Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) originated in the Human Resources field (HR) with a goal to transform workplace culture and disrupt legacy systems of inequality. DEI has long evolved and is no longer limited to the HR world. It has officially shifted into the realm of marketing. Inclusion is now an essential part of any progressive and successful marketing strategy. Studies show that brand loyalty comes down to aligning with consumer values, which means people are compelled to support brands that they identify with personally.
So if you ensure your advertisements and marketing visuals contain diverse models of different races, backgrounds, and abilities, is that enough to prove you’re an inclusive brand? In 2023, it’s not. You need to go above and beyond to exemplify inclusion while breaking the mold for others who desperately need or want to follow in your footsteps.
Practice what you preach
Brands are under a microscope and must deliver on their promises regarding inclusion. To do this, you have to take real action. For example, an inclusive marketing strategy is only effective if your brand is accessible to everyone. If your marketing materials are diverse, but your website isn't accessible to people with disabilities, then you're not truly inclusive. And, that’s a brand problem.
Web accessibility is more important than you think
Web accessibility is an essential component of your inclusive marketing strategy. It demonstrates your inclusive brand values by ensuring equal access and inclusion for people with disabilities. It also allows people with disabilities to engage with your content and make purchases, which are valuable business benefits in their own right.
According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, in Q1 of 2023, e-commerce sales accounted for 15% of total retail sales in the US, and that percentage is expected to rise continually. With online purchases rapidly increasing over time, and disability rates continuing to grow, your inclusive brand values either end at lip service with marketing campaigns or with actual inclusive action. A web accessibility solution is an inclusive action that opens your website’s digital door for all users and presents them with more opportunities to make purchasing decisions.
The ins and outs of the right solution
If you integrate the right solution into your business’s website the user experience will be much more inclusive to users with disabilities. Many solutions on the market, especially those powered by AI, can transform website use for a wide range of disabilities. AI amendments can make the purchase process accessible to online shoppers, and adjustments can be made to the back end of the text or visuals of your website to ensure someone with epilepsy can browse safely.
Web accessibility is an essential component of your inclusive marketing strategy. It demonstrates your inclusive brand values by ensuring equal access and inclusion for people with disabilities to engage with your content and make purchases. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, in Q1 of 2023, e-commerce sales accounted for 15% of total retail sales in the US, and the percentage is expected to continue to increase. With online purchases on the rise, and disability rates continuing to increase, your inclusive brand values either end at lip service with marketing campaigns or with actual inclusive action, like a web accessibility solution that opens the digital door for all users.
