Inclusive Marketing
Karina López | Junio 28, 2021 | Lectura de 8 minutos
Inclusive marketing seeks to incorporate people from diverse backgrounds in its campaigns or stories to get rid of stereotypes or simply reflect the diversity of people around the world.
In the most successful campaigns, marketers have moved away from traditional advertising norms to focus on groups that have often been poorly represented, such as people of color, LGBT groups, persons with disabilities, or simply people of a certain age, to name a few.
To illustrate what companies are doing to reach all market segments, in this post I analyze various campaigns of internationally recognized brands. The aim is to identify different ways in which the concept has been applied, as well as changes made to specific products to reach consumers’ hearts.
Crayola
The Crayola brand, known as such since 1903, was born out of commitment to education, and many of us grew up with it. However, to remain current and adapt to the needs of the market, in 2020 the brand launched “Colors of the World,” a new collection of 24 crayons with different skin tones. The collection was extremely successful, because it allowed children to understand, from a very early age, through their drawings and creations, the great diversity of human communities that exist around the world.
LEGO
LEGO launched its new collection, “Everyone is Awesome,” on June 1, 2021, taking advantage of the fact that June is LGBT Pride Month. LEGO has designed the figures that make up this set in such a way that all colors of the rainbow flag, which represents the LGBT community, are included. Figures do not have a specific sex, except for the purple figure, which stands for drag queens.
Moreover, unlike other LEGO products, this set is intended for persons 18 and over, because it was conceived not as a toy but as decorative ornament.
Third Love
Third Love is an American underwear company. Through its campaigns, it seeks to communicate with all women, regardless of their age, gender, body shape, sexual orientation, or skin color. To reinforce this message, their marketing assets are women that we could see in any restaurant or mall, instead of professional models who used to represent an “ideal” woman that has little to do with what most of us look like.
This campaign led to a 347% increase in sales from one year to the next. It turns out that having the sensitivity to represent the myriad kinds of women that exist on the planet, in all stages of their lives, pays off.
Under Armour
Finally, I would like to tell you about Under Armour. This well-known sports brand redesigned its products, website, and 2021 campaign around the following message: “It doesn't matter who you love, what pronoun you identify yourself with, what you look like, where you are from, or what sport you play. We support all athletes, without exceptions. This is how we are. You belong here, no matter who you are.”
This campaign was also launched in June 2021, during LGBT Pride Month.
Tips for an Inclusive Marketing strategy
As these examples show, the most successful brands try to understand their customers or consumers. This, in turn, is reflected in the brand’s communication and ads. Brands know what makes them unique or distinctive, what inspires or motivates their customers, and, above all, how to adapt their products and messages to develop a more intimate relationship. This intimate relationship brings them closer to their customers or consumers, thereby finalizing the love for the brand and, therefore, the loyalty to it.
To create a special bond with customers and increase loyalty in the long term:
- Unify your clients around a common interest: Crayola and Under Armour
- Solve a specific need of your clients: Third Love
- Create new needs that integrate a community and show the brand’s understanding and support: LEGO
And, in all cases, show real stories that tell how customers embrace your brand in their everyday lives.
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