{"id":5454,"date":"2020-06-15T13:22:20","date_gmt":"2020-06-15T17:22:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sproutvideo.com\/blog\/?p=5454"},"modified":"2022-01-24T15:39:57","modified_gmt":"2022-01-24T20:39:57","slug":"authentically-inclusive-video-marketing-a-step-by-step-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sproutvideo.com\/blog\/authentically-inclusive-video-marketing-a-step-by-step-guide.html","title":{"rendered":"Authentically Inclusive Video Marketing: A Step by Step Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether this post finds you at the start of your journey, or whether your company is already practicing inclusive marketing, we\u2019re sharing our perspective to help you go even further than before. This is not an overnight transformation, and it\u2019s much, much more than ensuring racial diversity in your choice of actors or voiceovers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, we\u2019re specifically looking at how you can build inclusivity and diversity into your video marketing from the ground up. First, we\u2019ll look at what it takes to build an inclusive company and brand. Then, we’ll take a deep dive into how that will ultimately impact your video marketing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why Inclusive Video Marketing Matters<\/h2>\n

Every now and then, a marketing video crops up that stops you in your tracks for all the wrong reasons and leaves you wondering how it ever saw the light of day.<\/span><\/p>\n

Well, that happens more than you\u2019d think.<\/span><\/p>\n

There is a long, awful history of brands attempting a message that should be incredibly straightforward (like “don’t be racist” or, better yet, “be anti-racist”) and getting it incredibly wrong.<\/span>\u00a0Perhaps the most well-known example is <\/span>Pepsi\u2019s commercial featuring Kendall Jenner<\/span><\/a>, which has rightfully become the gold standard of what not to do. Further prominent examples include Dolce and Gabbana\u2019s <\/span>blatantly racist video<\/span><\/a> as part of its \u201cDG Loves China\u201d campaign in 2018, and a more recent condemnable ad from <\/span>Volkswagen<\/span><\/a>. Even brands that have carefully tried to craft an inclusive brand image, like Dove, <\/span>miss the mark<\/span><\/a> all too often. It just should never happen, but yet it does.<\/span><\/p>\n

Inclusive video marketing is not just about avoiding scandals; it\u2019s about positioning your company and brand to be on the right side of history, and to craft video marketing campaigns that will resonate with an increasingly diverse audience.<\/span><\/p>\n

Company Culture<\/h2>\n

You can\u2019t create inclusive video marketing without an inclusive brand, and you can’t build an inclusive brand if your culture isn\u2019t inclusive. It all starts with your company culture.<\/span><\/p>\n

Harvard Business Review<\/span><\/a> says it best.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf your culture and your brand are driven by the same purpose and values and if you weave them together into a single guiding force for your company, you will win the competitive battle for customers and employees, future-proof your business from failures and downturns, and produce an organization that operates with integrity and authenticity.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Put simply, if your company and brand are not diverse and inclusive, you can\u2019t expect your video marketing to suddenly put a different spin on things.<\/span><\/p>\n

Developing an Anti-Racist Culture<\/h3>\n

It can be really hard to move away from an engrained company culture and make changes for the better. Progress can be uneven or uncertain at times, but continual focus and pressure to move in the right direction will pay off in the long run.<\/span><\/p>\n

The path looks different for every company since not all organizations will <\/span>start their anti-racist journey<\/span><\/a> from the same place. However, certain steps to ensure progress are considered foundational:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Identify the current strengths and weaknesses your organization faces on its path to becoming more diverse and inclusive<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Revisit your company values and ensure they are aligned with your commitment to diversity and inclusion<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Make resources available for ongoing training and learning on diversity and inclusivity for employees, managers, and executives<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Leverage internal or external accountability to keep tabs on progress and correct issues as they arise<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Develop clear mechanisms for reporting and responding to instances of discrimination, and ensure anyone reporting an incident has no cause to fear retaliation<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    That list is hardly complete and truth be told, the topic deserves more time and attention than this particular blog post can afford. For further reading, we point you to the Safehouse Alliance for a more specific <\/span>toolkit on building an anti-racist organization<\/span><\/a>, this quick guide to help identify the <\/span>stage your organization is at in its anti-racist journey<\/span><\/a>, and Just Capital for many <\/span>more resources on combating systemic racism in the workplace<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Building a Diverse Team<\/h3>\n

    Change doesn\u2019t just come from the top. After all, you can\u2019t have an anti-racist company culture if you don\u2019t have employees who support it and live it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Diversity is important in all facets of life, from your stock portfolio to the media you consume and the food you eat, but above all, it matters most when it comes to the people you surround yourself with. However, you don\u2019t want to have diversity for the sake of diversity. Having different perspectives within your organization allows you to build a stronger business. Anyone who says differently isn\u2019t paying attention.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    According to <\/span>McKinsey research<\/span><\/a>, diversity increases the likelihood to outperform competitors by 35%. Research from <\/span>Cedric Herring<\/span><\/a> found that more diversity means more money. Highly diverse companies earn 15x more revenue than those who are not. It was also found that a more diverse company attracts more customers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    This applies whether you\u2019re hiring permanent staff, studios, or freelancers<\/a>. Not all video projects are handled in-house, so it\u2019s important to apply the same standards regardless of whether they\u2019re outsourced to a third party.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Hiring<\/h4>\n

    When it comes to your organization, building a diverse team starts with hiring. The first step is acknowledging that there is a good chance that you have implicit bias. A study by <\/span>TalentWorks shows that white applicants are interviewed 2.3x more than non-white people.<\/span><\/a> This means that knowingly or not, there are signifiers that might draw you to choose white candidates over people of color. Once you acknowledge bias, then you can begin working towards ways to remove it so everyone gets a fair shot.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    So how do you counteract a bias you might not even be aware of? There are many resources that can help to make the hiring process one that favors everyone equally. These tactics vary from something as simple as blocking the names of candidates, posting on a wider variety of job boards, or going as far as having your hiring team attend various diversity training programs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Below we\u2019ve found several resources that can be helpful in curbing bias:<\/span><\/p>\n