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
Feb 8, 2024 • 31min
97. Inclusive marketing ethics
Marketing ethics, or more specifically, the ethics associated with inclusive marketing doesn’t get talked about nearly enough as it should.Of course, I’m a big proponent of brands engaging and serving people from underrepresented and underserved communities. But there are times when I wish brands wouldn’t focus on specific communities, and would just leave them alone.Why? Because in certain instances, brands do more harm than good when engaging with certain underrepresented and underserved communities.In this episode I walk you through 5 inclusive marketing ethical considerations, and the mindset you need to have to ensure you're not causing harm to the communities you want to serve.Get the Inclusion & Marketing Newsletter hereGet the episode transcript hereFind links to everything covered in this episode here
Feb 1, 2024 • 16min
96. How to do representation in marketing the right way
Representation matters. We know this. But all representation isn't created equal. In this episode, I walk you through how to do representation in marketing the right way, infused with insights from consumers.Get the transcript hereGet the Inclusion & Marketing Newsletter2021 State of Representation in Marketing StudyOrange FIFA Women's World Cup adEpisode 51: How To Create Inclusive Content That Makes More People Feel Seen with Natasha PierreEpisode 53: The Inclusive Marketing Framework The Big Brands Use with Jerry DaykinEpisode 45: Factors That Influence Your Customers' Success That You Should Be Aware OfMeryl Evans post on LinkedIn about accurate portrayal of people with disabilities
Jan 25, 2024 • 33min
95. Navigating the effective use of AI for inclusive marketing with Joyann Boyce
Everyone has been talking about artificial intelligence (AI) of late. And as more brands and marketers incorporate AI into their workflow, it is important to understand the implications of how AI impacts the inclusiveness of your marketing efforts.To help us navigate this, I sat down with Joyann Boyce, an inclusive marketing strategist, and founder of Inclued AI.Get the episode transcript hereGet the Inclusion & Marketing NewsletterInclued AIPrevious episode with Joyann - #75: Inclusive marketers react to campaigns from Barbie, Sainsbury's, McDonald's, and moreMarketing Made Inclusive podcast
Jan 18, 2024 • 45min
94. Inclusive product design with Sabrina Meherally
Inclusive marketing is about more than just communications. The foundation of delivering experiences that enables you to attract and retain more consumers, including those from underrepresented and underserved communities, is an inclusive product.The products and services you deliver, need to be designed with the identities you've chosen to serve in mind.In this discussion with inclusive product design expert Sabrina Meherally, founder of Pause & Effect, we walk through the essentials of designing products that make it possible for more people to achieve success.Get the episode transcriptGet the Inclusion & Marketing newsletterPause & EffectSabrina Meherally on LinkedIn
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
