The State of Inclusive Marketing in 2025 [New Data + Expert Insight]

The Unstereotype Alliance looked at over 300 global brands. They found that brands with inclusive ads made 5% more short-term sales and 16% more long-term sales. These brands were also 62% more likely to be the first choice of customers. This shows that inclusive marketing connects well with people. It helps people feel understood and valued. It also brings better results for businesses. Still, many brands are not using inclusive marketing often. So, we decided to ask over 100 marketing and advertising professionals about it. We wanted to know if they use inclusive marketing, how they use it, and get tips from experts on doing it right.

Why did we do this research?

Inclusive marketing means showing people with different backgrounds, like race or disability, in our content. It makes sure everyone feels seen and included. Marketing is about getting people interested in what we offer.

To do that, we need to show people that we understand and care about them. If people don’t see themselves in our content, they may go to another brand that does. Even customers say this matters. They care about diversity and inclusion, and it affects what they buy. Even though people want this, many brands still don’t focus on it. We wanted to know why this is the case. We also wanted to learn from the brands that are doing it well. So we asked marketers and put their answers into this report.

State of Inclusive Marketing in 2025

Let’s look at where inclusive marketing stands today.

We’ll see how brands are using it and what results they are seeing.

63% of marketers said their workplace invests in inclusive marketing.

37% said they don’t, or they are not sure.

We asked how deeply inclusion is part of their plans.

Most said there are only “some” inclusive elements in their work.

Only 42% said it is a core part of their marketing and communication.

What Do Marketers Think?

Most marketers think inclusion is very important. 8 in 10 agree that ads should show people from diverse communities.

More than two-thirds feel good about brands that include everyone. They’re also more likely to buy from those brands.

For every marketer who thinks we’re doing enough, 10 say we can do better. They believe the industry still needs to support underrepresented groups more.

This is a hopeful sign. Even if a company doesn’t fully support inclusive marketing, there are people on the team who believe in it. They can speak up and help bring change.

Goals, Benefits & Impact

Marketers say the main goal of inclusive marketing is to reach more people. They also want to make content that feels right for their current audience. This makes sense because happy customers are more likely to stay when they see content that connects with them.

When asked who benefits from inclusive marketing, most say everyone does. Not just the businesses or the groups shown in the ads. Only 6% believe it helps only the specific group being represented.

We also asked marketers how their companies gained from inclusive marketing.

Here are the most common answers:

• Customers become more loyal.
  People stay with brands that care about them.
  One marketer said, “We’ve seen more repeat customers and better feedback from our sales team.”
• More people buy the products.
  When brands speak to everyone, more people feel included.
  Another marketer said, “It helps us sell more because more people feel the brand is for them too.”
• The brand’s image improves.
  People trust and respect brands that include all kinds of people.
• More people engage with the content.
  When customers feel a connection, they are more likely to like, comment, and share.

Does Inclusive Marketing Help a Business Succeed?

Most marketers said inclusive marketing has a “medium” impact on business success. We are not surprised. That’s because many companies only do it once in a while. Like running a single campaign for a special event. But these one-time efforts don’t always get the same results as regular marketing. So, fewer inclusive campaigns often lead to less business impact.

How Companies Are Doing It

Now that we know companies are trying inclusive marketing, let’s look at how they do it.

Most brands start with visuals, like showing people of different backgrounds.

This is followed by:

• Making websites easy to use for everyone (like using image alt text)
• Using inclusive words in content
• Running campaigns for events like Black History Month

But many brands only use inclusive marketing in small parts. They focus more on visuals and less on the full message. This means they may look inclusive but are not sharing full stories.

Why Language Is Just as Important

We noticed that brands often use inclusive pictures, but not inclusive words. This can cause problems.

For example, in 2023, KFC ran a campaign using its slogan “It’s finger lickin’ good.”The words were fine, but the pictures showed Black people eating chicken. Some people felt this reminded them of an old, hurtful stereotype.

In the past, there were ads and shows that mocked Black people by showing them eating chicken. These shows were meant to make fun of them and were very offensive.

KFC likely didn’t mean to do this, but people still noticed the connection. This shows that even if the message is okay, the pictures must match.

That’s why brands must make sure their words and images go well together. It helps them avoid mistakes and makes their message stronger

Challenges and Barriers of Inclusive Marketing

Marketers whose companies don’t use inclusive marketing often don’t know what’s stopping them. The second biggest reason is a small budget. Another reason is not having enough knowledge or skill to do it the right way.

Challenges at Companies That Do Invest

Marketers who work at companies that do invest in inclusive marketing say budget is still their top problem. About 33% say it’s hard to place content in safe spaces for their brand. And 28% say they worry about customers or the public reacting badly.

One good example is changing how we work with influencers. If the budget is low, but we’re already paying influencers, we can choose influencers from different communities. These creators will share our brand with their followers, who likely have similar interests and stories. This helps more people feel connected to what we offer.

Inclusive Marketing Best Practices (Expert Tips)

So far, we’ve seen that brands know inclusive marketing is important. But many are only doing part of it – mostly by using diverse images, not full strategies. Even marketers at companies that don’t fully practice inclusive marketing agree Brands should do more to include different and underrepresented groups in ads and campaigns.

