Marketing Glossary

An ally is someone who makes a committed effort to understand and recognize their own privilege — whether related to gender identity, class, race or ethnicity, sexual identity, or other characteristics — and actively collaborates with historically underrepresented groups to achieve social justice for all. A brand being an ally means making a genuine commitment to elevate the voices of historically underrepresented populations throughout the entire life cycle of campaigns. The word ally may not resonate with or feel sufficient to all communities or individuals. As with all other terms presented here, it’s important to do the work to get clear on how the individuals in your target segment relate to the term.

The term billennial is a portmanteau of “bilingual” and “millennial” and refers to a millennial audience that consumes their media in two languages (e.g., both English and Spanish), whether or not they have a command of either language. The term has mainly been used to describe Spanish-speaking bilingual millennials.

Code-switching today generally refers to someone shifting between cultures, identities, and tones to fit within a particular context, often to conform to the dominant culture. Though nearly everyone code-switches in some ways, the burden usually falls disproportionately on members of historically underrepresented groups, and it can be detrimental to an individual’s sense of belonging when code-switching feels forced. 

In marketing, cultural relevance is being able to understand, communicate with, and respond to a consumer group in a relatable manner. Cultural relevance asks individuals, brands, and organizations to immerse themselves in the experiences of their consumers, engaging with the social and cultural realities that shape them and their world.

A diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategy in marketing refers to the game plan and tools used to ensure that a variety of identities in a target audience feel seen, welcomed, respected, supported, valued, and included. A DEI lens permeates all aspects of a brand and campaign. A DEI lens is a mindset through which to consider everything your brand touches, ensuring that your brand’s actions consistently align with your socially conscious mission.

Dominant culture refers to the cultural beliefs, values, and traditions that are practiced by those in power in society and, therefore, take precedence over others. Marketers looking to connect authentically with segments from diverse communities should be aware of the tendency to cater to the dominant culture and intentional about creating campaigns that speak to cultures that are less well-represented.

Endemic marketing refers to marketing and advertising that feels intrinsically natural and fitting to the market it targets. In it, the ads are strategically placed so that they culturally belong to the consumer group they are speaking to and contingently belong to the spaces they’re placed in. Unlike demographic marketing, which may broadly categorize consumers, endemic marketing teases out the interests, passions, likes, and dislikes of a consumer, which can elevate DEI marketing.

Exoticizing is the process of portraying an individual, culture, or group as foreign, strange, or unnatural. The term is rooted in “outside” and signifies “other.” The “other” is seen as a canvas onto which a dominant culture projects its romanticized ideas of that other. With an understanding of the power dynamics behind imposing one’s own perceptions onto another group, marketers can be intentional about doing the work to understand, learn about, and elevate the voices of consumers from diverse communities.