Shaping Inclusive Brands
Inclusiveness helps to shape better brands and businesses and, more importantly, results in a better world and a better future for everyone.
A grassroots push from historically marginalized communities is aligning with rising employee activism and consumer expectations around inclusion. It means that meaningful action on inclusion is the new imperative for brands and businesses.
In a global survey for Wunderman Thompson, 90% of respondents said that equality is now everyone's business, and 75% said companies and brands must play a role in solving significant societal challenges such as inequality and social injustice.
Communities that have endured discrimination have long called for their voices to be heard. Now, the global conversation on inclusion is gaining momentum. Younger generations, taking up the charge from their forebears, have higher social justice and equity expectations. The world over, populations are becoming more diverse, not less. And there's a global audience of millions ready to co-create the future of inclusive design, experiences and marketing.
As culture shapers, brands have a powerful role in building a truly inclusive world and reaping the rewards of doing so. Businesses can leverage their influence to break down barriers and drive equitable opportunity.
What's driving this?
The COVID-19 lens – The pandemic highlighted and exacerbated existing economic and health inequalities for many marginalised communities. It created space for global protest, including the surge in Black Lives Matter action (the world's biggest social justice movement), Stop Asian Hate rallies, and protests from disability rights advocates. Pandemic lockdowns proved the benefits of a more flexible workplace but increased the childcare burden for many.
Technology – The pandemic's pivot to digital has unlocked accessible experiences and democratized remote access to work and play. Automation is changing the shape of the global economy, eliminating many blue-collar roles, while artificial intelligence threatens to encode bias into decision-making algorithms.
Great expectations – People now expect brands to do more than just make a profit. Today, 78% say it's good for brands to support marginalised communities; and 60% say brands that do not deliver on inclusion will become irrelevant.
Employee power – Employees, especially younger ones, demand that companies respect social justice. On top of this, the pandemic has triggered widespread calls for remote and flexible working to be a standard benefit available to all.
Political power struggles – Authoritarian governments around the world are pushing back on advances in inequality and clamping down on freedoms, using practices that include voter suppression, restriction of education and abortion rights.
Inclusion starts with Identity
Identity is how we represent ourselves, personally or professionally. It encompasses multiple dimensions. The internal dimensions of age, race and gender are often central to personal Identity and our current life experience. But there are also external and even organizational dimensions that come into play. All of these can affect how an individual experiences positive or negative discrimination.
Most importantly, we know that people do not fit neatly into categories. Identities are, of course, intersectional, overlapping in multiple ways.
Intersectionality matters
Could someone describe you in just one word? Identity is much more nuanced than that. As Rhonda Hadi, Associate Professor of Marketing at the University of Oxford's Saïd Business School, explains: "We should be thinking about people in a much richer, three-dimensional way, acknowledging that people rarely fit into neat categories."
Insight from numbers
The analysis of the consumer data revealed the following insights:
Inclusion looks different around the world.
Consumers are demanding that businesses and their leaders step up.
People want meaningful action and tangible impact.
Inclusive brands have universal appeal.
Consumers will reward brands that deliver on inclusion.
Data reveals the following positive trends on inclusivity:
Intersectional storytelling – Diversity goes beyond the screen as the focus shifts to change behind the scenes too. After all, stories matter, along with who gets to tell them. They shape our reality and perceptions, influencing how we see ourselves and how we see others.
Amplifying diverse creators – Brands are upping their collaborations with marginalised creative talents, bringing them in as creators, artists and influencers.
Democratizing desire – Traditional beauty standards are being upended. Brands are empowering all individuals to feel beautiful and desirable.
Digital sanctuaries – Digital safe spaces that foster connection and self-expression are welcoming a wider array of communities.
Access all areas – Businesses are creating environments that meet the requirements of users with a broad spectrum of needs and abilities.
Mass inclusive design – Accessible products and services are hitting the mainstream as brands target mass distribution.
Elevated workplace belonging – Companies are moving from pledges to real action to make all employees feel they belong.
Meta-inclusion – The metaverse is primed for ultra-connective engagement, but can brands ensure virtual utopias that are inclusive, diverse and accessible to all?
Why inclusion matters
Diverse, equitable, accessible and inclusive businesses deliver multiple advantages, but those who dwell solely on the financial benefits are missing a trick. Most importantly, inclusivity is the right thing to do. As Ant Jackson, Creative Head at Space, explains: "We shouldn't implement true inclusion because it's better for business; we should implement true inclusion because it's better for everyone."
Inclusive design is simply good design. History shows that inclusive design can bring universal benefits and unlock more opportunities. Devices and technologies created for people who need adjustments often make life easier for all of us. People feel closer to brands that are inclusive. In fact, it's becoming an expectation: 60% say brands that do not deliver on inclusion will become irrelevant. And it's about business resilience too. Environmental, social, and governance credentials are increasingly crucial in investment analysis, and how companies treat their people is under scrutiny.
Inclusion fights negative groupthink and drives innovation. When teams are not diverse, things get overlooked. Research finds that inclusive businesses drive more innovation by giving everyone a seat at the table. And, in the fierce competition for talent, inclusion is imperative.
Takahiko Morinaga, President and CEO of the Japan LGBT Research Institute, tells us that "companies that properly consider diversity and inclusion are more likely to attract people. "Inclusion is not charity; it's good business sense. Businesses often see inclusion as doing good. In fact, it's also an opportunity – one that many are leaving on the table. But it's about so much more than the money. How businesses think about inclusion makes a difference in its impact. “