Have you ever tried to shop online, found a really cute outfit and wondered what it would look like on your body type only to have no benchmark whatsoever to work with?
Say, you consider yourself a bigger-bodied person and yet the only photos that the clothing brand provides online are of thin models.
Or, vice versa (less common, but still possible!) — you have a relatively thin body, and yet the only images available online are those of voluptuous, plus size models.
If so, you know how real the struggle can be.
Either you order the thing anyway because it is seriously so cute, it arrives, and you end up wholly disappointed because it doesn’t fit at all the way you hoped it would. Or, you don’t even try because you want to avoid that whole IRL (in real life) disappointment altogether.
Now, lets say, you do decide to move forward with the purchase with all of your fingers and toes crossed and you hit the checkout window to discover it is all in a foreign language (and Google Translate took the day off!).
You’re trying to figure out what the deal is going to be if you want to return said item, but you have no idea, because, well…you can’t read their return policy.
Would you complete the purchase? Or would you just go and try to track down another website with an (almost) equally as cute outfit? Or, if you did complete the purchase but ended up returning it — would you ever shop there again?
This is precisely what it is like for people who have to try to navigate this digital world that we are all so embedded in without the proper accommodations.
And if you’re not inclusive and accessible in your marketing, you are actively repelling people who want to do business with you.
It’s not only bad marketing, but it’s just downright bad human-ing.
Not sure if you fit into this category? Or want to make sure that you NEVER fit into this category of inaccessible, non-inclusive marketing? Then Just Marketing® is for you.
Let’s Get Clear: What is Just Marketing®?
Justice = Diversity, equity, inclusion, & accessibility.
I define Just Marketing® as promoting your business in a way that:
- Prioritizes accessibility & inclusivity
- Values people over profit
- Evaluates all campaigns/strategies through an equity-centered lens
Just Marketing® is genuine marketing for ALL people.
There are two elements of this type of marketing that is most relevant in our world today: Inclusivity and Accessibility.
Let's talk about these two elements, why it matters, and how you can incorporate them into your marketing strategy.
Why Does Inclusivity Matter in Marketing?
We could say “just be a nice person and be sensitive to the needs of all groups of people in your market.”
That would be a quick conversation.
However, marketing through a DEI (diversity, equity & inclusion) lens can seem rather layered and nuanced to many. They just don’t know exactly how to go about it. But, that certainly doesn’t mean they shouldn’t try. Here’s why.
- 75% of Gen Z consumers say they’ll boycott companies discriminating against race and sexuality across advertisement campaigns. (McKinsey & Co.)
- Two-thirds of women will skip ads if they feel the ads negatively stereotype women. (Marketing Week)
- In 2019, a survey found that 64% of all respondents took some action after seeing an ad they considered to be diverse or inclusive. (Google & The Female Quotient)
- More than four in five buyers say they would rather buy from a more diverse sales organization than a less diverse organization with equal offerings. (LinkedIn State of Sales 2021)
Notice anything in common between the last two statistics? Here it is in layman’s terms: If you want to run a sustainable business in today’s market, you should consider making your marketing more inclusive.
There’s also the fact that it’s just a good, human-centered approach to business (and life!).
Why Does Accessibility Matter in Marketing?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 15% of the population lives with some form of a disability. Approximately 2.2 billion people worldwide have some form of vision impairment, and about 5% of the global population is Deaf or hard-of-hearing.
So, if I am hard of hearing, what then? How do I navigate the online world and access your digital content on say, your social media?
And while disabilities like being Deaf or hard-of-hearing, vision impairment, or a physical disability like depending on a wheelchair are relatively visible — many disabilities are not. Those who walk through life with them should not be denied accessible marketing simply due to their lack of visibility.
There are also permanent, temporary, and situational disabilities to take into consideration. Someone who is born without the use of their legs lives with a permanent disability, while someone who suffers from an ear infection and their hearing is impaired as a result experiences a temporary disability until the infection heals.
And, at the end of the day, by implementing accessible marketing, you will potentially expand your reach and audience, and make a much more positive impact in your industry.
Why a Shift to Just Marketing® is Just Necessary
Hey, a little wordplay occasionally is good for the soul. I digress.
- Kindness and Compassion: Look, ultimately, you are selling to people. It does not matter whether your business is B2B or B2C, it’s all fundamentally H2H (Human-to-Human). Just Marketing® should have always been the norm in marketing, but here we are in the 21st century talking about it. It’s long overdue. Just be kind. It ain’t that hard to do.
- Increased Reach: By making your content more accessible, you can avoid excluding a sizable portion of your audience and missing out on important conversions, conversations, and connections. Just Marketing® means more of everything you want for your business.
- Legality & Compliance: Did you know? Most digital accessibility lawsuits focus on the websites of brands and companies. It is also very likely that social media platforms and apps will soon begin to face legal scrutiny as well. Methinks it's best to not take chances on a business you’ve worked hard to build, don’t you think? Be proactive, not reactive.
There is also the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), passed in 1990.
This was well before most modern digital platforms existed.
In 2019, a ruling was issued stating that the ADA can, in certain instances, also apply to the websites and apps of businesses. At least 22 other countries and the U.S. have governmental policies related to web accessibility.
If your business pays tax because the law says so, then perhaps you should switch to Just Marketing®. The law kinda demands that too.
Advantages of Just Marketing®
Not only do you reach a wider range of your market and generate more revenue for your business, but:
- You avoid any legal interference in your business
- You build a relatable brand image
- You make the world a better place
Disadvantages of Just Marketing®
- You tell me
How can I Practice Just Marketing®?
I thought you'd never ask. It really is not all that hard to do! It requires you to make simple tweaks to your existing marketing strategy, sure, but when all is said and done, you will have a far more equitable and accessible business.
Accessible Marketing Suggestion: Captioning videos will allow the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community to conveniently access your content. I mean, even you may have sometimes watched a Youtube video with just the captions at some point, but that was a choice. For people with hearing disabilities, it is their only option.
Inclusive Marketing Suggestion: Use pronouns like they/them to recognize the growing number of people who prefer nonbinary messaging, free of gender constraints. The landscape of gender identity is fluid — we should be equally as fluid in our marketing and messaging.
The Just Marketing® Podcast: For Equity-Centered Marketers & Entrepreneurs
Does Just Marketing® come naturally to everyone? No. Is change scary? Always. Should we all still make this shift in order to be more inclusive, equitable and accessible in our marketing?
Absolutely.
Which is why I am so excited to launch the Just Marketing® podcast! This podcast is for equity-centered marketers and entrepreneurs. Whether you have been a disciple of this principle or you’re just coming onto the idea.
We want to build a community that will advance this shift in marketing as we know it. To make marketing more inclusive and accessible. We release new episodes of the Just Marketing® podcast every week and you can listen wherever you listen to your podcasts.
Or, share this blog post with someone who you think could make their marketing more inclusive! A better world thanks you.
