As a brand, the sustainability of your diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in marketing and advertising can depend on seeing DEI as a practice, not a moment. It’s vital not just to recognize differences but to celebrate them by embracing authentic representation and visibility in marketing programs and campaigns.
This glossary intends to define and provide greater context on marketing-specific terms, for additional clarity, knowledge, and confidence around inclusive language as it relates to marketing, pre- to post-creative and sales teams. These terms may be helpful in understanding the experiences of those who are often excluded or marginalized so we may develop language to reflect changing times as an industry.
Like all of Language, Please, this glossary is a living resource and is meant to be regularly updated as the terminology and discussion around it continues to evolve. The intention is not to be prescriptive but to help spark reflection and thoughtful decision-making, leading to content, marketing programs, and media offerings that are more true to today’s consumers and their unique needs.
Have a suggestion for an update, change, or addition? Please get in touch.
How to use: Browse the whole section or search for the term you need guidance on; click on any term for in-depth context, additional resources, and related terms.
general market/mainstream market
The general market or mainstream market was understood as the “mainstream,” dominant culture — typically non-Hispanic/non-Latine white consumers. The general market today looks exponentially more diverse and multicultural due to the shifting demographics of the US.
multicultural marketing
Multicultural marketing is a marketing practice that celebrates a target market by acknowledging, respecting, including, valuing, and speaking to each person equally based on their cultural uniqueness. While the term is still frequently used, it tends to define communities by their differences from and contributions to a “dominant” culture. A more descriptive phrase may be “marketing, equity, and inclusion” (ME&I).
new mainstream
The term “new mainstream” refers to the transformation of the US consumer markets, highlighting how diverse groups have reshaped US consumer identity by becoming the new majority. The “mainstream” is no longer culturally uniform but rather encompasses an increasing range of cultures and demographics.
pandering
Pandering refers to providing exactly what a person or group wants, especially when it is not acceptable, reasonable, or approved of, usually in order to get some personal advantage. It can also refer to the practice of adapting public statements and actions to fake fitting into the culture of a given group or community. An example: rainbow-washing, the use of the rainbow Pride colors or imagery in advertising and products to nod to support of the LGBTQ+ movement and community without real tangible support for the community and causes in the long term.
total market
Total market is an umbrella term that includes all or several diverse consumer groups in one strategy campaign from the inception and includes culturally relevant cues for each group. A potential pitfall of the total market approach is trying to target too many consumer segments at the same time and failing to actually connect with any of them deeply.
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Language, Please is a living resource and will be updated regularly. Have a question, suggestion, or addition? We’d love to hear from you.
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