Build Inclusivity into Your Brand Messaging: 4 Essential Steps
Building diversity and inclusivity into your community-minded organization is like planting a seed. It takes care to become something mighty. Before you start developing your organization’s brand messaging, you need to dig deep into the wants and needs of your community so you can cultivate an environment in which everyone can grow and thrive—together.
Brand messaging is the language you use to describe what you do, and how and why you do it. It's a valuable tool to help your audience understand your organization’s values. Brand messaging helps you articulate the ways your organization is different, and exemplifies how you are accountable and transparent--not performative--in your actions. This type of clarity can help you create an open, honest and trusting relationship with your community.
In this article, we show you 4 ways you can successfully develop bold, impactful and inclusive brand messaging that resonates with the right people and drives results:
Brand messaging is the language you use to describe what you do, and how and why you do it. It's a valuable tool to help your audience understand your organization’s values. Brand messaging helps you articulate the ways your organization is different, and exemplifies how you are accountable and transparent--not performative--in your actions. This type of clarity can help you create an open, honest and trusting relationship with your community.
In this article, we show you 4 ways you can successfully develop bold, impactful and inclusive brand messaging that resonates with the right people and drives results:
- Get clear about your mission and vision
- Know who you serve and what’s important to them
- Lean into your research and make sure you get it right
- Demonstrate impact and show how you make a difference
4 steps to build a diverse and inclusive brand
Step 1: Get clear about your mission and vision
Authenticity in your message and actions is key to positioning your brand. Be genuine and avoid causewashing--jumping on a bandwagon just to boost sales. People see through ploys to gain attention, so be sure to align your brand values with real and tangible ways you want to give back. This includes the emotion and purpose you convey through your brand story, which can inspire others to support your cause.
If your mission is to support people or groups of different backgrounds that are under- or mis-represented, take time to get to know them and find out how your organization can help. Numbers are powerful, so make sure you share stories and statistics that show your audience the direct impact you create.
Step 2: Know who you serve and what matters to them
Get to know your community members on a personal level--their goals and challenges, and how you can solve them or better represent them. Learn their history. This research will help you understand the wrongs that need to be righted, and the real ways your organization can have an impact. Don’t rely on a few people within your organization to represent entire groups. Instead, create opportunities for all to be involved and feel valued in the development of your brand messaging.
Step 3: Lean into your research and make sure you get it right
If your organization helps a wide range of people, use words and images that highlight the uniqueness in the vast array rather than stock phrases and photos.
To craft a statement that lands with your audience, start by looking at your own biases and questioning them thoroughly. Consider other viewpoints that may be relevant to your brand messaging, be specific, and use inclusive language by including the right details for all abilities. Corporate responsibility begins with understanding the opportunities inclusion and diversity present for all, and how it can improve your community.
Aspirational language is alright, as long as you show you’re taking strides towards your mission and vision. Weak, vague wording is forgettable anyway, so be explicit and pair it with real, impactful imagery.
Step 4: Demonstrate impact and show how you make a difference
Recognize your brand’s role in creating change. This starting point will allow you to strategize how you can continue to meet the needs of your community as they evolve.
Your audience doesn’t want to just hear about how you’re making a difference—actively and consistently show them the steps you’re taking to shift the paradigm. Get creative with how you exhibit and exemplify influence that will make others want to join and support your cause. Audiences love to know they’re part of something meaningful.
Authenticity in your message and actions is key to positioning your brand. Be genuine and avoid causewashing--jumping on a bandwagon just to boost sales. People see through ploys to gain attention, so be sure to align your brand values with real and tangible ways you want to give back. This includes the emotion and purpose you convey through your brand story, which can inspire others to support your cause.
If your mission is to support people or groups of different backgrounds that are under- or mis-represented, take time to get to know them and find out how your organization can help. Numbers are powerful, so make sure you share stories and statistics that show your audience the direct impact you create.
Step 2: Know who you serve and what matters to them
Get to know your community members on a personal level--their goals and challenges, and how you can solve them or better represent them. Learn their history. This research will help you understand the wrongs that need to be righted, and the real ways your organization can have an impact. Don’t rely on a few people within your organization to represent entire groups. Instead, create opportunities for all to be involved and feel valued in the development of your brand messaging.
Step 3: Lean into your research and make sure you get it right
If your organization helps a wide range of people, use words and images that highlight the uniqueness in the vast array rather than stock phrases and photos.
To craft a statement that lands with your audience, start by looking at your own biases and questioning them thoroughly. Consider other viewpoints that may be relevant to your brand messaging, be specific, and use inclusive language by including the right details for all abilities. Corporate responsibility begins with understanding the opportunities inclusion and diversity present for all, and how it can improve your community.
Aspirational language is alright, as long as you show you’re taking strides towards your mission and vision. Weak, vague wording is forgettable anyway, so be explicit and pair it with real, impactful imagery.
Step 4: Demonstrate impact and show how you make a difference
Recognize your brand’s role in creating change. This starting point will allow you to strategize how you can continue to meet the needs of your community as they evolve.
Your audience doesn’t want to just hear about how you’re making a difference—actively and consistently show them the steps you’re taking to shift the paradigm. Get creative with how you exhibit and exemplify influence that will make others want to join and support your cause. Audiences love to know they’re part of something meaningful.
Embrace diversity and inclusion with intention
Gardens rich in many different kinds of plants have the most unique and bountiful yield--the same goes for a thoughtfully and intentionally formulated organization that champions differences and knows we’re stronger for it.
Perch is a boutique storytelling and communications company that can help you not only strategize for your specific audience, but conscientiously shape a culture of inclusion. We’ll help you boldly state and communicate your values, and grow with the community you love. Contact us for a free 30-minute consultation.
Perch is a boutique storytelling and communications company that can help you not only strategize for your specific audience, but conscientiously shape a culture of inclusion. We’ll help you boldly state and communicate your values, and grow with the community you love. Contact us for a free 30-minute consultation.