Marketing is the face of a brand. It’s how consumers see the brand’s values and make decisions without knowing its culture. DEI representation in marketing has become more essential than ever for any business that wants to see a rise in customer retention. Meta reports that 59% of consumers are more loyal to brands with effective DEI marketing
A New Generation of Consumers
Unlike former generations, Gen Z, the generation soon to have the most purchasing power, tends to care deeply about how brands empower the marginalized and address societal issues. As a “Zoomer” myself, I make most of my purchasing decisions based on how diverse I view a brand to be. Diversity in marketing helps me gauge whether that brand will be able to accommodate me. As soon as I see an advertisement that doesn’t reflect the diversity of my world, it tells me that the brand is not inclusive or welcoming. I get the ick—the brand ick. This just means I’ll probably not be associating with that brand any time soon, if ever.
The New Strategies Targeting Them
Nike is a good example of a company that utilizes diversity in marketing. The brand has long been praised for its inclusive campaigns and for championing athletes of all backgrounds and abilities. One campaign that particularly stood out was “Dream Crazy,” featuring ex-NFL player and civil rights activist Colin Kaepernick. Despite facing backlash from anti-DEI groups, Nike’s decision to support Kaepernick resulted in a 31% increase in sales. This inclusive mindset is partly why Nike has been a leader in the activewear industry for decades.
Another brand that has caught my eye is Accenture. In 2022, the company took the number one spot out of 50 top companies for diversity, according to DiversityInc. Besides this feat, the brand has created solutions such as AWARE, in partnership with Oracle, which helps other organizations bridge the gap between their DEI goals and real-world operations. Last year, it also formed a coalition with TD Bank called Disability:IN that exists to drive disability inclusion within the marketing and communications industry, furthering these companies’ commitments to promoting inclusivity internally and externally.
However, marketing can’t be the be-all, end-all of a company’s reputation. Some brands attempt “diversity washing,” a practice where brands create surface-level diversity campaigns without genuinely embracing inclusivity. Consumers are looking for authenticity, not tokenization.
Dove: Beauty is for Everyone
One brand deemed by many to be truly authentic is the beauty brand Dove. As we all know, the beauty industry is infamous for its long-standing history of exclusionary advertising. However, Dove’s 2004 Real Beauty campaign took the beauty industry by storm by daring to challenge traditional beauty standards. Featuring women of diverse ages, body types, and ethnicities, the campaign shattered the unrealistic ideals of most marketing strategies in the beauty industry, resonating with consumers globally and garnering their loyalty for two decades.
Recently, Dove became the first beauty brand to declare that it will never use AI-generated images of women in its ads. This move is consistent with Real Beauty’s message, while also addressing AI’s lack of diverse training data and its limitations with regard to portraying “real women.” Dove serves as a compelling example for other brands to follow in their pursuits of genuine DEI representation.
As more consumers become aware of and embrace DEI, brands must take it seriously both internally and externally. To achieve long-term success with consumers, brands must consider including more diverse voices and perspectives in their marketing campaigns. The expertise from these voices will support them in creating stronger relationships with their customers, fostering an inclusive and equitable environment for all, and possibly achieving hikes in sales and brand reputation.
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