About this guide

Why DE&I matters to marketers

As cultural shifts toward more diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) continue across the globe, consumers are rightly calling on brands to keep up. The urgency of the current moment demands that marketing professionals become more intentional about creating content that authentically reflects consumers’ lived experiences, as well as the growing expectation that brands take a stand on social and political issues. And when brands get it right, their customers are more than prepared to reward them.

Many in our industry have already taken important steps toward more inclusive content and campaigns. We admire brands like LinkedIn for highlighting the positive impact of a diverse workforce, Nike for celebrating all kinds of athletes,3 and Oreo for showing us what it means to be an LGBTQ+ ally all year long.4 We admire these brands even more for going beyond a single campaign and striving to make DE&I values an integral part of their marketing efforts, every day. 

This is no easy task. It means continually seeking out ways to demonstrate that we see, hear, and value all of our customers. It means showing up to every strategy session, brief, photoshoot, and creative review with an inclusive mindset. It means doing our best to do what’s right, always. We created this guide to help.