Happy February! As Black History Month commences, it is important to reflect on modern media habits and how we can find new ways to advocate for greater diversity among the digital industry. Marketing has become a major pillar of today’s society, and has entered an era of great scrutiny. Messages are now being observed and interpreted more frequently than ever, and the share button has the power to make or break an organization. Because of this, it is becoming essential to represent all communities of our global society to promote equality in inclusion.
Marketing Week’s 2020 Career and Salary Survey reveals a stark lack of representation within the marketing industry, showing that the distribution of race is 88% white, 5% Asian, 4% mixed heritage and only 2% Black. Recognizing this imbalance and understanding the fundamental nature of feeling heard is essential for business success. Forbes Magazine reports that Gen-Z is a generation “for the people”. Understanding and aligning with businesses beliefs and values has become increasingly important in order to remain successful. Specifically, Gen-Z progressively demands for politically correct and inclusive content coming from businesses. These organizations are at risk of falling within the “cancel culture” that continues to boycott & shun unacceptable perceived attitudes. Recognizing diversity and equality needs within businesses ethics is becoming more and more important as this generation continues to form opinions.
Increasing diversity within marketing efforts helps organizations reach and identify with a greater number of communities. Doing this both contributes to a more politically correct society and targets more specific populations. In turn, this benefits marketers as it boosts relatability and variety in responses. Achieving a strong sense of diversity involves various factors. Having a great product or service is no longer what it takes to gain approval from outsiders. With an overarching sense of competitiveness within professional industries, consumers have no choice but to create emotional attachments when they feel spoken to in a positive way. Organizations must take this into consideration and actively demonstrate steps they are taking to promote inclusivity and to represent all individuals.
