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Bud Light Proves Inclusive Marketing Needs A [R]Evolution To KickGlass Branding

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Introduction

Target this week stopped selling certain items from its Pride Month collection. Bud Light put on leave two marketing executives who oversaw the collaboration with a trans influencer as an inclusive marketing effort to drive growth among Gen Z consumers. Both brands claimed they had no alternative to protect their employees and partners and, in Target's case, other consumers. Angry opponents knocked down in-store displays, threatened employees, and used social media to share angry videos from inside Target stores. Bud Light's delivery drivers, sales representatives, and independent distributors were confronted by people on the streets, in bars, and stores.

All terrible situations that required resolution. But in this era of angry and demonstrative political polarization focused on cultural divisions over all aspects of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and especially transgender issues, how could neither company have had plans in place to address the predictable backlash from increasingly vocal and demonstrative opponents of trans rights while maintaining their support of their target consumers? Target and Bud Light also knew that, despite the screaming minority, the majority of Americans were on their side. A recent survey by GLAAD and the Edelman Trust Institute found that if a brand publicly supports and demonstrates a commitment to expanding and protecting LGBTQ+ rights, Americans are twice as likely to buy or use the brand.

Instead, in a reactive gut punch to consumers who value inclusivity, Bud Light's parent brand, Anheuser-Busch, quickly announced plans to neutralize the situation and refocus its marketing efforts on concerts and sports games. In our current cultural reality, neutrality isn't an option. These brands face the same personal and societal threats that the consumers they claim to support face every day. Brands play an integral role in our polarized cultural landscape, and consumers need to know where they stand.

Within a deeper and more purposeful relationship between the brands and their minority consumers, there's an opportunity for consumers to reciprocate the empathy they have expected to receive from brands. Minority consumers can empathize with the tense situation that Target and Bud Light face if they are valued enough to be brought into the situation because they live it daily. Minority consumers endure daily societal threats to their safety, their autonomy, and the foundations of their communities. They understand the trade-offs they must make between their beliefs and their behavior to reduce societal threats to their physical, emotional, or economic security.

For brands who do not pour decades of support for diverse consumers down the drain, they need to prove they are willing to go beyond the performative and superficial support of Inclusive Marketing and walk-the-walk with those who are increasingly under attack by legislatures, school boards, and media across the country. Brands must shift to a more authentic, empathetic, and supportive relationship with consumers that embodies the personal and societal battles they are fighting.

We Need [R]Evolution

Authentic Connection

While Inclusive Marketing has made significant strides in acknowledging diverse consumer segments and promoting representation, today's consumers need brands to form a deeper connection to gain loyalty.

Despite some commendable efforts, Inclusive Marketing can sometimes result in superficial diversity and tokenism, where brands merely check the box of including diverse representations without genuinely understanding and addressing different communities' unique needs and perspectives.

This lack of authenticity can be detected by discerning consumers, leading to a disconnection between the brand and its target audience. By understanding the shifting dynamics of consumer identities, social well-being, and the societal drivers that shape their experiences, Marketers can create experiences that resonate with diverse audiences and drive positive societal impact.

Force for Growth and Good

Marketers must recognize that today's consumers are well-informed, socially aware, and actively engaged in shaping the world around them. They expect brands to reflect their values and contribute positively to society, not as a Force-for-Good side hustle with Inclusive Marketing, but as a condition of purchase. Marketers need an approach that fosters authentic connections and meaningful engagement as a Force for Growth and Good.

Rebranding

Perhaps the most pressing need for a paradigm shift away from Inclusive Marketing is that the term Inclusive has a branding problem. Over the past six months, opponents of all Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts in this country have twisted their intention and reappropriated the meaning of the terms. It's a problem of perception over reality that is the bread and butter of effective branding.

Evolving to KickGlassTM Branding

KickGlassTM Branding represents a paradigm shift, recognizing that inclusivity is not a static checkbox but an ongoing journey of understanding, connection, and empowerment.

Authentic connection is at the heart of KickGlass Branding. This new approach recognizes that consumers are not homogenous entities but individuals shaped by a complex interplay of biological, social, and cultural factors. KickGlass Branding seeks to authentically address these dimensions, paving the way for meaningful engagement and long-term loyalty. It requires marketers to move beyond surface-level diversity to engage with consumers in a way that aligns with their evolving identities, aspirations, and social well-being.

