Inclusive marketing is more than just diverse imagery; it’s about creating campaigns that resonate with real people in their authentic voices.

If you’re passionate about building equitable and impactful marketing strategies, you won’t want to miss our upcoming event on April 1 from 8-10 AM at MYArts, “The Power of Difference: Creating Inclusive Marketing,” featuring a panel of experts including:

Panel Lineup:

• Bianca Martin, Host, City Cast Madison
• Ryan Haack, President & Founder of LivingOneHanded.com & Author, “Different is Awesome”
• Lorissa Banuelos, Community Engagement Specialist at City of Madison’s Common Council
• Aria Childers, Assistant Manager of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility at American Marketing Association

Join us to learn actionable strategies for meaningful inclusion in marketing and team-building. Our panelists will cover essential topics such as including diverse voices in messaging, building inclusive teams, challenging biases in campaigns, prioritizing accessibility, engaging authentically with diverse communities, and measuring the impact of inclusivity with real data.

You can learn more about the event and register here.

In the meantime, get a sneak peek of what to expect at the event in the Q&A conversation below with Bianca Martin and Ryan Haack:

What to expect: Q&A with Bianca Martin & Ryan Haack

1. AMA: Tell us a little about yourself and what you do.

Bianca: I am the host of the award-winning, daily news talk podcast City Cast Madison that focuses on the happenings, food and culture in our Capital city. Before hosting this podcast, I was a longtime radio and podcast producer at multiple media outlets including NPR, WBEZ, National Geographic, and Our Body Politic.

Ryan: I’m the kind of person who sees this question and starts to panic. “A little about myself?! What should I include? What should I omit? KEEP IT RELEVANT, RYAN!” Ok, a little about me… I was born in Madison back 1977 and as a special surprise for the doctors, nurses and my parents, I arrived missing my left hand. Basically since birth, I’ve had a biting sense of humor, which has helped tremendously. My wife and I have been married for 24 years and have three kids. In addition to my full time job as a Medicaid Advocate, my true passion is in writing (one children’s book in its 6th printing, Different Is Awesome!) and speaking. I’ve been traveling the country for over a decade doing school assemblies, keynotes and seminars for corporations, businesses and organizations, sharing my story and doing my best to help others love themselves just the way they are so that they can love others just the way they are. It’s simple, but it’s not easy. And I love it.

2. AMA: We hear the word ‘authenticity’ a lot in marketing, and it can be easy to forget how meaningful it can be, especially when it comes to engaging with and building trust with diverse communities. Can you give us a preview of what truly authentic inclusive marketing looks like?

Bianca: It looks like the mantra “Nothing about us, without us”. If you’re going to market campaigns to diverse audiences or targeted audiences from historically underrepresented groups, you should have people from those groups included in meaningful ways throughout the process, especially in the ideation and execution stages. Because then you’ll have eyes and ears to catch any materials or content that doesn’t ring true to lived experiences in the communities being marketed to. In order for something to be authentic – it has to come from an original source or as close to the source as you can get, and people are smart and can easily identify when something is from within the culture or from outside trying to look in.

Ryan: The phrase “Nothing about us without us” powerfully embodies the philosophy that I believe most effectively creates authentic diversity in marketing and so many other areas in our culture. When we stop marketing at a group of people and instead, we partner with them to create a truly authentic experience, we create something that benefits everyone.

3. AMA: Often, brands think diversity in visuals is enough, but as the panel will explore, real inclusion goes much deeper. What are some common mistakes marketers make when trying to be inclusive?

Bianca: They don’t put enough sincere intention into the front end of the effort to include difference, they treat the mission as a list item to check off. So then they are too hasty in crafting their content, they grab at low hanging fruit efforts to make diverse connections, and they come off generic. And for campaign materials they don’t get enough eyes and ideas in for a campaign, and they can accidentally reinforce stereotypes in the process. People are going to have different gut checks on marketing materials so having diversity of reviewers is key!

Ryan: I wouldn’t say I’m a marketing expert, but as a person with a disability, I can certainly tell when I’m being targeted. That said – and perhaps this will be somewhat contrary to what others say – I believe marketers often overthink things. And to a certain degree, I can’t blame them! You can’t be all things to all people and in this day and age (especially now), it seems like no matter what you do, one group or another is going to be offended. So, knowing who you are as a brand, being confident and having integrity in how you do things, is incredibly important as you explain your strategies.

4. AMA: What is a big takeaway people can expect if they attend the event?

Bianca: Be mindful and steeped in real intention when representing diverse people in your marketing. And check your blindsides often.

Ryan: I’m expecting a powerful, lively, nuanced, informative conversation with people who truly care about the subject matter. My hope is that our personal experience and insight will bring a new understanding and some actionable perspectives that can be implemented immediately, with results that benefit both company and consumer. Ultimately, when we share our stories with each other – and we listen! – that’s what happens; things get better. I truly believe that can and will happen on April 1st. 

See You April 1 at MYArts!

If you haven’t yet, register here. We can’t wait to learn and network with you.

Location: MYArts, 1055 E Mifflin St, Madison, WI 53703

Thank you to our sponsor(s)