DEI AND BRANDING: Crafting a More Inclusive Identity
Alberto Dell'Aquila
??Creativity, ?? Project Management, ??Recruitment, & ?? Marketing
In this Article I will try to explian the relationship between Branding, Marketing and DEI.
Creating a robust brand is essential for building a thriving business. Your brand is what sets you apart in the market, ensuring your relevance and leaving a lasting impression by consistently delivering value.
Essentially, your brand positioning defines your identity, clarifies your purpose, and differentiates you from competitors, fostering enduring customer loyalty.
To adapt to evolving market needs and maintain consistent quality, your brand should reflect its values at every interaction, with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) integrated into the heart of your operations.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) transcends mere brand identity and consumer perception—it directly influences purchase intent, sales expansion, and of course employees retention.
Why DEI really matters for brand marketers?
Simply put, consumers want to see brands acknowledge that people are different.
The differences include, but are not limited to, gender, age, race, sexual orientation, economic status, and physical and mental abilities.
DEI is all about making our workplaces more diverse, fair, and welcoming in a world that's always changing.
Successful brands understand the value of diversity, fairness, and making everyone (inside & outside the company) feel included. These values are super important in today's workplaces and society.
Lots of companies are getting on board with DEI. They're changing the way they hire and create their work environments.
When a potential employee notices a company's dedication to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace, they're more likely to consider applying for a job there.
This, in turn, leads to a broader range of job applicants and potential hires. Promoting diversity initiatives through branding can significantly influence both the recruitment and retention of employees.
A DEI strategy isn't just a good idea—it's crucial for building a workplace where everyone can do their best. It's about believing that everyone deserves a chance to succeed.
Branding and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) intersect at the very core of modern business strategy, serving as complementary forces driving organizational success. While branding traditionally focused on visual identity and messaging, its evolution now demands a deeper integration of values and principles that resonate with diverse audiences.
At this point becomes crucial clarify two key concepts when we talk about Branding in this contest: Employer Branding & Employees Engagement.
Employer branding serves as a strategic approach aimed at establishing your organization as the premier choice for employment, appealing to both existing staff (to foster retention) and potential candidates (as an attraction method).
Your employer brand encapsulates the perceptions of both current employees and job seekers regarding your company, its values, and the work environment it offers.
The objective of employer branding is twofold. Internally, it functions as a tool to enhance retention rates and encourage employee referrals.
Externally, it operates as a means to draw in top-tier talent by leveraging marketing tactics, offering attractive benefits, and shaping the public image of your organization.
How do you build your employer brand?
To start, consider your company's values and what makes you unique compared to others. This forms the basis of your employer value proposition.
Then, you need to decide how and where to communicate these values (career page or blog, social media platforms, online media outlets, newsletters, leveraging employees or brand ambassadors, and participating in events, meet-ups, or career fairs).
At this point Marketing & Content (Social Media, Articles, Videos, Photos) are important tools to use to communicate.
Employee engagement, instead, means how motivated and dedicated someone is to do their job well and help the company succeed.
Engaged employees are eager to do their best, finish tasks, and make a positive difference in the company. It's really important for a company to have engaged employees because it shows that the company is doing well and that the employees are happy.
Engaged team members usually: get more work done, produce quality results, get good scores on performance reviews, show up to work regularly, bounce back from challenges easily, feel satisfied with their work, and have good relationships with their coworkers.
HR leaders can foster a culture that promotes motivation and enthusiasm for both personal and company goals by implementing the following practices:
1. Consider the entire employee lifecycle, starting with a positive onboarding experience.
2. Encourage integrity, individuality, and innovation.
3. Gather feedback through surveys and reviews to identify areas for improvement.
4. Assess implemented changes using HRIS platforms and metrics.
5. Select and mentor managers who can effectively lead and inspire their teams.
The alignment between Branding and DEI not only enhances brand reputation but also cultivates a sense of trust and loyalty among consumers, ultimately driving long-term business growth and sustainability.
Thus, the merging of branding and DEI isn't just a matter of ethics; it's a strategic imperative for staying relevant and competitive in today's dynamic marketplace.
DEI initiatives infuse authenticity and inclusivity into brand narratives, fostering deeper connections with consumers who increasingly seek out socially responsible and empathetic brands. By embedding DEI principles into branding strategies, companies not only reflect the values of their diverse customer base but also demonstrate a commitment to fairness and equality. To see in details what we just talked about, and how actually Branding & DEI can blend together, I asked few questions to DEI Expert Diego Lazaro , Founder and Consultant at BE DIVERSE - D&I Corporate Trainings , based in Madrid.
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Hi Diego! Thank you for taking the time, please introduce yourself and tell us about you background and your professional role.
Hi, my name is Diego Lazaro. I am Swiss-Spanish and a Diversity and Inclusion Consultant specializing in LGBTQ+ inclusion. In addition to this focus, I also work across various other DEI areas, including gender inclusion, gender parity, neurodiversity, and cultural diversity, among others.
What is “BE DIVERSE”? And how it works?
