In the immortal words of Andy Williams, “it’s the most wonderful time of the year”. High streets across the Midlands and wider UK are lined with shoppers on the hunt for Christmas gift inspiration. Workers are gearing up for their annual parties and there’s an unmistakable sense of excitement in the air. No matter your ethnic or cultural identity, it’s the sense of connection which makes the festive season so special. And it’s in this fully engaged and connected spirit that we recommend the winter-time marketing methods in the latest Motacilo blog.
The Importance Of Inclusion
Inclusive marketing involves the production and distribution of content which engages and represents all people in an equal and respective manner. Such content is inclusive by nature and does not exclude any groups or individuals on the basis of race, gender, or other aspects of identity. As we live in an increasingly multicultural and globalised society it is essential that inclusion is one of the core aims of your business marketing. You can build the connection through the creation of content which is truly representative of your business audience. Customers want to see their own personal characteristics and identities represented in the brands that they support.
The benefits of inclusive marketing include:
- Increased connection with the entire community of customers
- Positive sense of customer value and respect
- Enhanced brand image and reputation
- Avoidance of negative media attention
- Positive return on investment
Setting The Festive Spirit
There are various ways in which you can communicate a sense of inclusion in the promotion of your brand. Words and images should be selected carefully to represent the diverse customer community. You should be consistent in the representation of culture and ethnicity across your website, advertisements, and other marketing materials. The sense of inclusion could make all the difference to the prospects of sales across a range of festive events including Cyber Monday, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.
Consider the effectiveness of these festive advertisements:
Edeka:
Air Canada:
In each instance the marketers have focused upon the ties that bind us; whether that be in the need for family connection or a home to call our own. There is a deep sense of passion running through each advertisement, effectively highlighting the brand’s commitment to inclusion. The emphasis is on what we share, regardless of our age or the colour of our skin. You could draw upon these examples of inclusivity in the design of your business advertisements.
Building The Sense Of Inclusion
It will be important to set the right tone in the creation of festive marketing content. You may want to focus on the unique brand and product qualities of the greatest interest to prospective customers. However, you should take care to avoid the offence of any individuals or groups. There should be some consideration of the subject, message, and intended impact when setting the tone for your promotions. Diversity should be actively embraced as you focus on building a brand of the people.
Accessibility is another key factor which should be considered in the creation of your festive marketing materials. Your advertisements should cater to people with a full range of visual and hearing impairments. Closed captioning may be included in your video advertisements. The effect of colour combinations should be considered across the range of online and offline marketing materials. It will also be important to feature people and places within appropriate cultural contexts.
Great care should be taken over the use of language within your festive marketing. You can emphasise the sense of brand connection through the appropriate use of words, phrases, and imagery. Think about the characteristics and responses of people who will be engaging with your branded content. You could appeal to everybody from the single parent to the grandmother who looks forward to spending time with the family each year. Focus on the creation of stories which bring people together over the festive season.
Inclusivity and website design
With website design, it is still important to consider inclusivity and accessibility, in just the same way that you should consider your ideal customer. You need to ensure that your website brings people in, rather than puts them off. Through things like ensuring your colours work for those who are colour blind, ensuring text is large enough to read on mobile, or that the page is easily re-sized by those needing to zoom in for larger text for screen reading.
If someone can’t use your website they are more likely to move on to a competitor. Get in touch for a free discussion about your website today.
