Company culture is one of the major organs of a brand.
While inclusion is generally a positive concept that aims to create a sense of belonging and equal opportunity for everyone, there are some very negative ways it can be executed. These approaches can lead to unintended consequences or even undermine the goal of inclusion itself. When inclusivity is executed from a biased and naive approach, it can be destructive to a brand and its culture.
I understand the desire to practice inclusivity with the best intentions but intentions not executed from a sound place lead to a toxic work environment and with customers, a brand they might lose respect for and favoritism towards. To create a truly inclusive environment, it is important to be aware of the negative approaches and avoid them.
What is inclusivity though? Inclusivity involves embracing and valuing diversity, ensuring that everyone feels welcome and respected. However, when inclusivity is pursued excessively, misguided, or superficially, it can lead to a phenomenon known as “toxic inclusivity.” It’s vital that we discuss the concept of toxic inclusivity, its potential manifestations, and how businesses may inadvertently cause harm to their operations, employees, and reputation by engaging in such practices.
When a brand takes a one-size-fits-all approach without considering the specific needs and experiences of different groups it can lead to ineffective or counterproductive efforts that may not adequately address the unique challenges faced by diverse individuals. The overemphasis on identity politics has been ripping brands apart based on a very narrow view of what identity actually is with people choosing to focus on 1 of the many parts of what constitutes a person’s identity.
An organization that focuses solely on increasing diversity in its hiring practices without addressing systemic barriers to entry may not be able to retain diverse talent in the long term. Similarly, an individual who advocates for equality without recognizing their own privileged position within a particular power structure may inadvertently perpetuate inequalities.
To ensure that inclusion efforts are effective, it is important to understand and address power dynamics and systemic barriers. This may involve taking steps to identify and address structural inequalities, providing resources and support to marginalized individuals and groups, and promoting diversity and inclusion at all levels of an organization. It may also require a willingness to critically examine one’s own position within power structures and to engage in ongoing learning and self-reflection. By addressing power dynamics and systemic barriers, organizations and individuals can create more equitable and inclusive environments that benefit everyone.
When building a brand and you’re ramping up to run a marketing campaign, that campaign must align with the core values of the brand strategy as a whole and not a sole department or individual when brand equity is on the line.
Tokenism is a superficial approach in which including individuals from diverse backgrounds solely creates an appearance of diversity, without genuinely valuing their perspectives or addressing systemic barriers. This superficial approach can lead to feelings of marginalization and may fail to create an inclusive environment.
Forced assimilation is a bad brand strategy because it is encouraging or requiring individuals to conform to the dominant culture or norms, rather than fostering a truly inclusive environment that embraces and values diversity. This approach can suppress individuality and result in the loss of unique perspectives and contributions. Forced assimilation is running rampant in society with the need to be validated but more so, forcing others to accept others. This approach has been at the forefront of many woke marketing campaigns causing more harm than good. An unfortunate issue we see year after year is the suppression of differing opinions, disregarding and silencing opinions to avoid conflict to either maintain an appearance of inclusivity or to force assimilation.
Performative allyship and victim mentality is an approach to poor marketing strategies that the public can see right through. When a brand focuses on the appearance of inclusivity rather than meaningful change or genuine support, which can include tokenism, virtue signaling, or superficial efforts that don’t address the root causes of discrimination or exclusion you continue to hurt the company culture creating a toxic work environment.
Encouraging or fostering a culture in which people view themselves primarily as victims, perpetuates a cycle of helplessness and dependence rather than empowerment and growth. When it comes to building brand culture, hyper-focusing on a single marginal group without considering the bigger culture is ignoring everyone else in the company culture. Instead of creating an environment built on toxic inclusivity, focus on fostering genuine respect, understanding, and appreciation for diversity, while addressing systemic barriers and power imbalances that contribute to exclusion.
