Frictionless Growth Marketing

To build an inclusive brand you have to have an inclusive culture. It’s really hard to authentically attract and retain customers from underrepresented communities, if you do a poor job of attracting and retaining talent from underrepresented communities. Because workplace culture is such an imperative, I am thrilled to bring you this chat with today’s guests, Leanne and Al Elliott, hosts of the T...

Customer success doesn't happen at the same rate for everyone. The customers you serve with differences, including those who are BIPOC, often have external factors that negatively impact their journey to success. The good news is, you have the power to implement products, services, and experiences that pave the way for a greater degree of success for your BIPOC customers and others with difference...

Over the past few years more brands have started to lean harder into more inclusive campaigns. As we look at SuperBowl campaigns for 2021 and 2022, inclusion took a more prominent role. That wasn’t the case in SuperBowl LVII. The celebrity filled ads seemed to have different goals. While inclusion didn’t feel like it was actively considered in the majority of ad campaigns, there were still major w...

We all want the people we serve to be successful. However, there are other customer success factors that influence the outcomes of both your team and your customers -- that have nothing to do with the products, services, and experiences you deliver. And those factors have to do with their differences. Unfortunately, the differences of people on your team and the customers you serve, can cause them...

Just because a brand decides to engage in inclusive marketing, doesn't mean the consumers they want to attract will automatically respond favorably. Trust needs to be earned before consumers from underrepresented and underserving communities will feel like give their attention, dollars, and loyalty. In this episode Black consumers share what brands have done and should do to earn their trust. Go t...

Representation matters. But not all representation is created equal. As more brands are starting to produce more representative imagery, consumers from underrepresented and underserved communities aren't necessarily jumping for joy. Some are actually turned off by it. In this episode, Black consumers share their responses to more diverse visual imagery, and what brands can do to engage in inclusiv...

Brands have a lot of power. Whether you are intentional about how you use it or not, your products, visuals, communications, and the experiences you deliver have an impact on the way consumers feel. Make sure that impact is one you desire to have. In this episode, consumers talk about the power brands have on influencing consumers, and what they can and should do to use that power for good. Go to...

Soon enough, we'll all work with people who are different from us in some way. And while engaging with people who are different comes naturally for some, for others it isn't quite as smooth. In this episode, Black talent share their experiences and perspectives on working with people different from them, while offering advice on how to engage and interact in a way that is both respectful and effec...

There's plenty of research that shows diverse teams out-perform their non-diverse peers. Not only do they outperform them financially, but they also are more innovative. But just because you have a diverse team doesn't mean you'll automatically receive the benefits of having one. You have to be intentional about creating a team culture that enables everyone on the team to thrive, and be better tog...

Micro-aggressions are like little pinches, slaps, and punches people from marginalized communities all too often at work. Sometimes the people delivering the micro-aggresions are aware that they are committing them, and other times they are both completely oblivious they are delivering them, and of the impact it has on the recipient. Micro-aggressions prevent and ruin inclusive cultures. If you wa...

As a Black woman, I've grown accustomed to being the only one in the room on many occasions. But it's not just my experience. Ask any woman, person of color, or anyone else from a historically underrepresented group, and for most, being "the only" or "one of a few" in both personal or professional settings is nothing new. But we adapt. We find ways to push through the discomfort of those experienc...

This year, I wanted to take the opportunity to do a Black History Month campaign that both elevated voices and shined a light on experiences people within the community have, for the purpose of educating others not within the community on how they can make life better for both Black talent and Black consumers. The result, is a special podcast series I’m dropping for you, you can find right here in...

We're days away from Black History Month 2023 in the U.S. and Canada. It is a wonderful thing that more brands are celebrating the achievements and contributions of Black people to society, however, there are some missteps I've seen over the years by brands that have cause a bit of backlash from the very community they wish to celebrate. I don't want this to happen to you. So in this episode, I wa...

More brands than ever are engaging in inclusive marketing. And increasingly, consumers are starting to take notice. And while it is a good thing that marketers are making more of an effort to serve a broader range of people, consumers from underrepresented and underserved communities aren’t just automatically flocking to those brands. Marginalized consumers want brands to prove they are worthy of...

In this episode – Sarah-Chen Spellings and I and cover a lot of topics ranging from what makes marketing truly inclusive, how to focus your efforts by going narrow to reach a wider audience, as well as best practices for building a high-performing diverse team. About Sarah-Chen Spellings: Sarah is the co-founder and managing partner of Beyond the Billion (BTB), launched as The Billion Dollar Fund...

Life is about belonging. And because of that business is about belonging. That's why the businesses that take the time to serve consumers from underrepresented and underserved communities are winning their attention, adoration, and loyalty. In this episode, I chatted with Jacqueline Snyder and Minna Khounlo-Sithep about how product-based businesses are winning more customers by leaning into inclus...

As we arrive at 40 years of celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and work as an official holiday, many will revisit some of Dr. King’s most famous speeches, and reflect on how far we’ve come. Others will dedicate their time engaging in acts of service. If you are looking for additional ways you and your team can honor Dr. King and his legacy, consider going beyond just taking a pause on a da...

As more leaders focus on building diverse teams, they often resort to a common practice of focusing on the percentage of diverse candidates you interview. While this may feel like you're making progress, it actually doesn't often work to significantly move the needle to build a diverse team. In fact, it really is just a vanity metric. In this episode, I cover what you should focus on instead to ac...

Visual imagery, and making it more representative is the on-ramp for many brands into inclusive marketing. And while in recent years, a broader range of stock photography and videos has come available showcasing more diverse faces, body types, and families – simply changing up your imagery to include more diverse people isn't automatic in terms of making them feel like they belong. So to help you...

Every inclusive brand doesn't have to look and sound the same. They don't have to speak on the same issues, serve the same customers, or show up in the same way. That'd be pretty boring -- and would seem kind of odd with the lack of diversity of approaches. So just because Rihanna's brands serve everyone, that doesn't mean that you have to as well. Just because Ben & Jerry's is deep in the trenche...

Building an inclusive brand is a lot like tending a garden. For both, having the right mindset is essential to enable you to not only weather any challenges, but to also get the results you're looking for. Here are a few key lessons to embrace to give you the mindset you need to build an inclusive brand. Get the episode transcript here Find out what your inclusive brand type is: www.inclusionandma...

When it comes to cultural events and celebrations, particularly those honoring underrepresented and underserved communities, your brand’s participation is a great way to make these communities feel seen by you, and a way for you to demonstrate that they do indeed belong with you.  Now, I'm not saying that you have to celebrate these events to communicate and send signals of belonging to the people...

Key points covered in this episode: The role of inclusion in performance marketing Where many performance marketing campaigns fall short with regard to inclusion Why so many people are often excluded from performance marketing campaigns Why inclusive marketing is a solution to ad fatigue The key question you should ask to enable you to include more people in your ad campaigns The data you need to...

Representation matters. It isn’t enough to just have representation of the talent in front of the camera. It is just as important to have representation and or expertise behind the camera that is poised to capture diverse talent in the proper light (pun intended). Remember, the people you serve need to see themselves or who they aspire to be reflected in the visual imagery your brand puts forth. I...

A big barrier to effectively engaging with diverse consumers and communities is the way we think. In many instances, we default to our own frame of reference, perspectives, and ways of doing things. However that limits your ability to practice empathy and to give consumers who are different from you exactly what they need from you. In this episode, I walk you through the essential practice of dece...