by Frances Chang, Vice President - communications 21

It is 2025 and corporations are walking back their DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) policies because the current administration has mandated it. I won’t get into the specific politics of it all, but I do want to address or refute the argument that DEI isn’t a merit-based system and why it matters in marketing. For context, racial segregation legally ended in 1964, women were legally granted the right to vote in 1920 and gay marriage became legal in all 50 states in 2015. It has taken only 100 years out of the 249 that the United States of America has been an independent country for everyone existing here to have equal rights in the eyes of the law.

Diversity

The definition of diversity is the practice of involving people from a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds, including different genders, sexual orientations, etc. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the racial breakdown of U.S. residents is: 58% Caucasian, 13% Black, 19% Hispanic, 6% Asian, 1% Indigenous and 3% mixed or other. Records show that 50.9% of the U.S. population is female, 49.1% is male — and somewhere within the mix, 9.3% identify as LGBTQ+ and 1% identify as transgender. Finally, 28.7% of the U.S. population have recorded some type of disability. All of these facts and statistics show that this country is not a homogenous clump, but in fact, an amalgamation of populations with different perspectives, backgrounds, upbringings, experiences and needs.

The purpose of marketing is to attract consumers through branding and messaging. The best way to target consumers is to communicate with them — and the best way to communicate with them is to relate to them. This is why representation in marketing matters. Consumers trust what they can see, hear and experience, especially if someone sees themselves represented within a brand or its messaging. Commerce is all about brand loyalty — and the key to building brand loyalty is through diverse representation.

Equity

Equity is defined as being fair and impartial, especially in the way people are treated. Our own Declaration of Independence states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all [mankind] are created equal, that they are endowed with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Now, what these words mean — equity and the pursuit of happiness — is that the opportunity exists equally. Free will, talent and circumstance all factor into what individuals make of their opportunities.

Stadium seating in venues is a great example of equity. While there are various price points depending on the seat’s proximity to the stage or field, the seats further away are raised so that spectators further back still have the opportunity to see. Equity is appealing to a broad spectrum of consumers and providing them the choice to purchase products or services within their comfort.

Inclusion

To tie everything together, inclusion is the practice of providing equal access for opportunities and resources to marginalized people who might otherwise be excluded. I think we can all agree that inclusion is common sense, since purposefully excluding anyone or any groups would essentially be bullying or discrimination. Even the perception of being an outlier can be harmful to one’s mental health.

To continue with the stadium seating analogy, venues with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) seating are being inclusive to those with sight, hearing or mobility impairments. By providing reserved or custom seating, those experiencing specific difficulty are equally able to partake and enjoy the same entertainment as everyone else. Core memories are built on experiences, and marketing is a tool for companies to help build those core memories for their customers.

Summary

To circle back to the meritocracy argument - having DEI policies isn’t about favoring one race, one gender or one identity over another, it’s about presenting a fair playing field for everyone and letting them put their best self forward, letting their qualifications, disposition, personality and vibe take the stage. Each individual is then able to make the best choice possible that is best suited to them. Diversity, equity and inclusion policies work to remove the barriers that years of discrimination have made innate in corporate culture. When a third of the workforce reports that they believe being a Caucasian man makes it easier to be successful, this reinforces that not all have equal footing. This country is comprised of many different people, cultures, ages, body types and points of view — representation does indeed matter.

As a woman of color, who represents 3.9% of the U.S. population, I am not here and writing this as a DEI statistic, I am really good at my job drafting content, creating graphics, editing videos, placing media, coordinating memorable events and forming relationships with and for my clients. My background, my upbringing and my experiences make me who I am and informs my point of view when ideating concepts to meet my clients’ needs. Our office is better for it along with the contributions of my colleagues, who are comprised of women, people of color, various ages, differing religions and varying identities. We are all better for it because we are the voices of our clients as well as their audience.

DEI matters in marketing because the audience will always be a moving target and an organization’s message will miss every time if it doesn’t “read the room,” adapt, attract or appeal. Diversity, equity and inclusion isn’t just common sense, it is good business sense.