but also on your bottom line. This episode includes 5 approaches for inclusive marketing success in 2024 and beyond.

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Articles mentioned in the episode:

2021 - 4 Inclusive marketing trends that will impact your brand

2022 - Embracing these 5 inclusive marketing principles to win more customers

2023 -5 Consumer expectations of brands engaging in inclusive marketing

There's lots of ways to reach out and find your ideal customer. A common way brands have always used is paid media. And as targeting improves, paid media is often a proven way to reach people from underrepresented and underserved communities.

In this episode, Carlos Santiago, co-founder of AIMM, the Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing, and I chat about the benefits for brands of engaging in paid media, and the impact is has on the communities.

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AIMM Research we chatted about

Santiago Solutions Group

A lot has happened in the news with regard to inclusive marketing, and there's lots to talk about here. Today, Mariam Shahab and I chat about the new Ralph Lauren X Naiomi Glasses campaign, and all the backlash surrounding Zara, the now-removed campaign, and their, ahem, statement.

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Article covering best practices of Ralph Lauren X Naiomi Glasses campaign

Episode 21: Cultural appropriation and inappropriate use of a culture not your own: Let's talk about it

Mariam Shahab on LinkedIn

Inclusive marketing leads to sustained business growth. But for that to happen, it needs to be embedded into your strategic business planning process. In this episode, I sat down with Christina Griffin, a business planning consultant for billion dollar brands. We also walk through her framework that highlights how to infuse inclusion into the process.

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Christina's business planning framework