Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Content Marketing
our craft
More and more often, we have clients asking if it makes sense to feature Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts in their content marketing campaigns. We always answer with a resounding, “it depends…”
For all content marketing campaigns, it is important to be authentic. Do a quick search on “authenticity and content marketing,” and you will find article after article recommending that brands produce content that is true to their brand, that’s delivered with a voice that represents their company well.
They are, of course, correct.
Authenticity is even more important when publishing content about your company’s DE&I efforts. If it’s done well, and it seems like your company is genuinely committed to the cause, it can reflect well on your brand.
But if it does not seem authentic, it can backfire. Because if it seems self-serving, if it seems like a corporate version of empty virtue signaling, the reader will be able to tell. Worse, they are likely to penalize your brand for it.
Which begs the question, “how does a brand present its DE&I efforts in an authentic way?”
Our advice has been to focus on the work that is being done, the people who are doing it, and the benefit it yields. Your brand can be part of the story, and can share your contribution to the cause, but do it as a part of a larger narrative about the work that is being done.
Recently, we were asked to develop content related to Star Tribune’s Connect program. The program granted 4 minority-owned businesses advertising grants. (You can find out more about the Connect program here)
Our approach? We chose to craft profiles about the four businesses that received the grant. Each highlighted the business’s goal, what they were planning and some of the challenges they faced. As we ran the profiles in the Star Tribune Newspaper, the recipients benefitted from additional publicity.
Using our 3,000-member reader panel, we asked our readers how they felt about the ad. The results were positive:
86% of our readers felt more positive about Star Tribune after seeing it
77% of readers liked the content
73% of readers will recommend the product to family and friends
So, should companies feature their DE&I efforts in their content marketing campaigns? It depends…
But at least according to our case study, if you do it right, and focus on the work that is being done, it can have a positive impact on your brand perception.
- Sean Haley, Executive/Creative Director for Foundry425