This involves actively listening to diverse consumer voices, co-creating experiences with communities, and empowering individuals to shape brand narratives. Marketers can build trust, inspire brand advocacy, and generate authentic word-of-mouth by actively involving consumers in the marketing process. Such connections result in long-lasting relationships and sustained business growth.

Understanding Consumer Identities

KickGlass Branding acknowledges that consumer identities are multifaceted and consider various aspects of an individual's identity, including biological, social, and behavioral dimensions. It recognizes that these dimensions are not isolated but intersect and influence each other to form a multidimensional and unique identity. Marketers must realize the fluidity and intersectionality of these identities, acknowledging that individuals may embody multiple dimensions simultaneously.

KickGlass Branding also highlights the importance of understanding how societal structures, cultural norms, and social interactions impact individuals' sense of self and their place in the world. This nuanced understanding enables marketers to connect with consumers personally, addressing their unique needs, preferences, and social contexts. The KickGlass Identity Matrix, introduced later in this series, will provide marketers with an innovative, structured, and actionable framework of complex consumer identities that can drive strategic KickGlass Branding for growth and good.

Nurturing Social Well-Being

Under KickGlass Branding, companies have a responsibility to recognize the profound impact they can have on the social well-being of their consumers, taking into account the intricate interplay of biology and social factors that shape their identities. Social well-being goes beyond individual happiness and material possessions — it encompasses the state of fulfillment and connection that individuals experience in their social interactions and environments.

The CARES model of Social Well-being, introduced later in the KickGlass Branding series, offers a roadmap for marketers to activate strategies that enhance social well-being and contribute to individuals' and communities' overall happiness and fulfillment. By fostering communities, giving consumers a sense of agency, recognizing their unique identities, empowering them to achieve their goals, and ensuring their security and trust, marketers can elevate their brand's impact and strengthen their position in the marketplace.

Implementing from Research to Marketplace

KICKGLASS Connect drives the marketing process through landscape assessment, empathy development, insight generation, strategy development, and marketplace activation. At each step in the process, it provides marketers with innovative tools to successfully embrace complex consumer identities and consumers’ social well-being to activate marketing as a force for growth and good. KickGlass Branding activation requires a layered approach in the marketplace to activate generative empathy and authentically connecting with consumers who live under constant threat at all levels of society.

At the empathy development stage, marketers must go beyond basic empathy which involves understanding and sharing someone's feelings. They must extend into the realm of creative thinking and generating new insights and solutions through the more action-oriented generative empathy. Generative empathy involves purposefully engaging with others' experiences, actively listening, and seeking to understand the underlying motivations and needs that drive their emotions and actions. It requires an open and receptive mindset, free from judgment or preconceived notions, in order to truly grasp the nuances and complexities of another person's perspective.

At the activation stage, marketers must avoid the fragility of Target and Bud Light’s efforts to recognize LGBTQ+ people with a build-in plan for resilience to predictable backlash from opponents of corporate social advocacy.

Conclusion

As the marketing landscape continues to evolve, embracing KickGlass Branding is not just a strategic choice; it is a necessity to thrive in a diverse and interconnected world. Today's consumers demand brand authenticity, social responsibility, and a genuine commitment to meaningful change. By recognizing the depth and complexity of consumer identities, nurturing social well-being, and driving authentic connections through the KickGlass Connect process, marketers can unleash the full potential of KickGlass Branding as a force for growth and good.

By authentically engaging with all consumers, marketers can shape narratives, challenge biases, and promote inclusivity through their campaigns and initiatives. In doing so, they can create a ripple effect that goes beyond their bottom line, making a meaningful impact on individuals, communities, and society at large. Next, we'll discuss the transformative tools of KickGlass Branding — the KickGlass Identity Matrix and CARES Consumer Social Well-Being — designed to shape a better world and brand growth through meaningful and impactful marketing practices. We’ll introduce Kickglass Connect, a revolutionary approach to activating the principles of KickGlass Branding, weaving market analysis with cultural awareness, empathy, data-driven strategy, and vigorous engagement. We’ll conclude the KickGlass Branding series with an application to the LGBTQ+ consumer marketplace and the Bud Light saga.

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