Frictionless Growth Marketing

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. Get the Inclusion...

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 inst...

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. Get the transcript here Get the Inclusion & Marketing Newsletter 2021 State of Representation in Marketing Study Orange FIFA Women's World Cup ad Episode 51: How To Create Inclusive Content T...

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. Get the episode transcript here G...

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...

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 epis...

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. Get the Inclusion & Marke...

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 eng...

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. Get the Inclusion & Marketing Newsletter Article covering best practices of Ralph Lauren X Naiomi Glasses campaign Ep...

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. Get the Inclusion & Marketing Newsletter Chris...

Change has to be managed well for it to be implemented effectively. As you work to build an inclusive brand -- especially if you haven't fully operated that way in the past, managing that change is essential, to ensure you get the sustained results you're after. We talk about ways to do that in this episode with Nancy Harris. Get the Inclusion & Marketing Newsletter Nancy Harris - Restart Consulti...

Life is about belonging. And because of that, business is about belonging. On this week's episode, you'll hear from real consumers --- who also happen to be previous guests on this show, share their experiences of when brands showed them they belonged, and how they responded. Get the Inclusion & Marketing Newsletter

For many, belonging often feels like an elusive term that makes it hard to know for sure how to apply. In this episode, I sat down with an expert on belonging, Unni Turretini, who is also an author, speaker, and human connection expert. In our discussion, we chatted about practical ways to ensure more of the people you serve -- both on your team, and as customers, feel like they belong with you. U...

Life is about belonging. And because of that, business is about belonging. While belonging can often feel like an elusive term, the truth is that belonging plays an essential role in earning fiercely loyal customers. This episode walks you through 5 lessons in belonging I picked up from attending Beyonce's Renaissance World tour in person. Get the Inclusion & Marketing Newsletter

Stories of customer experience (or lack thereof) has been in the news a lot lately. No one wants to have a bad customer experience. No one. And that of course includes people from underrepresented and underserved communities. Here are common ways brands deliver a less than stellar customer experience to those consumers, and what you can do instead. Get the Inclusion & Marketing Newsletter

If you want to do a better job of serving the customers you currently have, as well as attracting and retaining more customers from underrepresented and underserved communities, you have to have this kind of person on your team. Get the Inclusion & Marketing Newsletter Episode 22: Common ways brands treat diverse talent like unpaid consultants (and what to do instead) Episode 14: Are you taking mo...

This is a common question that more and more brands are pondering, about when brands should be requesting demographic data for their customers. There are many benefits to having data, but what is the impact on your customers? And how should you communicate about the use of that data? We get into all of it in this short episode. Get the Inclusion & Marketing Newsletter Episode 45 - Factors influenc...

Many brands think that focusing on creating an environment where all feel welcome is enough to ensure that people from underrepresented and underserved communities feel like they belong with you. It's not. If you want to increase customer acquisition of people from these communities focus your efforts on what we cover in this episode. Get the episode transcript Get the Inclusion & Marketing Newsle...

Friction in a customer experience is bad. It kills conversions. It diminishes customer success. And it really lowers customer retention. But the reality is, everyday brands deliver experiences with friction in them. And that friction is heightened for consumers from underrepresented and underserved communities. In this episode, I walk you through the friction (and delight), real customers experien...

HBCUs, or Historically Black Colleges and Universities are a big part of Black culture in the U.S. Often times when brands want to engage the Black community as consumers or a source of talent --- partnerships and campaigns with HBCUs feels like low-hanging fruit. But the way most brands approach the work they do with HBCUs is quite superficial. It very much feels like they are checking a box or f...

How to be authentically inclusive is one of the most common questions I get from marketers and business leaders about inclusive marketing. The good news is a couple of weeks ago, I was part of a panel discussion at the INBOUND conference in Boston. Our topic - was authentic and inclusive brands. And my fellow panelists were Natasha Pierre of Shine with Natasha and the Shine Online podcast, and Sun...

With a growing number of consumers now expecting the brands they buy from to be inclusive, more brands than ever are making inclusive marketing a priority. But there’s still a number of companies standing on the sidelines when it comes to including people with identities that don’t so cleanly fit into what is considered to be ‘mainstream,’ and it’s costing them sales. Here are the 5 most common ob...

Inclusive marketing isn't quite yet the standard way of engaging in marketing. Although it will soon be. As you work with your agency, here's when to think about bringing in an inclusive marketing agency to support you in engaging underrepresented and underserved communities authentically. We also cover the very important principal of 'nothing about us without us." Matthew Tsang (he/him) is the Co...

One of the benefits of including others are the diverse perspectives you get when looking at a situation. In this episode, I invited my inclusive marketing colleagues Matthew Tsang and Joyann Boyce to the show, and together we reviewed, reacted, and gave our perspectives on several brand campaigns that were published around the world. Get the episode transcript Get the Inclusion & Marketing Newsle...

Twenty-five percent of the world’s population identifies as Muslim. However representation in media and marketing for people of Muslim faith is nowhere near the population. And when Muslim representation does exist, it often isn't favorable and showcases people of Muslim faith in negative stereotypical ways. No bueno. In this episode, I chat with Mariam Shahab, an inclusive marketer who is also of...