{"id":131235,"date":"2020-07-13T10:40:24","date_gmt":"2020-07-13T09:40:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/?p=131235"},"modified":"2020-07-14T15:43:56","modified_gmt":"2020-07-14T14:43:56","slug":"6-tips-for-talking-to-your-clients-about-inclusivity-in-campaigns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/blog\/6-tips-for-talking-to-your-clients-about-inclusivity-in-campaigns\/","title":{"rendered":"6 tips for talking to your clients about inclusivity in campaigns"},"content":{"rendered":"

PR and communications has undeniable issues when it comes to race, class and gender. Numerous<\/a> studies<\/a> and campaigns<\/a> have shown<\/a> that the workforce is primarily made up of those from white, middle-class backgrounds. As the industry works to welcome and then bolster the career paths of those who come from outside privileged bubbles, conversations have to be had with clients who come from white, middle-class backgrounds themselves and automatically see \u2013 and then show \u2013 a world in their own image. <\/strong><\/p>\n

On The PR Show podcast last week<\/a>, Manifest brand strategy director Julian Obubo discussed how this element of unconscious bias in clients impacts campaigns, and how PR agencies need to challenge the \u2018cultural whitewashing blind spot\u2019. Below are just five of those in the PR working to do better on this, and how they\u2019re talking to clients about inclusivity.<\/p>\n

1. Ensure your own team is diverse first<\/span><\/strong>
\n\u2018I have a mantra: you can\u2019t represent who you don\u2019t represent. If clients can\u2019t identify with you, then they won\u2019t instruct you. Sometimes, you lose work because of a lack of \u201cchemistry\u201d. Well, imagine that, but for all the clients who don\u2019t even invite you to pitch for the work as they can\u2019t see anyone at your organisation who looks like they have their shared values and interests at heart. Convincing clients to be more diverse is simple economics and good business sense because the more diverse your personnel, the greater chance you have of a piece of work or a new client.<\/p>\n

\u2018If the PR profession was more diverse, we\u2019d be selling fewer stale, pale and male stories to the media who, in turn, would cover more of those differing voices. Think back to when BBC News was based in White City \u2013 how representative of the north was it then? Nowadays, you\u2019re just as likely to see talking heads from Leeds and Manchester on the 10 o\u2019clock news as you are from Hackney.\u2019<\/p>\n

Simon Marshall, founder of TBD Marketing Ltd<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

2. Don\u2019t tiptoe around the issue <\/span><\/strong>
\n\u2018A lot of our clients are in the social enterprise, charity or social movement space, but even so it’s surprising how often we have to point out simple things like every photo in a brochure is of a white person, or that every proposed speaker or panellist at a planned event is male.<\/p>\n

\u2018In my experience, a lack of thinking about diversity and inclusion is often because of who is sitting around the table. People at work fall back on their own life experience and knowledge. Thinking about diversity isn’t always front of mind for all clients \u2013 even though it should be.<\/p>\n

\u2018My view is you wouldn’t be doing your job properly if you didn’t speak up. I wouldn’t beat around the bush or treat it as a sensitive issue to tiptoe around. If it’s not been thought of, you’re being helpful pointing it out.\u2019<\/p>\n

Helen Furnivall, managing director of High-Rise Communications<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

3. Remind the client the discussion isn\u2019t criticism, but a necessity<\/span><\/strong>
\n\u2018Ours is a relationship business, but what we too-often overlook is our relationship with the public. Gone are the days where brands can get away with selling a white-washed, rose-tinted pipe dream \u2013 the public crave authenticity. With the cries for racial justice resonating across the world in recent weeks, inclusivity has never been more important, especially in PR.<\/p>\n

\u2018If your team reflects your audience then chances are, you’ll connect with them better \u2013 and what client could argue with that? A diverse and inclusive team is more likely to make magic and capture the attention of the audience, so start by showing your client that connection. Present it as a win-win for all involved, and make the business case for having an inclusive team. Now, some clients will be more au fait with these issues than others, so remember to stress that it’s not a criticism. It’s simply another way we add value for our clients \u2013 by reminding them that if a brand’s not staying relevant, then its days are numbered.\u2019<\/p>\n

Cai Wilshaw, \u2018Dragon Angel\u2019 at The Fourth Angel<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

4. Prepare genuine reasoning <\/span><\/strong>
\n\u2018With all advice we give to clients, the way it is received depends on the relationship with the client and how you’ve previously managed their expectations.<\/p>\n

\u2018What I tend to do when talking to clients about sensitive subjects such as inclusivity is firstly find a news article or public issue that relates to the topic and ask them how they feel about it. This then gives me an opportunity to present my ideas about how we could amend a specific campaign or project. It’s vital to prepare reasoning before having the conversation to ensure that the client can understand why you may be making these suggestions. Talk to them about the audience and how it could be perceived, and go on to make reference to any competitor examples.<\/p>\n

\u2018Another effective method is asking the client about their long-term goals for inclusivity and whether they feel that this specific campaign\/project will help them achieve those goals.<\/p>\n

\u2018Inclusivity must be genuine. Releasing public material that portrays a firm as inclusive when in fact they aren’t, will do more damage than good and lead to a bad brand image. As PR professionals, it’s our role to ensure that all communications are genuine and in the best interest of both the client and the reader. Lots of firms jumped on the back of the Black Lives Matter campaign by sharing a black square, yet their brands don’t resemble that of an inclusive brand.\u2019<\/p>\n

Gemma Birbeck, PR consultant and founder of Leuly Photography and PR<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

5. Don\u2019t ignore the challenge<\/span><\/strong>
\n\u2018While discussing your plans with your client, make them hold up an imaginary mirror. Let them see campaign ideas through a different lens. If they cannot see that their projects\/briefs are not inclusive on race, disability, sexuality, gender expression, etc. ask, \u201cdoes this match with your company values?\u201d Hopefully at this stage they can put themselves in someone else\u2019s shoes and see the light. If inclusive values are not part of their organisation\u2019s culture, then as a PR you have an even bigger challenge on your hands, but a challenge you must never ignore.\u2019<\/p>\n

Hilary Collins, managing director and founder at Big Wave PR<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

6. Acknowledge where you haven\u2019t done enough yet, and then do better<\/span><\/strong>
\n\u2018It\u2019s important to be part of a conversation on diversity not just because it\u2019s newsworthy but because it\u2019s the right thing to do. PR isn\u2019t just about reflecting an organisation as it is. It\u2019s also about shining a light on them and in doing so, hopefully helping to improve it.<\/p>\n

\u2018We see synopses covering what journalists are writing about, plus are constantly looking at published pieces, and so it\u2019s our job to tell clients what current comment themes are. With diversity being at the forefront, it\u2019s important that people we work with are prepared to answer questions on diversity and diversity initiatives. And there\u2019s no point having a tokenistic approach \u2013 everyone can see through this.<\/p>\n

\u2018I was asked the question earlier today \u201cis it too late to get involved in diversity at this stage?\u201d \u2013 I said no. It\u2019s a really good time. It\u2019s not a knee-jerk response at this stage \u2013 it\u2019s a considered approach, and by now, you should have actions and plans to back up your comments. It\u2019s fine to say, \u201cwe haven\u2019t done enough,\u201d provided you follow that up with what you\u2019re planning to do next.\u2019<\/p>\n

Jessica Morgan, business owner at Carnsight Communications<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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