So, how can companies do better? Howard and Lomax give useful tips.

1. Use insights from your audience

Howard says many people think they know a community well — but they may actually be using old ideas or stereotypes. Her advice? Work closely with your insights team, the people who look at data. She says, “Check the numbers and see what really works for the people you want to reach.”This helps shape the strategy in the right way.

She shares an example:

They studied how LGBTQ+ customers like to shop.

They learned that “found family” is important to many.

So, showing only traditional family types may not feel real or familiar to them.

Other helpful ideas include:

• Looking at data based on different groups
• Doing small group talks with people from those groups
• Listening online to what people are saying
• Testing ads with the audience before going live

2. Build inclusive teams (but not just for show)

A great way to stay inclusive is to have a team with different backgrounds.People with different experiences can give advice and point out problems early.

But we must be careful not to “tokenize.” This means not inviting someone just to fill a spot because of who they are. Howard says that if people are in the room but their ideas aren’t heard, it’s a waste.

We believe it’s not enough to just invite people in. Everyone should feel safe to speak, and others must listen. If someone says something in the campaign feels wrong, the team should talk about it seriously.

Even customers feel that real change inside the company shows true care. Most said that for Black History Month, brands should first show they value diversity within their own teams.

Helpful steps include:

• Having different voices at every level of marketing
• Creating spaces where feedback is welcome
• Giving team members training on how to be inclusive

3. Build Clear Plans

11% of people said they don’t know if their company uses inclusive marketing. Almost half (49%) said inclusivity is only partly used. We believe a good way to improve this is to create clear plans and give teams proper training. This can be done through team workshops or easy-to-follow rules for adding inclusion at every step of the marketing process.

Clear plans can include things like:

• Simple written steps on how to do inclusive marketing
• Checklists to follow when making or checking campaigns
• Regular training to help the team understand inclusion
• A clear system where team members can speak up and share concerns

Howard says it’s okay to ask for help. She adds, “If your team doesn’t have the time or skills, look for help from outside experts.”Some companies focus only on inclusive marketing, and they can guide you in the right way.

In short, if you want to get started but don’t know how, Getting outside support is a smart first step.

4. Include Inclusivity All Year Long

26% of companies run campaigns for different cultures, and 36% do something during awareness months. But if brands only show inclusion during special times (like Pride Month), it can feel like they’re doing it just to follow a trend.

Instead, we should include inclusive ideas in our marketing all year long. That means using voices from different groups, showing many cultures in our messages, and making sure inclusion is always part of the plan.

5. Use Inclusion to Truly Stand Out — Not Just Tick a Box

Many brands use inclusive marketing just to follow what others are doing. For example, most brands use diverse images. But only 36% use inclusive language.

That means people might see themselves in pictures, but not feel connected to the message. There is a chance here to make a bigger impact.

We can use inclusion to be different in a good way — not just to meet a target. Changing our brand voice to sound more welcoming, respectful, and neutral can help reach more people. This works even better if our competitors are not doing the same.

We can also share our progress with our leaders and audience. Publishing reports and updates shows that we truly care and are not just doing this for looks.

To keep everything on track, we can:

• Create a guide for using inclusive language with our visuals
• Make sure our words match the experiences of different groups
• Think about history and culture when choosing images and text
• Check each campaign as a whole to make sure nothing feels off

6. Always Focus on the Communities You Want to Reach

Lomax says the first question we should ask is, “How can a brand that hasn’t yet connected with a community start that connection?”

She adds that being real and honest starts by asking:

“Are we listening to what the community needs? And do we have something helpful for them?”

If we want people to care about our message, We must put the community at the center of what we do. We can’t make strong content unless we truly understand who they are and what matters to them.

One good way to do this is to study who our buyers are. Howard suggests that we talk to the people we want to reach. She says, “Many brands think they need to find all the answers on their own.

But sometimes, you can just ask the community, ‘What do you want?’”

We can do this online too. People today are open about what they like, and they’re ready to share.

Here are some simple ways we can act on this:

• Keep talking with different communities over time
• Create spaces where customers can give feedback
• If any problem comes up, solve it quickly and respectfully

The Future of Inclusive Marketing

Almost 90% of marketers think that being inclusive and accessible will shape the future of marketing. Even if some companies haven’t started yet, over 90% say online inclusion is important.

Many marketers also say that more people now want brands to be more inclusive. We believe this change will help more companies start using inclusive marketing soon.

If your brand wants to do better, The expert tips we’ve shared above are a great way to begin.

Lomax says we should take a human approach. We should listen to people and make sure our brand’s values match what communities care about. “If you do that every day, you won’t need to worry about just showing up during Pride Month,” she explains.

We agree with her. When companies do more than just “look inclusive” and truly include everyone in their actions, they stand out. Communities can see these brands as honest, caring, and respectful of their lives.

The biggest chance with inclusive marketing is to make it part of your strategy, not just your image. This helps you connect with more people, build trust, and grow loyalty.

So, what steps will you take?

And how will you make your inclusive marketing matter from now on?

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