Thread by @amlewis4

38 Lessons on Diversity in Marketing (Thread)

Inspired by the Instagram Live conversation between @mkobach and @donyetaylor_.

Notes 👇

The Need for Diversity

• Marketing plays a role in how brands are perceived
• If management is of the same ethnicity, it's harder for them to tell a diverse story
• People create stories from their background

Trickle-Down Effect

• Lack of diversity has a trickle-down effect in marketing
• For example, it's hard to find stock photos of black men

Societal Racism

• Racism = The color of your skin determines if you are superior over another race
• If someone thinks they are better than you, they also think your ideas are beneath them
• Black people are always working from a position of disadvantage

Expanding Your Network

• Network with people that don't look like you
• Expand your perspective

Company Diversity

• Diversity isn't one person, it's an initiative, it's a plan
• Go to an agency's team page, it's usually all white people
• You need to give black people the keys to drive the car

Code-Switching

• The practice of alternating between two or more languages or dialects in a conversation
• Black people see a need to adjust how they talk in order to fit in
• Code-Switching is a form of mental slavery

Code-Switching (Part 2)

• Black people can't be themselves when they are in an environment where they have to code-switch
• It's up to their co-workers to make them feel comfortable in the workplace

Cancel Culture

• Brands are afraid to be "canceled" so they avoid the hard conversations
• Companies need to have quality control preferably outside the company to avoid being subject to cancel culture
• We need to be comfortable being uncomfortable

Ben & Jerry's

• Ben & Jerry's does a good job on diversity
• They intertwine brand activism into their DNA
• They spend time researching and educating consumers on issues
• Authenticity is a key trait in having success on this front

Suggestion Box

• Brands should have a suggestion box on their website asking how they can do a better job
• No one will be mad at a brand for asking for help

Focus on the Bigger Picture

• Don't think about how to make a campaign more diverse, think how you can make your company more diverse
• Ben & Jerry isn't worried about how their brand will be perceived in regards to #BlackOutTuesday b/c they've put in the work to be authentic

Diversity is Better for the Company

• Diversity isn't a single action
• A more diverse team leads to more diverse ideas
• Why always eat pasta when you can also eat pizza?
• The approval of Black culture is critical for the survival of a company

White People Can do a Better Job

• White people need to use their power to help Black people
• Focus on making the race conversation less sensitive
• It takes changing one person's perspective to make a difference
• When in doubt, don't force it

Google Black Man

Do you see mugshots?

It's the marketing industry's job to change that perspective.