Bias in Marketing: How to Stay Inclusive in Your Strategies

As marketers, we create content, campaigns, and experiences that connect with our target audiences. Because these audiences are diverse, it’s critical to ensure your marketing strategies are too.

By building marketing strategies that embrace diversity, you’ll increase revenue growth, customer engagement, and empower your audiences by driving impact at a larger scale.

You may have heard of DEI but in recent years this has evolved into DEIB to stand for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. This concept of “belonging” was added to create a workplace culture where all employees feel valued and accepted regardless of ethnicity, gender, age, disability, or other variables, are treated fairly, and have equal access to opportunities. It doesn’t stop there; it also applies to how brands can make their audiences feel seen with inclusive campaigns across all their digital experiences.

In addition to creating marketing strategies that don’t foster belonging, letting unconscious biases seep into your marketing strategies can also potentially alienate customers and harm your brand’s reputation. So, to help you understand bias in marketing, this blog explores what bias is, how to avoid it, and ways to develop inclusive marketing strategies.

What is Bias?

Bias refers to predispositions that skew judgment and decision-making. In marketing, these biases can lead to the misrepresentation or exclusion of various demographic groups. Key types of bias include:

• Stereotype Bias: Generalizing traits of a group to individuals within that group.

• Confirmation Bias: Favoring information that aligns with pre-existing beliefs.

• Affinity Bias: Preferring individuals who share similarities with oneself.

• Anchoring Bias: Relying excessively on initial information.

Understanding these biases is crucial for refining your marketing efforts and avoiding unintentional exclusion.

Strategies to Avoid Bias in Marketing

Bias can negatively impact marketing by affecting your content, tone of voice, imagery, segmentation, and more if you aren’t careful.

To effectively mitigate bias, your marketing team should consider the following.

• Providing Team Education: Training on bias and DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) trends ensures that your marketing strategies are informed and relevant.

• Performing Audience Research: Conduct research to develop marketing personas reflecting diverse demographics and values.

• Utilizing Diverse Data Sources: Comprehensive data helps avoid biases from single sources. Scrutinize assumptions and seek diverse perspectives to prevent reinforcing existing biases.

• Reviewing and Refining Content: Regularly assess content for inclusive language and representation.

• Using Inclusive Language: Use gender-neutral terms and avoid cultural insensitivity. Get started with making these changes:
• Gendered Terms: Replace gender-specific pronouns like "he" or "she" with gender-neutral terms such as “they” or rephrase sentences to avoid pronouns altogether. For example, instead of saying, "He will help you with your purchase," use, "Our team will help you with your purchase."
• Disabled: Instead of using the term “disabled,” use “person with a disability” to avoid labeling individuals. For example, instead of "Our services for disabled individuals," say, "Our services for persons with disabilities."
• Blacklist/Whitelist: Replace "blacklist" and "whitelist" with "blocklist" and "allowlist" to avoid racial connotations. For instance, instead of "We need to update our whitelist of approved vendors," use "We need to update our allowlist of approved vendors."
• Showcasing Diverse Imagery: Use visuals representing various ethnicities, genders, ages, body types, and abilities. Focus on authentic representation rather than tokenism.

• Promoting Inclusivity Across Channels: Engage with diverse communities on social media, design inclusive advertising campaigns, and collaborate with diverse influencers. Ensure your website is accessible with features like alt text and responsive design.

• Build a Diverse Team: A team with varied backgrounds enhances the ability to identify and address biases. Encourage open communication and diverse insights.

• Test and Gather Feedback: A/B testing and feedback through surveys, focus groups, and social media help refine marketing strategies and ensure they resonate with diverse audiences.

Ensuring ADA Compliance in Marketing

To create inclusive marketing, you should also comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design. These standards ensure that all electronic information and technology, especially websites, videos, animations, and graphics, are accessible to those with disabilities.

Tips to get started:

• Website Design: Provide alt text for images, ensure users can perform keyboard navigation, and use high-contrast color schemes. Design for various devices and screen sizes.

• Accessible Media: Add captions and audio descriptions to media. Use clear language and readable fonts.

• Accessible Forms and Interactions: Label form fields clearly and provide descriptive error messages. Conduct regular accessibility audits and seek feedback from users with disabilities.

There are different levels of standards that businesses can work towards to be compliant. Companies can check their current compliance status with tools like Google Lighthouse, SiteImprove, or WAVE.

Stay Consistent and Considerate

Inclusive marketing isn’t just ethical — it aligns with your organization’s commitment to DEIB. So, consider the types of bias that can seep into your marketing like stereotype bias, confirmation bias, affinity bias, and anchoring bias. Then look for ways to spot bias in your marketing strategies, and work to mitigate it. Also, don’t forget about complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design. By committing to all these methods, and being considerate of your audiences, you’ll foster a sense of belonging that will increase customer loyalty to your brand in the long run.

Want to learn about more ways you can mitigate bias in your marketing? Reach out. Our digital marketing experts would be happy to talk more about your organization and how we can help you craft more inclusive marketing.