What Is Inclusive Marketing?

We live in a time when it's easier than ever to start up a business. Where anyone can create a website, put together social media pages and begin selling a service or item within the space of a couple of days. Yet while these developments are exciting it also means businesses need to go that extra mile in order to stand out. And smart graphics, a good website and a sharp logo aren't going to cut it. Instead, it's those who can facilitate the best customer experiences that will differentiate themselves in a saturated market. Which is where inclusive marketing comes in. Never before has it been so important or so necessary to be inclusive with your marketing. By doing so, it enables you to deepen your connection with customers, to influence change for the better and to represent those that are often underrepresented both in everyday life and the media. 

What is inclusive marketing?

Many of us have heard the term “inclusive marketing” but the understanding of what exactly this entails is a whole different story. Put simply, it’s about ensuring your business model represents those from all different walks of life, covering all different sexual orientations, genders, race and disabilities. It is about extending your reach to everyone in your messaging and campaigns so nobody feels left out or under-represented.  It's about recognising that your audience is made up of different groups of people.

How do you create inclusive marketing? 

Start with a holistic approach. Think carefully about those from all backgrounds and how you can make them feel not only represented but welcomed into your business. Understand your demographics and strip everything right back to basics, making sure you create marketing materials that resonate with them. By building a solid foundation of inclusivity you can ensure you cover everyone within this. You need to have both a short and long term plan, with campaigns that could target different segments at different times or those that target everyone at once. As well as integrating it into your everyday marketing, be sure to involve yourself in certain events on the calendar too. This could be International Women’s Day, Black History month or the many Pride events that happen all over the world.

Why is inclusive marketing so important?

Inclusive marketing is something that goes above and beyond just the aesthetics of your brand and the way you display your company - it needs to be something that is interwoven to your core. By doing so, and giving a voice to those that don't always necessarily have one, you are showing you care about equality and that you prioritise all of your customers equally. Here we explore in a bit more detail just why inclusive marketing is so important:

It creates a message that resonates with everyone 

As a brand, you have to show that anyone is not only encouraged to purchase your products but are welcomed as one of the family. You want people to be able to identify with what you are promoting and provide a culture that they can identify with and recognise. Keep in mind it’s not about solely including those that are different from your target market, but ensuring that everyone is included as a whole, in the same way.

It offers a more personal approach

Customers want to feel like an individual person and not just a statistic, something that was proven in a figure from Salesforce. They found that 84% of individuals said that being treated as a person and not a number was important to winning their business. As can be seen, this human connection is highly important and is exactly what inclusive marketing does. It treats customers as an individual rather than lumping those of all walks of life and backgrounds into one very generic group. This personalised approach can encourage higher sales and a much better experience for those involved. According to a 2017 poll by Segment, 71% of consumers feel frustrated when a shopping experience is impersonal. This large number shows just how important the personalised side of inclusive marketing is.

It fosters long term loyalty 

The better experience someone has, the more likely they are to return in the future. Through inclusive marketing, you offer people an experience that goes above and beyond and can put you ahead of other similar brands. If you offer something the same as another company, they are going to opt to purchase from the one that they resonate with on a deeper level. If someone sees your business as a safe space and somewhere they identify with,  it will not only encourage them to make a purchase now but will also inspire them to continue to do so in the future. This inclusivity will help to foster long-term loyalty, showing your commitment to the cause.

It helps you reach new audiences

If you are excluding people from your marketing it can mean you miss out on a vast number of potential customers. By creating an approach that welcomes everyone, you will be able to reach new audiences that you can make welcome within your target demographic. The more new customers you have, the more business you will generate and also the more word of mouth will spread. By becoming known as an inclusive brand you will get a positive reputation that will help you as your company progresses. 

It gives people a voice

For those that tend to be or feel unrepresented in both business and in the media, seeing them being represented can invoke a hugely popular reaction. An example of this was in 2019 when The White Collection Bridal Boutique in Portishead, England showcased one of its dresses in the window display on a mannequin in a wheelchair. A Twitter user who is disabled tweeted about this saying it was the first time she had ever seen a disability portrayed this way. This was a powerful message that can help bring about attitudes to change and give people a voice that might feel they don’t always have one.

Inclusive marketing is a vital part of your overall marketing strategy because inclusive ads affect consumer behaviours. It’s important you don’t just do this on the surface (such as with the odd marketing image representing those of different ethnicities) but ingrain it to your core. With every decision you make, think about how it can impact all different types of customers and what you can do to positively make others feel included. 

If you are interested in learning about how you can make your marketing inclusive, stay tuned for more insights from our team or get in touch with us today. hello@rant-rave.info