Inclusivity as a Business Strategy
AJ Kulatunga
“Tomorrow Better Than Today” || Business Strategist & Global Keynote Speaker on Business Creativity || Get It Done? || If you want to challenge business as usual thinking & unlock opportunity ???? DM/Email/Send a pigeon
With 28% of Australia’s population speaking a language other than English at Home, “Inclusivity” isn’t just about doing the right thing. It’s a powerful business strategy.
Diversity Theatre
“What I love about the theatre is that it's always metaphorical. It's like going back to being a kid again, and we're all pretending in a room.” - Mark Haddon | Author
Australian companies often struggle to tap into the full potential of cultural diversity, instead relying on "Diversity Theatre" – token events and celebrations that showcase cultural differences through food, but little else. While these efforts provide a welcome opportunity for social media posturing and demonstrate a commitment to inclusivity, they only scratch the surface of what's possible. To truly harness the power of cultural diversity, business leaders should think bigger and consider the broader ecosystem in which their companies operate – the Australian consumer landscape.
Who Are We As a Nation?
Australia is a culturally diverse nation, according to the 2021 Census data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Of the estimated 25.4 million people living in Australia, 18.3 million (72%) identify as White/Anglo Saxon/Caucasian and speak English at home*. However, more than a quarter of the population – 7.1 million people (28%) – speak a language other than English at home, representing a diverse array of ethnicities, including our Indigenous Brothers, Sisters and Others.
As consumers, these individuals are a major contributing factor in the Australian market, making it essential for businesses to tap into this cultural richness. By embracing and incorporating the nuances of different ethnicities, companies can unlock new business opportunities and create inclusive products and services that resonate with diverse communities.
Inclusivity isn’t just a business strategy, it’s the right thing to do.?
Inclusivity That Drives Business Results
Engage Customers Where They’re At
Years ago I visited my friend Cam who owned a car dealership. When I walked through the doors it was like the United Nations. Several different ethnicities were all busy attending to customers. When I remarked that I hadn’t seen so much multiculturalism in a business since I left my hometown of Darwin, he replied that he loved including different cultures. It helped him represent the business as a stronger part of the community. He went on to explain that when each of the staff were active in their own communities, his brand would be actively represented. This eventually translated into more sales. Plus he would ensure that whenever anyone walked into the dealership, they could, if they wanted to, talk to someone from their own cultural background. This helped to build trust with new customers who might have been a little nervous when spending a significant amount of their salary on a new car purchase.
Key Questions for Leaders: What’s the cultural background of the area your business operates within? Does the composition of your staff accurately reflect that??
Work With the Culture, Not Against It
Uber Eats is wildly popular in Australia but what do you do when your customers are fasting and do not require your services??
Ramadan is a month of fasting, prayer and reflection for Muslims globally that occurs during the ninth month of the Islamic Calendar. With 813,392 people (3.2% of the population) in Australia who identify as Muslim, usage of the app surely would have taken a hit during that time. Instead of just ignoring this, Uber Eats chose to acknowledge their Muslim customers with a special message that said, “Eat with us, when you’re ready.”
Uber Eats in the UK took this a step further and purchased digital advertising space in prominent areas to support Iftar, the fast-breaking meal that Muslims are allowed to have at sunset. The campaign featured different signature Iftar dishes including watermelon, fattoush, sheesh and dates.?Furthermore, as Iftar doesn’t occur at the same time in every location, the ads featured the sunset time of that particular day so customers could schedule their food deliveries.?
Brands who care about their customers win their love and their loyalty.
Key Questions for Leaders: Do your customers celebrate any religious rituals? How can you align your products and services to be supportive of them?
Empower Your Customers Through Autonomy
Being inclusive doesn’t just relate to cultural diversity (that’s just my area of expertise through lived experiences). At its core, it’s about caring for the people who choose to invest their money in your brand. And this is a great example.
Mecca is an Australian cosmetics company that like most brands takes advantage of significant dates of social celebrations like Mother's Day and Father's Day. This year they did something different for Mother’s Day. Recognising that not everyone wants to be reminded about these days of celebration, they sent out a message to their customers:
In the lead-up to Mother’s Day, we just wanted to check in as we understand not everyone wants to receive emails on the subject. We’ve made it easy to opt out by following the link - and - while you’re there, feel free to update any other preferences so we can be sure to send you what you want to see.
As a brand, this demonstrates incredible sensitivity. It also makes customers feel like they matter and aren’t just a line item on a list. Also, giving customers autonomy over their preferences like this really goes a long way to establishing trust, especially when other brands just can’t be bothered.?
When you care about the little things, they become big things in the minds of your customers.
Key Questions for Leaders: What dates do you openly celebrate through your marketing? Is there an alternative angle where people might not want to celebrate also? How can you give your customers control over what they would like to, and not like to see from your brand?
领英推荐
One Last Thing…
We have this beautiful song here in Australia that many of us locals encountered while growing up. It’s called “I Am Australian” and it was written in 1987 by Aussie folk band, “The Seekers”. The song highlights the journeys of those who travelled to Australia from all over the world and how we’ve come together to form a uniquely Australian identity. It's a message that highlights the importance of embracing diversity and celebrating what makes each of us special. I love the chorus in particular:
We are one, but we are many.
And from all the lands on earth we come.?
We share a dream and sing with one voice:
I am.?
You are.?
We are Australian.
The more I reflect upon the lyrics against the backdrop of Australian society today, I feel like it is a message that is long forgotten. Perhaps it’s time to bring it back.?
In today's competitive landscape, leaders who choose to prioritise inclusivity will reap the rewards of increased creativity, improved collaboration, and a stronger sense of community. By embracing our differences, we can create a workplace culture that is truly? "Australian" - where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to thrive.
Can you afford not to??
ABOUT THE WRITER
AJ Kulatunga is a Business Strategist and Global Keynote Speaker on Business Creativity. His presentations and programs are designed to challenge business as usual thinking to make tomorrow better than today. Visit https://ajkulatunga.com for more info on how to leverage the power of his Get It Done? methodology to achieve business results.
*NOTES
REFERENCES
Cultural Diversity Census Data
Australian Population Census Data
Uber Eats Celebrates Ramadan
Mecca Cosmetics Opt Out of Mothers Day
I Am Australian Lyrics