Frictionless Growth Marketing
Sonia Thompson
Friction is the enemy of growth.
And Frictionless Growth Marketing is the show for marketers, business leaders, and founders who want to grow by removing the friction in their customer experience—the kind you may not even realize is pushing people away every single day.
Hosted by Sonia Thompson, Inclusive Growth & Customer Experience Strategist, the show teaches you how to create sustainable growth by designing customer experiences that feel seamless, intuitive, and human—experiences that earn deep trust with today’s identity-rich, values-driven consumers.
Each week, Sonia breaks down what it really takes to grow in today’s market with today’s customer—from evolving traditional tactics so they actually work now, to decoding shifts in customer behavior and expectations, to learning from brand case studies so you can adapt with clarity and confidence.
You’ll learn how to:
Build frictionless customer journeys that convert
Engage identity-rich growth communities with authenticity
Design inclusive, high-performing growth strategies
Elevate brand trust, belonging, and loyalty
Remove the messaging, experience, and operational barriers holding your business back
Plus, you’ll hear candid conversations with marketing leaders and subject-matter experts about how the smartest brands are winning by putting identity, belonging, and experience at the center of their growth engine.
If you want to reach more of the people you’re meant to serve—and convert more of them—without leaning on outdated formulas or brute-force tactics (that quite frankly are less and less effective each day), this show will guide you through the new rules of modern growth.
And Frictionless Growth Marketing is the show for marketers, business leaders, and founders who want to grow by removing the friction in their customer experience—the kind you may not even realize is pushing people away every single day.
Hosted by Sonia Thompson, Inclusive Growth & Customer Experience Strategist, the show teaches you how to create sustainable growth by designing customer experiences that feel seamless, intuitive, and human—experiences that earn deep trust with today’s identity-rich, values-driven consumers.
Each week, Sonia breaks down what it really takes to grow in today’s market with today’s customer—from evolving traditional tactics so they actually work now, to decoding shifts in customer behavior and expectations, to learning from brand case studies so you can adapt with clarity and confidence.
You’ll learn how to:
Build frictionless customer journeys that convert
Engage identity-rich growth communities with authenticity
Design inclusive, high-performing growth strategies
Elevate brand trust, belonging, and loyalty
Remove the messaging, experience, and operational barriers holding your business back
Plus, you’ll hear candid conversations with marketing leaders and subject-matter experts about how the smartest brands are winning by putting identity, belonging, and experience at the center of their growth engine.
If you want to reach more of the people you’re meant to serve—and convert more of them—without leaning on outdated formulas or brute-force tactics (that quite frankly are less and less effective each day), this show will guide you through the new rules of modern growth.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jan 11, 2024 • 22min
93. The Inclusive Marketing Spectrum with examples for each
There's plenty of articles and other content that showcase inclusive marketing examples. The problem with many of those, is they don't really help you understand the different ways in which a brand can engage in inclusive marketing and the impact those various approaches have on the end consumer.It is important to recognize that not all forms of inclusive marketing are created equal.In this episode, I'll walk you through my Inclusive Marketing Spectrum, and will give you examples of what brands in each category on the spectrum looks like in practice.Get the Inclusion & Marketing NewsletterGet the episode transcript hereLinks to examples mentioned in this episode
Jan 4, 2024 • 20min
92. A blueprint for inclusive marketing success in 2024 and beyond
There's no one right way to do inclusive marketing. However, there are some best practices and core principles that when applied will enable you to achieve success in your efforts, and make a positive impact not only in the lives of those you want to serve, but also on your bottom line. This episode includes 5 approaches for inclusive marketing success in 2024 and beyond.Get the Inclusion & Marketing NewsletterGet the episode transcriptArticles mentioned in the episode:2021 - 4 Inclusive marketing trends that will impact your brand 2022 - Embracing these 5 inclusive marketing principles to win more customers2023 -5 Consumer expectations of brands engaging in inclusive marketing
Dec 28, 2023 • 24min
91. Understanding diversity-owned and diversity-targeted media with Carlos Santiago
There's lots of ways to reach out and find your ideal customer. A common way brands have always used is paid media. And as targeting improves, paid media is often a proven way to reach people from underrepresented and underserved communities.In this episode, Carlos Santiago, co-founder of AIMM, the Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing, and I chat about the benefits for brands of engaging in paid media, and the impact is has on the communities.Get the Inclusion & Marketing NewsletterAIMM Research we chatted aboutSantiago Solutions Group
Dec 21, 2023 • 38min
90. Inclusive marketers react to new Ralph Lauren and Zara debacle
A lot has happened in the news with regard to inclusive marketing, and there's lots to talk about here. Today, Mariam Shahab and I chat about the new Ralph Lauren X Naiomi Glasses campaign, and all the backlash surrounding Zara, the now-removed campaign, and their, ahem, statement.Get the Inclusion & Marketing NewsletterArticle covering best practices of Ralph Lauren X Naiomi Glasses campaignEpisode 21: Cultural appropriation and inappropriate use of a culture not your own: Let's talk about itMariam Shahab on LinkedIn
Dec 14, 2023 • 54min
89. Embedding inclusion into business planning for sustainable growth
Inclusive marketing leads to sustained business growth. But for that to happen, it needs to be embedded into your strategic business planning process. In this episode, I sat down with Christina Griffin, a business planning consultant for billion dollar brands. We also walk through her framework that highlights how to infuse inclusion into the process.Get the Inclusion & Marketing NewsletterChristina's business planning framework
Dec 7, 2023 • 33min
88. Managing the change of operating as an inclusive brand, with Nancy Harris
Change has to be managed well for it to be implemented effectively. As you work to build an inclusive brand -- especially if you haven't fully operated that way in the past, managing that change is essential, to ensure you get the sustained results you're after.We talk about ways to do that in this episode with Nancy Harris.Get the Inclusion & Marketing NewsletterNancy Harris - Restart Consulting
Nov 30, 2023 • 24min
87. How brands showed these consumers they belonged
Life is about belonging. And because of that, business is about belonging. On this week's episode, you'll hear from real consumers --- who also happen to be previous guests on this show, share their experiences of when brands showed them they belonged, and how they responded.Get the Inclusion & Marketing Newsletter
Nov 24, 2023 • 33min
86. How to make more people feel like they belong with Unni Turrettini
Expert on belonging Unni Turrettini discusses practical ways to create a sense of belonging for both team members and customers. Topics include the connection between loneliness and mass shootings, the impact of not feeling like you belong, creating environments of connection, making customers feel valued, and building customer loyalty.
Nov 16, 2023 • 16min
85. Lessons in Belonging from Beyonce's Renaissance World Tour
Life is about belonging. And because of that, business is about belonging. While belonging can often feel like an elusive term, the truth is that belonging plays an essential role in earning fiercely loyal customers. This episode walks you through 5 lessons in belonging I picked up from attending Beyonce's Renaissance World tour in person.Get the Inclusion & Marketing Newsletter
Nov 9, 2023 • 29min
84. The truth about customer experience
Stories of customer experience (or lack thereof) has been in the news a lot lately. No one wants to have a bad customer experience. No one. And that of course includes people from underrepresented and underserved communities.Here are common ways brands deliver a less than stellar customer experience to those consumers, and what you can do instead.Get the Inclusion & Marketing Newsletter
