Marketing needs #DEI

A candid discussion on why marketing needs DEI:

This conversation has been bouncing around in the back of my mind for months now. We are living in a season of embarrassing and preventable marketing failures. In an era when marketers have every resource at their fingertips to create truly compelling, memorable and game changing strategies, we have instead seen example after example of poorly thought out, tone deaf and oftentimes offensive campaigns.?

This is why marketing needs DEI. DEI is so much more than just Black and white (although that is also a big part of it), it is also identity, heritage and culture. It is the socio-political climate and nuance. It is the zeitgeist, and what moves people. It is understanding the system, what perpetuates the status quo and what dismantles it. It is good marketing.

Here is my take on the biggest misses we’ve seen as of late (and the ones getting it right):

Misses

Youthforia : Let’s start with context, Youthforia, launched in 2021 and in October 2023 they released 15 shades of the Date Night Skin Tint that several beauty influencers, many of whom have darker skin tones, called out for not being inclusive. The shade range was underwhelming and missed a large swath of the population who use those shades. This miss was surprising considering the beauty renaissance inspired by Fenty Beauty’s extensive shade collection that launched almost 7 years ago.

Here is where they made things worse, instead of taking in the feedback, going to product and working on a thoughtful, well informed formulation that meets the needs of a diverse population, they hustled to put out something as quickly as possible, producing a pitch black shade of “foundation” that does not mirror any natural skin tone in existence. The worst part is that it wasn't tested on real skin, instead the CEO and founder of Youthforia carelessly found random people in a mall, swatted them, then took them to a passport photo booth in the mall to take photos for the site (no indication that they were paid).

This business owner did the absolute least, the bare minimum with no commitment to product or market research, in hopes that it would satisfy a demographic she clearly does not care about. Since then the brand has experienced extreme social media backlash, with many threatening to boycott.

Bumble Inc. : Whew, this one was really really hard to watch. Bumble launched an anti-celibacy ad campaign targeting women last month. This is in a time when therapy is openly discussed, the concept of feminism is on the chopping block (without intersectionality it is bs), and the conversations on gender, relationships and partnership are volatile. A billboard sized acerbic criticism of a woman choosing what to do with her body is not it, could never be it and is incredibly ill advised.?

It validates something I knew to be true a long time ago: Bumble doesn't really understand women. Or care about women’s experience dating. They asked women to message first and somehow felt they were fixing feminism. Clearly they did not if they are openly chastised for choosing to put ourselves first.

Btw, I think we are seeing not only a decline but either the end or evolution of online dating.?The campaign was tone deaf and missed a unique opportunity to speak to the truths of the time: people want to connect, it is human nature to, they simply do not know how (or are afraid to). @bumble

Got it right

Hinge : Although I am skeptical of the future of online dating, Hinge is getting their marketing right. They looked at the landscape, conversations, the challenges and came up with a strategy to help: solving the loneliness epidemic. This is an exceptionally difficult conversation but Hinge hasn't shied away. What is more important for a marketing team than understanding their audience? I’d argue, that it’s understanding your own mission. Hinge wants people to be less lonely. Relationships are at the core. And they want to facilitate in-person meetings. What better way to do all that than by addressing the barriers and roadblocks? They are using social impact, a business strategy often relegated to the DEI, ESG or “nice to have bucket” to not only showcase investment and commitment but to drive real world, lasting and possibly transformational change. I am here for it!

Topicals : If ever there was a brand I want to work with, it’s Topicals. Topicals popped onto the beauty scene with a realness, melanin, textured skin, hyperpigmentation, diversity, honesty, their marketing not only honors but celebrate us exactly as we are. Redefining the concept of “perfect skin.” This was desperately missing from the beauty industry. Their brand trip to Ghana last year is legendary, showcasing a locale that is typically not as frequently visited or highlighted on social media apps, but is also deeply rooted in the heritage of a top demo. My number 1 priority when working with any client is a value system, whether it is authenticity, integrity, beauty, you must be believe in something and Topicals has it. 10/10, no notes.

Honorable mention: Patagonia , bold, brave, provocative, and sincere.? Acknowledging the truth and then addressing it. Simple and rare. Last on the list but certainly not the least.?

Interested to learn more? Check out this read from Ad Age

Want my help to get there? Email me at [email protected]?