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A framework for building more inclusive marketing and communications content
Journal of Education Advancement & Marketing,
7
(3),
236-248
(2022)
Abstract
Generation Z is more diverse and more socially conscious than any prior generation. As a result, universities must prioritise diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts in order to successfully attract young people to their communities. As stewards of the university's brand and the lens through which prospective community members are introduced to the institution, marketing and communications teams have a special responsibility to authentically represent DEI through all aspects of their work. As a Catholic university with a conviction of creating ‘a vibrant diverse community’, members of the Marketing, Insights and Communications team (MIC) at the University of St Thomas in St Paul, Minnesota, were compelled to take action. This paper provides an overview of the DEI Viewfinder tool, developed by the authors of this paper, to assist content creators in examining their marketing content through a DEI lens. Created via an audit of their own marketing and communications materials, the tool provides users with nine questions to ask in support of inclusive marketing and communications materials.
Keywords: diversity; equity; inclusion; marketing; communications
The full article is available to subscribers to the journal.
Author's Biography
Becky Stenlund University Insights Manager at the University of St Thomas in St Paul, MN. Her work includes building understanding and empathy for a wide range of audiences who interact with the university and its schools and colleges. Many of her insights culminate in personas that rely on storytelling and moments of truth along the enrolment journeys to inform marketing messages. Before coming to St Thomas, Becky worked and consulted for a variety of markets, primarily in the financial services and medical device industries, to inform both business-to-business and business-to-consumer service and experience decisions. Becky holds a BA in Psychology with Written Communication from Bethel University. She also holds a Fellow, Life Management Institute (FLMI) designation and is an Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) Qualified Administrator.
Katie Jensen Associate Vice President of Insights and Analytics at the University of St Thomas in St Paul, MN. Her work has ranged from examining enrolment journeys for prospective students, to refining marketing messages through consumer feedback, to guiding the institution's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Climate survey. Prior to joining St Thomas, Katie spent 13 years studying the consumer motivations behind food purchase decisions and applying those insights to a variety of audiences and brands, including Quaker, Yoplait, Pillsbury, and Cascadian Farm. Katie holds a BS in Marketing with an emphasis in Marketing Research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
