Salesforce asks partners to practice ‘inclusive’ marketing

Salesforce has called on its partners to practice “inclusive marketing” and offered a set of guidelines to help them do so.

The company’s definition of inclusive marketing is “content that truly reflects the diverse communities that our companies serve,” wrote Alexandra Legend Siegel, leader of Salesforce’s Equality Narrative and Content team.

 “It means that we are intentional about elevating diverse voices and role models, decreasing cultural bias, and leading positive social change through thoughtful and respectful content.”

Salesforce has developed six inclusive marketing principles and Siegel’s post urges partners to consider them. Indeed, Salesforce has created Trailhead content to make it easier for partners to adopt the principles.

Salesforce's inclusive marketing principles

Salesforce hasn’t explicitly tied inclusive marketing to better ROI, but Siegel did write that “We know that there is luminary, diverse talent all around us. It is up to us to make sure we are connecting them to our platforms and giving opportunities to all.”

Much of the post suggests that inclusive marketing is just the right thing to do, and that it is time to avoid tired stereotypes such as those found in stock photography tagged “manager and employee” that often depicts “a male employee standing over a woman colleague, implying certain power dynamics.”

“There is immense power in representation,” Siegel wrote. “People want to see themselves reflected in media — it helps us to all feel empowered, inspired and heard.”

“Before publishing an advertisement or hosting a panel, for example, ask — does this reflect society? Am I elevating diverse voices?”

Siegel and Salesforce therefore suggest partners adopt “an inclusive review process to help catch any concerns or improve marketing materials before it goes out the door.”

“Our steps include: putting on our equality glasses by looking at everything through the lens of the principles, having a diverse review panel, seeking input when in doubt, creating space for inclusive and anonymous feedback and prioritizing accessibility.”