Including Diversity in your Video Content
Inclusivity: the practice or policy of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, such as those having physical or mental disabilities or belonging to other minority groups. We've been hearing this term a lot over the past years in every aspect of our lives even more sore when it comes to businesses and equal representation in the marketplace, including Malta.
One aspect of a company where this stands out is in advertising, where equal representation is no longer a bonus but has now become a standard for an effective video marketing strategy. In fact the demand for inclusivity has increased by more than a 100% globally over the past two years. If you analyse the Maltese market, chances are that your clientele is very diverse, from religious beliefs, sexuality, race and body shapes and sizes, you want to represent all your clients and avoid ostracizing any of them.
Here are some points you should follow when implementing diversity in your video content.
Do you research
I know it sounds obvious, jumping in headfirst is a big no no in business, but you'd be surprised by how many companies just focus on a trend without finding out the necessary facts first. If a community is trending, you have to first fully understand what they are about, in order not to risk any misrepresentation and the unavoidable backlash if you do so.
Have a Company Wide Strategy in Place
Before getting on the inclusivity wagon in your advertising, take a look internally and make sure that those policies exist within your company. Set up a DEI (diversity, equity & inclusion) strategy across all your departments, make sure that the whole company is on the same page, dedicate financial resources to implement and maintain these strategies. Get your whole company up to speed, before you advertise after all you must practice what you preach in your ads.
Get the experts in
In order to fully represent diversity in your advertising, you ideally need diverse people to make executive decisions to make sure that you do not miss out on anything or misrepresent a community. If you don't have people in your company that represent that particular community, don't be afraid to branch out and hire consultants.
When approaching your DEI video content strategy, you have to keep an open mind and think like each community does, learn from other companies, see what was celebrated and where they failed. Always remember that this is not a rushed project you need to implement, but a subject that should be approached with caution and fully understood. If you feel overwhelmed and not sure how to carry out your research, get in touch with us on bernice@bailogik.com and we can discuss what your plan of action is and how we can help with that.