Women’s sport is prime territory for brands that want to be associated with top-class players who people care about and who are getting media attention.
In order to increase the representation of people from diverse background, brands have got to create the right conditions for diversity to grow.
It’s great that brands are stepping up to champion LGBTQ+ rights and support these communities with Pride-related activity, but creating a rainbow coloured product is simply not enough.
Tech companies need to show consumers, government and activists they are taking their concerns seriously when it comes to data, illegal content and censorship. Failure to do so will result in them being regulated to an uncomfortable degree.
Brands should encourage their staff to act as ambassadors for their business – in fact, they should be considered a key communications channel.
Whether it is Nike championing Colin Kaepernick, Lacoste changing its logo or Gillette’s ‘The Best Men Can Be’, it is better to stand up and be criticised than not do anything at all.
Marketers might not be able to drive change across an entire organisation but they can make a difference on diversity and inclusion if they look at the make-up of their teams and the creative they are putting out.
Brands have the opportunity to win consumers hearts and their custom by taking a stand on the issues they care about.
Influencers can be a fickle bunch, willing to take money and promote the goods of the highest bidder, which in time will erode consumer trust and love for your brand.
Marketers need to stop relying on segmenting people by their age and instead look at values and attitudes if they want to reach their target audience with relevant messages.
Junior marketers are often too afraid to ask questions about career progression and managing workloads so their senior counterparts must create a culture where more feel confident raising their hand.
If public trust in political advertising is ever going to improve it must be regulated in the same way as all other advertising, especially when it comes to online campaigning.
Women are far less likely to invest in stocks and shares than men, but a change to how the industry is marketed could help to solve that inequality.
Companies that actively seek out perspectives that are under-represented will find that rather than compromising on talent they widen the pool.
It can be hard for brands to agree on a point of view and even harder agreeing to tell the outside world what it is, but those that do will reap the benefits.