Joining the diversity push: Are we having enough conversations in SG?

Diversity and inclusiveness are topics that are often discussed in mature markets such as the US and UK, but they aren’t topics we come across often enough as journalists in the marketing industry.Inclusive marketing, said Salesforce’s Asia Pacific marketing senior vice-president and chief marketing officer, Michael Peachey, is the holy grail for marketers to work towards. It refers to the creation of content and relaying of a brand message in a way that not only reflects, but also resonates with the diverse communities that a company serves.A report by management consultancy McKinsey & Company in 2018 showed that companies in the top quartile for ethnic or cultural diversity on executive teams were 33% more likely to have above-average profitability. If not for the business, marketers should pay more attention to diversity to meet customers’ expectations – 90% of the consumers surveyed in Salesforce’s new research believe that businesses have a responsibility to look beyond profit and improve the state of the world.So in a cosmopolitan city such as Singapore, where ethnicities vary, how do marketers cater to the masses while taking into account issues such as diversity and inclusive marketing?Speaking to Marketing on the matter, Cheryl Lim, Manulife’s vice-president, and head of branding, communications and sponsorships, said: “I think it’s important for brands to be sensitive about different perspectives.” Brands should not be overly opportunistic about promoting their brands – it’s always important to have the right tone for the right audience, she explained.Manulife was recently named in Bloomberg’s 2019 Gender-Equality Index, a globally recognised standard on advancing women through measurement and transparency. Lim said, among the key highlights fuelling this, included introducing greater diversity resources globally, further using technology to reduce bias in job postings, and launching inclusion and unconscious bias training to more than 30,000 of its employees worldwide. She added that diversity was one of the key pillars supporting the corporate values of the Canadian company.For Circles.Life, diversity comes in the form of catering to varying needs. It recently launched its unlimited data promotion through a relatable video campaign which encouraged people from all walks of life to “think more” about the things they can do with their data. But the brand wanted to remain true to its mission to empower everyone from all walks of life, including “the few that may have different preferences”, with a customisable, flexible plan. Its regional brand manager Stephanie Cancio said: “Our marketing team at Circles.Life is made up of a very diverse group of people hailing from Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, India, France, the United States, Taiwan and Indonesia. Having different backgrounds allows us to incorporate this into the work that we do and the output that our audiences see through our campaigns.”As the telco expands into multiple markets across Asia this year, she said the team would increase efforts to know its audiences more, noting that multicultural campaigns can be tricky, as what can be effective for some, may be ineffective, or even offensive to others.“It’s important to know all the best ways to approach your different markets, but at the same time, stay true to your brand. Be consistent with your brand voice, tone and personality, otherwise you’ll lose what sets you apart trying to be everything for everyone,” she added.Beyond race and genderWhile the conversation of diversity is traditionally centred on race and gender, consultant Richard Bleasdale, former managing partner of The Observatory International, said there has been increasing attention on areas such as sexual, physical and mental ability diversity.“With diverse sets of audiences, brands need to talk and walk in a more targeted and focused manner for each audience. They also need to commit bravely to a long-term position and stick with it, particularly where diverse topics or points of view are held,” he said.Globally, he cited Nike’s work with controversial National Football League (NFL) player Colin Kaepernick for its 30th anniversary as an example. Kaepernick made headlines for kneeling during the national anthem during NFL games to protest against police brutality towards African Americans. While Nike received mixed reviews, with some boycotting it, the brand pushed on with Kaepernick as the face of its 30th anniversary campaign, accentuating its “Just Do It” slogan and campaign theme “Dream Crazy”. One of the advertisements read: “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”Bleasdale said: “Believability, particularly in this potentially sensitive area, comes primarily from the actions brands take, not the words brands say.”