We all have at least one thing that makes us different.
And because being different is hard, most people work to hide their differences. They do it to feel normal. They do it to fit in. They do it to feel like they belong.Life is about belonging. And because of that business is about belonging.
The challenge is that many brands err on the side of catering to the “mainstream” in their marketing. And while they focus their attention and resources on the masses, they unfortunately end up making many customers who have differences that cause them to not fit so cleanly into what’s considered “mainstream” – feel like outcasts.
They send signals that communicate “this isn’t for you” and “you don’t belong here.”
And thus consumers with differences have largely remained frustrated and underserved.
This is changing however.
Inclusive marketing is the future of marketing.
There are a number of reasons why this is true, including changing consumer demographics, changing consumer expectations, and even government mandates.
Consumers are starting to see that not only do they not have to hide their differences, but they can lean into them and put them front and center if they so desire.
And because of all this, being an inclusive brand is rapidly becoming no longer a “nice to do” but a must do. It will soon be just “the way we do marketing.”
The goal of this HUB is to equip you with the knowledge, resources, and confidence you need to authentically serve customers with differences.
Customers with differences have good money to spend (and so do the people who care about them —> the spillover effect is real). And they’ll gladly spend it with you when they feel like they belong with you.
Let’s make sure you know how to deliver experiences that make them feel that way.
About Sonia Thompson
your inclusive marketing strategist, consultant, and educatorI spent more than a decade in marketing growing multi-million and billion dollar brands around the world at Johnson & Johnson and other pharmaceutical companies.
I came into the world of inclusive marketing as an entrepreneur because I have a lot of differences. I’m a Black woman. I used to live in Buenos Aires, where I met my Spanish-speaking, Argentine husband. We have a mixed-race bilingual daughter. I follow a gluten-free diet in my quest to win the battle against my auto-immune disorders. And I’m also a proud left-hander.
I use my experiences as someone who’s been both frustrated and delighted by the experiences brands have delivered when it comes to my differences, along with my background in marketing and customer experience, to evangelize about inclusive marketing.
Through my speaking, content, and programs, hundreds of thousands of people have been educated about inclusive marketing and belonging. My goal is to keep it going until everyone, no matter their differences, has a place where they feel like they belong.
I also welcome opportunities to dust the rust off my dance shoes for a bit of salsa, bachata, or Argentine tango.