Five Insights On How Brands Can Stay Relevant in an Increasingly Diverse World
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Today's consumers care more than ever about how brands are approaching race and ethnicity. Our world is becoming increasingly diverse, and it's important for companies to understand their customers' unique viewpoints and challenges. What are the best practices for researchers interested in thinking diversely and inclusively?
From our annual Suzy State of Consumer summit, here are five insights from a panel discussion on, "How Brands Can Stay Relevant in an Increasingly Diverse World," which you can rewatch here.
Avoid performative authenticity
In your quest to reach out to our increasingly diverse world, it's vital to avoid performative authenticity. This happens when a brand uses a cultural moment to cash in — without any genuine engagement as to what that moment means for the community.
"Performative authenticity is a massive cottage industry built off the back of revolutions and concepts of race," said Elliot Roazen, a growth marketer at Unilever.
"There are a number of different ways that you can demonstrate what your values are, but it's important that you find a way that doesn't feel performative," said Sonia Thompson, a customer experience strategist and consultant.
Data shows that 71% of consumers want brands to take a stance on social issues, she added. Think carefully about your brand's positioning on various issues so you know confidently when to speak, when to celebrate, and when it's most authentic to sit on the sidelines.
Understand how race and ethnicity affect your consumers' experiences
Smart marketers don't simply segment their customers by race and ethnicities. They think intelligently about how race and ethnicity affect people’s lives since race and ethnicity dramatically impact how customers view the world and interact with your company's offerings.
That’s how Michelle Esgar, Group Manager of Brand Experience at Panasonic, found a gap in post-purchase insights. She was evaluating potential customers, but not analyzing post-purchase consumers.
"Where we weren't necessarily following up was really understanding who's happy with the product versus not happy,” she said. “Where did we not meet expectations correctly? I think diversity comes into play there and you may have a very diverse group of people who are potentially interested, but may not necessarily have the same reaction.”
The prevalence of reviews means that brands now have a way of tracking satisfaction after purchases are made, enabling companies to see the full spectrum of the consumer experience.
"Consumers have become more vocal in wanting brands to acknowledge that they are different and acknowledge what's happening in society," said Thompson. "That has caused a lot of change."
Prioritize fast insights
How can brands actually utilize diverse insights? The key to a more nuanced view of your customers is fast analytics and the ability to act on them quickly. Top marketing teams combine both agile research and gut instinct to quickly make decisions designed to benefit a wider range of consumers.
"Everyone likes to talk about testing and experimenting. Now it's time to really see that put into action," said Roazen. "I don't think every decision has to come down to science and data. There's a level of alchemy and magic that goes into decision-making. However, you have to find the balance between the two, and that's where really cool things happen."
Armed with larger data sets and rapid insights, brands can quickly interpret the response from different demographics to iterate into a thorough, more inclusive strategy.
Ditch the one size fits all approach
Don't be afraid to go granular when it comes to data insights, said Thompson.
"The consumers are changing, and they want to know that the brands that they are engaging with see them, understand them, and get them," she said. "If we take a one-size-fits-all approach, people aren't going to see themselves."
This doesn't just apply to your research. Yes, digging deep into the data to discover detailed, actionable, and quick insights is essential for any brand wanting to forge forward into the twenty-first century — but one-size-fits-all marketing is just as passé.
Here's an example of how simplistic marketing can err: "Prince Charles and Ozzy Osborne are in many ways the same demographic: affluent white, straight males who live outside of the London metropolitan area," said Roazen.
Still, he said, "I couldn't pick two people who are more different than those two." But detailed data targeting different psychographic demographics can help you appeal to both.
Hire for cultural intelligence
Ultimately, you can develop a system that produces fast, granular insights and then tailor your research and marketing to sub-demographics — but if you're asking the wrong questions at the start, it's all for naught. To stay relevant in an increasingly diverse world, hire for cultural intelligence.
"You need to make sure that you are engaged with members of that community," said Joel Mier, a professor of marketing at the University of Richmond. "We bring so many biases to the conversation and limitations in how we think."
A diverse internal research and marketing staff ensures you're asking the right questions and interpreting the responses correctly.
For more information on research industry trends, read more on our blog at Suzy.com.
