6 Ways Inclusive Marketing Can Spread Holiday Cheer

The holidays are a time of hope and happiness for many. We love the chance to unwind, get to know our coworkers, and celebrate meaningful occasions. But for those who do not feel included or supported, the holidays can be a time of stress or even sadness. We may laugh at shows like The Office, which show holiday parties as one epic fail after another — but, for many, the holidays can be no laughing matter.

“Presents are the best way to show someone how much you care. It is like this tangible thing that you can point to and say, ‘Hey man, I love you this many dollars worth.’” — Michael Scott, Dunder Mifflin

Inclusive marketing is essential — but it’s no easy feat, and may prove even more daunting an initiative during the holidays. With 49 percent of marketers kicking off holiday campaigns well before Halloween, it’s crucial to make sure your upcoming holiday strategy is inclusive for everyone regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, ability, or otherwise. Here are six ways inclusive marketing can make your holidays shine brighter.

1. Use the holidays to celebrate and learn.

The holiday season can be a great time to learn more about the traditions and celebrations of others. Holiday marketing is not about generic labels; instead, it’s an opportunity for your organization to build relationships and celebrate diversity. Salesforce does a great job of promoting this through its Equality Trailhead module.

For example, if you’re creating a gift catalog or promoting special discounts and giveaways for the season, consider advertising plays for multiple traditions — not just one. Even if your audience is predominantly from one social background, taking the time to recognize the stories and diversity of all traditions will win you long-term customer satisfaction and loyalty. As you do this, make your campaign easy to share. This way, your audience can share the celebrations with their own diverse networks.

2. Calendar and recognize the dates of diverse cultures.

This may seem obvious, but it’s easy to overlook: make sure you know when the major holidays in each tradition are happening, and recognize them. At Simplus, we encourage our employees to join Slack channels specific to their interests and backgrounds so they can connect with colleagues who share their same traditions. This also helps to ensure each holiday is recognized and celebrated.

Below are some of the major holidays, as explained by the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding, to put on your radar for the upcoming 2019/2020 season:

• October 27: Diwali begins (five-day celebration)
• December 8: Bodhi Day
• December 20–23: Yule
• December 22: Hanukkah begins (eight-day celebration)
• December 25: Christmas
• December 26: Kwanzaa begins (weeklong celebration)
• January 7: Christmas for Eastern Orthodox Christians
• January 25: Lunar New Year

3. Create a planning committee.

Create a holiday planning committee focused on recognizing and celebrating the diversity of the company and its customer base. Make sure your committee is diverse and reflects multiple backgrounds to more easily build stronger workplace camaraderie and customer community.

At Simplus, our holiday planning committee kept it simple this past year by holding our annual end-of-year holiday meeting on video. Because our employees work and live across the globe, we felt it would be more inclusive to have a party where everyone could participate. We invited employees’ family members and held a charity drive, as well as Elf on the Shelf and ugly sweater photo competitions. We also gave out holiday gifts in advance to ensure everyone had received them before the party.

The key to a successful committee is authenticity. While it’s important to involve all traditions and acknowledge important days, some well-meaning marketers find themselves attempting inappropriate tactics, as GroupOn contributor Marta Segal Block notes, when they begin making up counterparts to more well-known traditions. So don’t push the “Mensch on the Bench” or fabricate traditions out of thin air. Make sure your committee is focused on sharing and learning from each other.

4. Make your holiday campaign voluntary.

While company holiday parties are quite popular, some people choose not to celebrate holidays. Being inclusive during the holidays also means respecting those that simply don’t want to be included. With 88 percent of Americans alone feeling stressed by the holidays, it’s no wonder that some choose to opt-out altogether. Consider promoting more general, inspiring content to combat the stresses of the holidays rather than tradition-specific campaigns. Take a look at Salesforce’s inspiring stories blog from last holiday season for a good example of this.

The holiday season can also be a tough time for people experiencing SAD, PTSD, grief anniversaries, and holiday blues — be sensitive to this as well. So while you’ll likely put lots of time and energy into a concerted holiday marketing effort, don’t create a sense of obligation or mandatory participation in your holiday marketing. Several years ago, when I was a single mom, I made it a point not to attend family holiday parties because I was invariably the odd one out. I didn’t mind that people wanted to invite the family — I just wasn’t at a place in my life where I wanted to be there. It’s good to keep some of the usual, day-to-day content rolling for those looking for a break from it all, and this can even be a powerful marketing play as your brand becomes the stress release outlet during the holiday creep.

5. Consider doubling up with traditions.

While it’s important to give each distinct tradition its time to shine, you can also use the holiday season to build connections. Consider doubling up on shared traditions or practices. For example, try a two-step party with and without alcohol. If you are serving a traditional Christmas ham, make sure to also serve non-pork options.

Your employees and your customer base will respond to effective marketing strategies that emphasize human connection. As Inc. magazine noted, we are literally wired to connect with one another. Emphasizing this in your holiday marketing strategy will not only play well to all backgrounds but also foster more trust in your company as you treat your audience as real people — not just data points.

6. Listen to feedback and forgive.

One of the most important things we can do as marketers is to listen. Take the holiday season as a chance to receive feedback and learn. Be quick to apologize if you have inadvertently not included someone, and also be quick to forgive the mistakes that will inevitably happen. Use these experiences as a way to improve your strategy for future holidays.

As Starbucks learned from its infamous holiday cups over the years, there will always be criticism and someone left unhappy. Instead of ignoring the feedback — however vigorous it may get — take the time to acknowledge it and respond with a more informed approach in the new year.

Channeling the spirit and energy of the holidays is a great way to build bridges and help our companies connect meaningfully with employees and customers. By prizing inclusion and connection, you will be able to plan and execute holiday events and campaigns that bring holiday happiness to everyone.