Why Your Brand Needs To Be Inclusive In Advertising
Recent research from Microsoft’s Marketing With Purpose Playbook found that 64% of people said they are more trusting of brands representing diversity in ads. And 85% of consumers say they only consider brands they trust. You can see the logic and where this is going: consumers are looking at brands to reflect the world they live in and they will reward those brands with their loyalty. There is a huge appetite for more inclusivity in advertising from consumers. That means there is an enormous opportunity for your business to grow, not only in the short-term but with your brand's overall trust and messaging. “Banking” sales in future years sounds appealing, especially if marketing budgets fluctuate. The three tips curated from Microsoft's Marketing with Purpose Playbook will help you take important steps for more inclusion. 1. Authentically represent diversity Inclusion means having diversity represented in your promotions and ads. Consider every side of human diversity, such as age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, location, and language preference. It's about empathizing with your audiences and representing them accurately. 2. Perform a visual content audit What does your website say about diversity? Do the photos and imagery represent and embody your audience, or are you seeing the same images being used across your site? A visual audit will help you see which groups are underrepresented.
3. Develop an inclusive keyword library A great way to begin sourcing inclusive keywords is by utilizing the information in your internal Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) or performing a customer focus group. Then, consider the customer journey for your service or product for each identified diverse audience and create a list of unique keywords they might use to seek out your product or service. Doing so helps you connect with your audience on a deeper level. While utilizing these tips alone will not be enough to adequately meet the expectations of today’s consumers, they are the next steps to building a trusted, and long-term, brand. -Team Exverus
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