4 Lessons We’ve Learned, Sometimes the Hard Way, About Inclusive Marketing

4 Lessons We’ve Learned, Sometimes the Hard Way, About Inclusive Marketing

Why do advertisements stereotype?

Aren’t you sick of stereotyping in advertisements?

Don’t tell me it is just me!

It’s becoming annoying and racist day by day.

Why do we only see skinny models for clothing brands?

Why do we only see fair models for beauty products?

Why do we only see a 6-pack model for a healthy cookie advertisement?

Why do we only see women doing the shopping and cooking and men in the office?

Why are there only male and female models in the advertisements?

I want to see models for every body type in a clothing brand, and every skin tone for a beauty product, and a father-like figure with a belly in a cookie ad and I want to see the LGBT community as well.

Be realistic!

Show us the truth.

By showing such things, the advertisement industry is setting a bar for society and beauty standards.

Well, this sucks!

Show us the truth, it’s beautiful.

Yeah, not the complete truth, but at least break the stereotypes, we are in 2021 for god’s sake.

I don’t feel like buying a top. I see a model wearing a shopping app, she has a perfect figure, anything will look good on her, what about us?

I am short and chubby, what about me?

Marketers, KNOW YOUR REAL AUDIENCE!

Stop showing us unrealistic beauty standards, and start showing us real things.

Let’s face it, we all have certain kinds of beauty standards in our minds, but from where all this nonsense came from?

From the things around us, movies and advertisements play a big role in brainwashing.

Why are there products called ‘fairness creams’ even in the market?

There is no such thing that can change someone’s complexion apart from Glutathione Injection.

Why are there things in the market in tetra packs called ‘juices’ or ‘health drinks?

We all know they are nothing, but a box full of sugar, water, and some flavors. Why do marketers call them health drinks?

Because marketers know it is easier to make the audience fall for a lie than the truth.

But, for how long can this thing go on?

There are actors and influencers, who have already started declining the offers for the projects that are based on lies, like health drinks and fairness creams.

When will the brand take the initiative to speak up the truth?

Well, if something like this ever happens, I would love to be a part of it.

Now, I am not sure if you are aware of the term inclusive marketing or not, so, here is a quick meaning for you:

Inclusive marketing is a kind that involves people from different cultures and backgrounds by sharing the story of real people so that the audience can relate to them. This is a kind that embraces diversity by breaking the stereotypes.

Why do brands need to include inclusive marketing in their strategies and campaigns?

Here’s why:

· It builds trust: Real stories from real people of different diversity drive the trust of the audience. We all are tired of seeing sick stereotyping in advertisements, inclusive marketing feels like a fresh breeze in summer.

· It creates brand loyalty: By showing the real product and sharing the real stories, this campaign not only builds trust but also loyalty.

· Higher ROI: The results and statistics show that between a stereotype attractive campaign and an inclusive marketing campaign, the latter gets the higher ROI. You can’t fool your audience; they are aware of the truth.

Now the above-mentioned points were the importance of inclusive marketing to convince you how great it is.

Now that I have convinced you because you are still reading this, there are a few things that you need to consider while planning out an inclusive marketing campaign.

So here are 4 lessons that we have learned, about inclusive marketing:

1. Do your research work on authenticity. Now if you are planning to embrace diversity, you need to start doing homework on the cultural backgrounds and the authenticity of the tribe that you are planning to do your campaign with. Authenticity is not only about a place and people from a certain race, it is about culture and ethnicity. Don’t just hire people and a place that fits best to your campaign with no cultural study, or you will end up with another stereotype campaign. The goal of the campaign is to deliver the message without hurting anyone’s cultural sentiments, that is why cultural study and research should be the first thing you need to do if you are planning an inclusive marketing campaign.

2. Show them the truth in all positive ways: Don’t choose the safer side by comforting your audience with lies and hiding the truth, they are not fools and they know the truth already. Show them the truth by taking a stand for a purpose. Don’t you love those campaigns when they show everybody type models for a swimsuit brand? We have no authority of sharing that brand’s name, but I shared everything about that campaign on my social media accounts. I love the fact; they show the flaws so beautifully and with so much confidence. Real women have stretch marks, we have belly fat, we have wrinkles, and that ad campaign was all about those flaws and embracing them gracefully.

3. Celebrate Diversity: You know what feels good? To see the people from different cultures coming together for a purpose. That purpose can be a fashion advertisement or a cancer awareness campaign. Showcasing people from different kinds of races and not stereotyping them at all, can be a slap to those advertisement campaigns who are stereotyping forever. Not just the ad campaigns, many offices also started the policy of hiring employees and keeping the ratio 50:50 of males and females both. This is just a start; we want equality for every gender and not just for men and women.

4. Practice what you preach: Inclusive marketing is all about telling and sharing the truth and your campaign won’t be a success unless you preach what you are marketing. Start with your organization. If your product is about celebrating every body type and stop body-shaming, start doing that from your organization, and let the women and men from your organization share the story about body positivity.

Conclusion: Inclusive Marketing is not a game-changer, but it can give a hard time to the stereotypes. It is not about morals and values but it is the right thing to do.

To bring a change in society we don’t have to wait for bigger things to happen, we can start from ourselves.

If we want a change in society, we need to change our mindsets and strategies first.