According to the Jan. 5, 2021 issue of Forbes Magazine, "...based upon growing trends in the market, building an inclusive brand will soon transform from a 'nice to do' to a 'must do.'"
The Universal Marketing Dictionary defines inclusive marketing as "Inclusive marketing (also called inclusion marketing or diversity marketing) refers to marketing strategies, tactics and technologies that have a goal to create a sense of welcoming and belonging, often for members of demographic or societal groups considered underserved, marginalized or legally protected."
Common objectives for inclusive marketing are to communicate that differences among people are respected and valued by the enterprise. These differences can include ethnicity, race, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, body type, presence of disability, or any other factor.”
Google has created an impressive inclusive marketing toolkit called All In.
"As marketers, every creative choice we make has the power to shape how we see ourselves and each other – and make a positive contribution to the media landscape. Yet too many perspectives are being excluded from all stages of the creative process. We would like to change that."
And what is most impressive about this toolkit is that Google has made it available to everyone. "Whether you're a strategist, creative, producer, or brand manager – this work is for you."
All In includes a range of guides, best practices, and tools that can be used to make marketing campaigns more inclusive and reach a wider audience.
In the audience section of All In, Google has broken out the toolkit into audience insights to help break down bias and stereotypes that can creep into our marketing.
Let's look at just a few of the audience insights for Disabled People.
What is disability-inclusive marketing and why is it important?
Disability-inclusive marketing is built on the premise that marketing should represent and be accessible to all people with or without disabilities. Not only is including people with disabilities the right thing to do, but it also makes marketing more authentic.
Word choice and appropriate language
Be thoughtful about word choice, but don’t let it derail the story. Consider using language that is both inclusive and empowering. There is no common language about how to address disability.
Some people advocate for the use of people-first language (e.g., people with disabilities), while others push for identity-first language (e.g., disabled people). This decision is related to the individual's own relationship with their disability and their disability journey.
Accessibility efforts should show up throughout the entire project
From information gathering, briefing, content strategy, and production to design and engineering, accessibility should be considered.
Present people with disabilities in a positive, empowered way
Show people with disabilities in everyday situations – in school, at work, in the community. Individuals with disabilities should be expressing themselves, rather than having another person (such as a caregiver or family member) form opinions for them.
This is not the entire list, but it represents elements of inclusive marketing that don’t always get top billing or included in the "how-tos."
"To create work that reflects the world we need to be all in."
