Inclusion and Marketing
Sonia Thompson
Attract, convert, and retain a bigger, more diverse, and fiercely loyal customer base with inclusive marketing strategies that fuel business growth. Inclusion & Marketing is hosted by Sonia Thompson — inclusive marketing strategist, consultant, and columnist for Forbes, Inc., and HubSpot — and gives you practical strategies to infuse inclusion into every stage of your customer journey, from customer acquisition and conversion to customer loyalty and customer success. Through solo deep dives, expert interviews, and behind-the-scenes case studies with top brands, you’ll learn how to create customer experiences that resonate with underrepresented and underserved communities — and drive business growth. Part of the HubSpot Podcast Network.What you’ll hear:
How to build internal systems that support inclusive marketing — so your campaigns are authentic from the inside out.
How to deliver marketing campaigns, communications, and customer experiences that win more customers — including people from underrepresented and underserved communities.
What’s working (and what isn’t) for brands today as they try to effectively engage today’s consumer.
If you’re asking these questions, you’re in the right place:
How do I deliver authentic marketing that actually converts more customers?
How can I grow my customer base in today’s diverse marketplace?
How do I effectively engage underrepresented and underserved customer groups?
How do I connect inclusive marketing directly to business growth and results?
How to build internal systems that support inclusive marketing — so your campaigns are authentic from the inside out.
How to deliver marketing campaigns, communications, and customer experiences that win more customers — including people from underrepresented and underserved communities.
What’s working (and what isn’t) for brands today as they try to effectively engage today’s consumer.
If you’re asking these questions, you’re in the right place:
How do I deliver authentic marketing that actually converts more customers?
How can I grow my customer base in today’s diverse marketplace?
How do I effectively engage underrepresented and underserved customer groups?
How do I connect inclusive marketing directly to business growth and results?
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jul 13, 2023 • 36min
67. Evite CMO shares how the brand expanded their customer base
In this episode you’re going to hear about how Evite, a company that touches over 100 million people in the US each year — has embraced expanding the way they thought about who had the problem their brand solves, particularly as it relates to the parenthood journey, and how that’s allowed them to serve more people.Get the full transcript hereGet the Inclusion & Marketing newsletter
Jul 6, 2023 • 25min
66. Common mistakes that prevent your brand's growth
Inclusive marketing not only is a good thing to do, but when done right it helps brands grow on a number of fronts. Conversely, not engaging in inclusive marketing prevents many brands from growing. In this episode I cover common ways not being inclusive is preventing brands from growing.Join the Inclusion & Marketing NewsletterGet the transcript of this episodeLinks mentioned in this episode:How to create an accessible brand for people with disabilities with Erin PerkinsHow to increase customer success for people who are not in the majority, with Natalya Sanyal
Jun 29, 2023 • 14min
65. The truth about 'woke' brands and companies getting political
There's been an uptick in the number of brands that are being called out for being both 'woke' and 'political'. But what does it even mean for a brand to be 'woke'? This episode covers the true meaning of woke, what it means for brands, and why all brands are inherently political.Transcript of this episodeTop companies in the US who lobby the governmentJoin the Inclusion & Marketing Newsletter
Jun 22, 2023 • 36min
64. How to build an accessible website
There's a growing number of cases where brands are being sued because their websites are not ADA compliant with regard to accessibility. The goal isn't to make you fearful, it is to get you informed about what you need to know to make your website both compliant and inclusive from an accessibility standpoint. I'm joined by Mark Pound, CEO of CurbCutOS, a web accessibility consultancy.Get the transcript of this episode hereCurbCutOSHow Google makes their brand accessibleHow to create an accessible brand with Erin PerkinsJoin the Inclusion & Marketing Newsletter
Jun 15, 2023 • 20min
63. How Google makes their brand accessible
Disability impacts more of us than we think. And because of that – focusing on accessibility in your marketing will enable your brand to not only serve more people than you think - but allow you to make a positive impact on their lives.Accessibility is a big topic – and it can feel a bit overwhelming at times. So today, I’m going to give you practical ways to think about how to lean into accessibility in with your brand by walking you through how Google approaches accessibility.Get the transcript of this episode hereInclusive Brand Type are You? Inclusive Brand Type QuizGoogle All In - Disability PlaybookBuilding for EveryoneGet the Inclusion & Marketing weekly newsletter
Jun 8, 2023 • 29min
62. How to build a diverse customer base with Gloria Chou
In today’s episode, I sat down with Gloria Chou, of Gloria Chou PR. I was super intrigued when Gloria told me that the majority of her clientele - I believe it was upwards of 90% are women of color.I wanted to learn about how she did it – what she did to build such a diverse and loyal customer base that get results over and over again.So I sat down with her, and got the goods – and I’m thrilled to share about what Gloria’s done, so you can think about how to apply it to your own brand.Episode transcriptGloria's WebsiteGet the Inclusion & Marketing Newsletter
Jun 1, 2023 • 31min
61. How to deal with resistance to inclusion
There is resistance to inclusion and inclusive marketing, and that resistance is causing some marketers to hesitate and rethink their approach.That’s a mistake.Resistance to inclusion isn't new. We've been here before as a society, and there's already been much written on the topic. In this episode I explore the resistance, and how to deal with it so you can continue to embrace the future of marketing: inclusive marketing.Get the transcript of the episode hereInclusive Marketing Lessons from Bud Light's Dylan Mulvaney FumbleMLK's 'Letter from Birmingham Jail' Audio/Video version of MLK's 'Letter from Birmingham Jail' The Five Heartbeats - "You Sure You Want to Hang with Old Eddie Kane?"What Inclusive Brand Type Are You?Inclusive Brand Type Quiz ----Join the Inclusion & Marketing newsletter
May 25, 2023 • 40min
60. Designing inclusive experiences for neurodivergent consumers
Data shows one in five people are neurodivergent. That means it is very likely that a number of your customers fall within that spectrum. As a result, it is important to understand more about this community and ways in which your brand can show them they belong with you. In this episode, I chat with neurodiversity experts Ludmila Praslova, Aviva Legatt, and Caroline Stokes -- who share their expertise as well as their own lived experience on this topic.Get the transcript of the episode hereJoin the Inclusion & Marketing newsletter
May 18, 2023 • 37min
59. How to create an accessible brand for people with disabilities with Erin Perkins
Globally, 15 percent of the world's population has some form of disability. And as we think about building a business that includes more people, baking accessibility into what you offer is a smart way to do so. To help you with that, Erin Perkins, founder of MabelyQ is on the show today. She's an accessibility educator, and she's got very practical tips to help you start being more accessible with your brand today.Access the transcript of the episode hereErin's Links:Successible PlatformSocial media Accessibility ChecklistInstagramWebsiteGet the Inclusion & Marketing newsletter
May 11, 2023 • 41min
58. How to build an LGBTQ+ inclusive brand with Hank Paul
An LGBTQ+ inclusive brand is intentional about showing people from this community that they belong. That goes beyond just showing up during PRIDE month. In this episode I talk with Hank Paul, a Queer Inclusion Strategist, about practical ways you can build a brand that makes the LGBTQ+ community feel seen, safe, and supported.Access the transcript hereThe Business Allyship RoadmapHank on InstagramJoin the Inclusion & Marketing Newsletter
