Diversity Where?
Most brands & companies use diversity marketing when marketing to customers. Diversity should be visible. Upon understanding consumer marketing, brands need to become more diverse. In a recent article shared by UGA Today consumers are becoming more diverse. So why aren’t planner brands becoming more diverse in their representation. Brands should be a living representation of diversity while sharing equality & equity posts.
Joining the Planner Community
When I joined the planner community, diversity marketing was everywhere. There were many allies, painful discussions, micro-aggressions & cognitive dissonance towards BIPOC within the planner community. Very well known brands offended BIPOC & LGBTQ+ POC in 2020. Planners within the community are still experiencing this today, even after various discussions.
Brands love using diversity marketing to increase revenue & brand visibility yet where is the diversity? The planner community saw an increased amount of “allies” even though some were performative in actions & behavior. What happens when a brand has been dismissive, micro-aggressive, privileged & silenced Black women? I have not only listened to the discussions given by @megsgotoplan, @myraplansit & @queensfancyplans but I have also shared my perspective as a fellow planner. These women have discussed topics focusing on cultural diversity, sensitivity & true inclusiveness on their podcasts Planners & Wine & Fancy Plans and Things Radio. If you are interested in the conversation regarding diversity, definitely give them a listen.
The Impact of Diversity Marketing
Diversity marketing impacts a brand’s revenue. The Black buying power is currently at 1.5 Trillion dollars according to Black Enterprise. While Latinos have contributed to increased economic growth & will spend up to $1.9 Trillion dollars by 2023, according to Entrepreneur.com. So when brands use diversity marketing it is important that we as planners see that representation in stickers, planner covers, social media posts, campaigns, PR representatives & ambassadors.
As planners we know how important it is to see true representation. When brands truly embrace & represent diversity, this not only validates planners being visible but also heard. It’s extremely important to continue to support brands that truly are being diverse & continue to do better not only in their words but in their actions. No matter what planner system you use or how many tabs you have in a planner, planning should be something that inspires us.
Moving Forward with Diversity
When it comes to being an inclusive brand, we have to acknowledge brands that are doing the work & brands that are representing us as planners. We have to understand that marketing will always be relevant to selling planners or stickers. Diversity marketing should not only benefit the brand but also represent the planners who support the brand. The planner community is an amazing community that is diverse & encompasses many other communities. I love being able to see & learn from planners who have positively impacted the community. I love seeing planners who are true allies sharing something they learned or speaking up for other communities that are often silenced. Most of all I love just planning & being able to see myself being truly represented. Moving forward, it’s important that companies understand this as well.
Thanks so much for reading.
-The Minimal Sophisticate
