This article originally appeared in the January/2024 issue of the Academy of General Dentistry’s AGD Impact magazine.
Why Diversity in Marketing Matters
By: Jackie Ulasewich Cullen
In today’s evolving marketplace, where patient expectations continue to shape the way dental practices operate, one key aspect has made its way to the forefront: diversity and inclusion in marketing. The call for representation in marketing has grown increasingly louder in recent years, with a majority of Americans demanding more inclusivity, underscoring a fundamental shift in the dynamics of the modern market. This shift in expectations should be a wake-up call for dental practices, prompting them to rethink the way they engage with their target markets and build trust with patients.
Defining Diversity and Inclusion
Most people will agree that diversity means representing people of different races and ethnic backgrounds. While this is certainly true, there is much more to it than that. Diversity encompasses gender, ability, religion, age, origin, identity and sexual orientation. We must remember that the United States has always been known as the melting pot of the world; however, that is not often reflected in the marketing that businesses, including dental practices, produce. Inclusion, therefore, means genuinely welcoming all people, regardless of how different they may be from you, to reflect what our society actually looks like.
Keeping an Eye on the Future
The future is here. Many baby boomers are well into their 70s, and Generation X has reached midlife. The average millennial is in their 30s, with a career and a family, while the oldest members of Generation Z have graduated college and entered the workforce in earnest. What do the newer generations have in common? They were all raised to respect diversity and inclusion. In fact, millennials and Gen Z especially, are demanding it, and it shows in the consumer choices they make.
The Growth of Diversity in Business
As the consumer landscape changes in general, so does the dental industry. It should be no surprise that business ownership has diversified along with society, which means there are more women- and minority-owned dental practices than ever before. This is a positive shift for the dental industry, but, unfortunately, dental marketing is lagging on this trend, as it continues to be mostly aimed at a limited demographic. It is therefore imperative for practices to adapt their marketing strategies to resonate with the diversity of society and not just their own markets. Targeting a diverse patient base and representing diversity through your team builds trust and authority and ultimately attracts more quality patients to your practice.
How to Integrate Diversity and Inclusion in Marketing
Start at Home
Having a diverse team is not only a reflection of a socially responsible practice but also a strategic advantage. If your team members come from different backgrounds, are a mix of genders and ethnicities, represent different abilities, etc., it brings a range of perspectives and experiences that can take your internal and external marketing campaigns to the next level, ensuring that they truly resonate with a diverse target audience and patient base. Diversity and inclusion in your practice is about creating an environment in which individuals from all walks of life can contribute their unique insights, creating more authentic connections with patients.
Review and Adapt Current Marketing
The first step to create more inclusive marketing is to look at your existing content. Digital marketing materials can be easily updated to better represent diversity. For instance, videos can have subtitles in different languages and captions for the hearing impaired. Social media posts can also have versions in different languages to connect with a wider variety of people.
In reviewing your current marketing, it is important to look for unconscious biases in the imagery. For instance, if your content predominantly features one demographic, it’s time to make a change so that it represents a diverse range of patients. By thoughtfully adapting your existing content, you can convey the message that your practice is actively striving to be more inclusive.
Create New Content with Diversity in Mind
Developing new content provides a fresh canvas to create marketing materials that are intentionally diverse and inclusive. This is where you can be proactive by optimizing your website’s accessibility, graphics and written copy to cater to the audiences your practice cares about. By infusing diversity into your creative process, you not only build patient loyalty but also send a clear message that you value inclusivity and representation.
Add Diverse Voices to Your Team
Expanding diversity on your team does not necessarily mean hiring a bunch of new people. An effective approach is to engage consultants — namely, marketing partners — from different backgrounds to inject fresh perspectives into your team without the need to make major staffing changes. Having relationships with a diverse set of vendors and partners can be eye-opening because they see beyond the bubble of your practice and will usually spot trends or shifts in the market earlier than you due to the nature of their businesses.
The Bottom Line: Your Patients Expect More
Authentic representation matters. Today’s patients, especially younger generations, demand more. They are increasingly insistent that the places where they spend their money and the professionals they choose to trust with their health value diversity and inclusion in their public image and behind the scenes. This shift in behavior has not gone unnoticed by the big brands, who are quickly realizing that a commitment to diversity is paramount to their success. Small businesses, like many dental practices, should be following suit if they want to remain competitive now and in the future.
To achieve diversity in marketing, dental practices must begin by building a diverse workforce, adapting their existing marketing strategies, creating new content with diversity in mind, and adding diverse voices to their teams. Dental practices that have not already started changing their strategies should be seriously considering it. Businesses that embrace this trend are not only more likely to succeed in today’s market, but also to contribute to a more inclusive and equitable future.
