Talk that Talk: How PR’s can create campaigns with diversity and inclusion in mind

There’s no denying that a lot goes into creating an effective campaign. However, there are two important themes many seem to gloss over – diversity and inclusion. These might seem like just another pair of buzzwords, but many times, when a campaign has not successfully conveyed its message, it is due, in part, to little or no consideration of these factors.

In the wake of all that’s happened this year – the global pandemic, the protests, the calls for justice and the conversations being started, we find ourselves rethinking our approach to creating content. As PR’s, it is our duty to become much more intuitive and perceptive when communicating with our audiences. Diversity and inclusion should no longer be an afterthought. Your audience is not only looking to see your content, but also feel like they are a part of your community as well. Now, this does not boil down to solely creating messaging that panders to people of various backgrounds but actually starts with the people creating these campaigns. Having a diverse team can help ensure that the content being put out truly resonates with these societies and helps to avoid offensive references, thus increasing your chances of a better response to your message.

Learning, unlearning, relearning and understanding different cultures can help with your overall strategy and ultimately ensure your messaging is authentic and reaches the target audience. Here are some steps you can take to avoid putting out obtuse, tone-deaf content, while also improving your standing with the community.

  • Check yourself

You must learn if you have biases and what these might be. Recognizing and acknowledging one’s conscious and even unconscious bias can be quite tricky but is a crucial part to creating proper messaging, as these have a direct impact on how you communicate with those around you and your audience as a whole.

  • What does your team look like?

Who exactly is coming up with these campaigns? Are the communities you’re looking to reach properly represented in your workforce? Having a diverse team ensures that your strategies are developed from different perspectives and are then dissected from multiple angles.

  • Know your audience, inside and out

A truly successful campaign comes with first understanding your audience, their experiences and looking at the best means to tell the story. Make use of all the tools you have at your disposal to properly learn about them and whenever possible, use market research to initiate discourse with people who are representative of the community you are trying to reach.

  • Rethink the narrative

More often than not, consumers and clients alike will work with companies that show a unique and vast understanding of their cultural, political, social and economic perspectives. When strategizing and planning a campaign, it’s important to expand the narrative to include people, whether professional or not, who offer a diverse range of thought and experiences. This will show your audience your ability to shape new approaches.

As PR’s, we influence public opinion, so it’s not enough to say your organization champions diversity, but actually practice what you preach, with your behaviour, messaging and campaigns. Celebrate the different cultural backgrounds and let these fuel your actions. And, if anything, remember that appreciating diversity is good business, as it inspires creativity, making your brand more appealing to a wider range of audiences.

 

Written by: Stephanie Dafeta, Account Executive at Atteline