BE DIVERSE is a consultancy firm I founded in 2021, initially focused on promoting LGBTQ+ inclusion in the workplace. Over time, we have expanded our services to cover a broader range of diversity and inclusion topics, such as Unconscious Bias, Stereotypes, Microaggressions, Inclusive Leadership, and more.
We collaborate with a variety of organizations, from large corporations to smaller businesses that are just beginning their DEI journey. Our approach is highly tailored to meet each client's specific needs, offering customized training, strategies, and solutions.
Our process typically begins with an employee survey to gauge the current sentiment around DEI within the company, followed by in-depth interviews with HR professionals, managers, and other stakeholders to assess the organizational culture and pinpoint where they are in their DEI efforts.
Based on the insights we gather, we work closely with the company's representatives to develop a comprehensive DEI strategy that aligns with their budget, resources, and desired impact. Our goal is to create a transparent, effective plan that drives meaningful change within the organization.
How do you integrate principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into branding strategies to create a more inclusive brand identity?
When discussing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in relation to branding, it’s essential to understand that fostering a diverse workforce is crucial for a company to attract and retain top talent and remain competitive. A company that hires only white, cisgender men, for example, risks stifling innovation and missing out on diverse ideas and perspectives. This lack of diversity can also negatively impact the product itself, making it less inclusive and potentially limiting its reach to diverse audiences, which can hinder the company's growth.
We live in a diverse society, and for a workforce to thrive, it must reflect that diversity. One of the first things we emphasize to companies is the business case for having a solid DEI strategy. To achieve this, internal branding plays a vital role. Employees must fully understand what the company is doing in terms of DEI initiatives to ensure they can effectively represent and share these efforts externally.
Communicating DEI strategies properly—through newsletters, verbal updates, and other forms of internal communication—is key. Employees need to be informed about the changes happening so they can become advocates for the company’s DEI efforts. Unfortunately, many companies fail to keep their workforce updated, which can slow down progress.
The first step in a successful DEI strategy is informing internal stakeholders. Once the workforce is aligned, the company can then focus on external communication, showcasing its inclusive culture, diverse teams, and commitment to providing equal opportunities to all, regardless of nationality, sexual orientation, gender, or any other factor.
External branding is equally crucial and should be communicated through various channels such as social media, external newsletters, the company website, and participation in DEI-related events. Having leadership involved in the DEI strategy, particularly those with a background in the area, can be highly beneficial in driving these efforts forward.
A strong presentation of the company’s values on its website is also critical, as this is often the first touchpoint for potential candidates. DEI efforts should be reflected in HR and recruitment, with the ultimate goal of attracting and retaining talent. Finally, it’s essential that the DEI strategy is aligned across all departments—not just HR, but also communication, marketing, sales, finance, and more—to ensure a cohesive and unified approach across the organization.
Can you share an example of successful branding initiative you've led that actively promoted diversity and inclusivity? What were the key elements of their success?
Earlier in my career, I had the opportunity to work with a prominent company in the Renewable Energy sector, where we spearheaded a branding initiative focused on increasing female representation in engineering roles. Our goal was to ensure that at least 30% of hires in these positions were women.
We successfully communicated this commitment across various platforms, including social media, the company website, marketing campaigns, and job descriptions. A significant effort was dedicated to crafting messaging that encouraged and empowered women to apply. Thanks to our extensive communication and marketing strategy, we achieved our target without any decline in the overall number of applications.
In your experience, what challenges have you encountered when implementing DEI-focused branding strategies, and how have you overcome them to drive positive outcomes?
Whether it's branding strategy or any DEI initiative, there are always challenges to navigate. DEI is still a relatively new topic, especially in Europe, where we've been focusing on it for around 5 to 10 years, though it has gained more traction in the U.S. for a bit longer.
There is growing research that highlights the benefits of DEI, not only for employees but for business success as well. However, a significant challenge remains in helping people grasp its importance from an ethical standpoint. A company should reflect the diversity of society—just as we live in diverse, multicultural communities, businesses should strive to be diverse, international, and inclusive.
Despite progress, there’s still much work to be done. Recently, both in Europe and the U.S., there have been substantial budget cuts to HR and DEI efforts. Additionally, there has been a noticeable backlash against DEI values, likely tied to shifts in the political landscape.
A prime example of this is the controversy surrounding Bud Light’s ad campaign in the U.S., which featured a transgender woman. The campaign quickly faced a wave of online hate and calls for a boycott, fueled not only by consumers but also by certain politicians. As a result, the company lost its leading position in the market and dropped from being one of the top two beer brands in the U.S.
This incident was disheartening and serves as a reminder of how much work still lies ahead. Despite these setbacks, I remain optimistic about DEI and its future. I believe that DEI will continue to champion the values we need as a society, because at its core, it’s about human rights and creating equitable opportunities for all.
Founder of BE DIVERSE - Diversity & Inclusion Consultancy | Human Resources | LGBT+ Activism ?????
3 周Thank you Alberto for the interview!