How to Effectively Work DE&I Into Your Influencer Strategy

The following article is the second part of a series exploring the impact and importance of DE&I efforts in marketing, from the importance of creating internal efforts to the delicate work of creating external efforts. The first article can be found here.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) is quickly becoming a critical consideration for marketing teams. Consumers have access to and respond positively to advertising and campaigns that include people who look like them, their family, and friends. A Google study found that 64% of consumers took some action after seeing an ad that they considered to be diverse or inclusive. 

Brands that effectively include DE&I efforts in their marketing campaigns – and do so authentically – see the benefits. On the other hand, companies that aren’t thinking about DE&I may be falling behind. In fact, a recent report found that businesses could see a potential loss of $5.4 trillion for not considering DE&I as part of their overall marketing strategy. 

Influencers present a huge opportunity for brands to embrace DE&I and select partners representing the full spectrum of their customer base. Of course, as explored in the first part of this series, DE&I efforts must be authentic, guided by a holistic approach, and committed to elevating underrepresented voices. 

Let’s take a look at some of the thinking and steps an organization must take to determine how they elevate DE&I externally: 

Look Internally First

Before integrating DE&I efforts into any external campaigns, you must look inside your organization and ensure you have the right voice and perspective to join an important cause. 

You must have a diverse team that can talk about their experiences and what would appeal to or resonate with their communities. Companies should be at least somewhat reflective of the demographics and audiences they serve to ensure they understand their pain points and perspectives. With this, they bring knowledge and sensitivity into influencer partnerships. 

Know Your Audience

Before identifying potential influencer partners for a campaign, it’s critical that you first know and understand your audience. Who are they? What do they care about? What messages resonate with them? 

You have to understand your brand and how your audience views you to find aligned or like-minded influencers. Your message will likely not be delivered well if you don't understand your audience. 

For example, if your core audience is largely Generation Z, you should recognize that this group is very aware of and engaged in activism and supporting social causes. Any campaign that speaks to or highlights social issues should be authentic and deeply understand the cultural context surrounding said issue. If not, then your audience may find the content insensitive or tone-deaf. 

Take Time for Education

You don’t know what you don’t know. It’s a simple phrase, but it is especially meaningful when thinking about DE&I. There will always be new conversations and trends happening in the media landscape, but you must first understand how this trend came to be and if you are the right voice to elevate it. 

Consumers know when brands are being performative or jumping on the bandwagon. Through education, you can get to the root of what caused a certain issue to go viral, why certain influencers may be talking about it, and if your brand has space to join the conversation. 

How can you find the right creator for your campaign if you don’t understand the cause? It’s impossible. 

How to Find and Collaborate with Influencers

We’ve painted a clear picture that internal diversity, brand awareness, and a commitment to education are key elements to success in deciding how and where DE&I plays a role in influencer campaigns. 

Now, let’s take a deeper dive into what authentic influencer partnerships look like and how brands can elevate diverse perspectives and underrepresented voices:

Amplify Different Voices

There’s diversity within diversity. You can’t have just one person speak for an entire community – that leads to tokenization and stereotypes. It’s also not as impactful as having a few individuals from various communities who all share the same cause or goal. 

If your campaign is focused on body positivity, ensure you have a diverse spectrum of creators who share that message in their own way. Partner with creators of different sizes, ethnicities, ages, sexualities, etc. and have them share their unique experiences. This way, you can connect and engage with a larger audience empowered by the cause and message. 

Do Your Research

When you partner with an influencer, you tie your brand to theirs. This means what they stand for – or don’t stand for – reflects on your organization. Research is critical for vetting and identifying brand-aligned partners who will also feel comfortable speaking to or elevating certain messages. 

For example, if you are a sustainable cleaning supply brand, you would want to avoid collaborating with an influencer who is partnered with a fast-fashion brand. And, once you find the right potential partners – say it’s a mom influencer touting a clean-living lifestyle – we recommend conversing with them about your product messaging to make sure they feel comfortable talking about it. If they don’t have a deep understanding of a biodegradable product, then make sure to provide them with the necessary information to set them up for success.

Be Aware of Your Bias

Check your bias at the door when searching for influencers. To do this, you must first understand and be self-aware of your biases (something we explore in our first Open Mic article). 

We tend to be comfortable with communities that look like us and have similar thoughts and ways of thinking, but we must break away from this when looking for potential influencer partners. Brands need to partner with individuals who can speak to and represent all sides of a cause or conversation. 

Integrating DE&I into your marketing and influencer strategies is essential today. But this is not just a box to quickly check. Brands must be authentic and committed to inclusivity both internally and externally for this to work and connect with their audience.