Every communications campaign has a goal. A communications team may want people to attend an event, enroll in a program, change a behavior or simply feel more connected to an organization. No matter what the objective is, a campaign will only be successful if the people it is trying to reach see themselves in the message.
This is why inclusive communications should never be an afterthought. When organizations think about inclusion from the very beginning of the planning process, they create campaigns that are more authentic and ultimately more effective. The best campaigns make audiences feel like they belong in the conversation.
A great example was the "We Can Do This" campaign by the American Public Health Association (APHA) during the COVID-19 pandemic. When COVID-19 vaccines became widely available, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) faced a significant wave of vaccine hesitancy. Many communities had different questions, experiences and trusted sources of information regarding vaccines.
Rather than relying on one universal message, HHS built the campaign around audience-specific communications. HHS developed materials in dozens of languages; partnered with trusted local organizations, faith leaders, health care providers and community influencers; and created culturally relevant messaging for communities including Black, Hispanic and Latino, Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, Tribal, rural, older adult, people with disabilities and LGBTQ+ populations. The campaign also prioritized accessibility by providing closed captions, American Sign Language interpretation, accessible digital materials and plain language resources.
The strategy recognized that inclusion is about making sure every audience has an opportunity to hear, understand and act on the message. This takeaway can be applied to campaigns of every size.
To help build a successful inclusive communications campaign, communicators should ask the following questions.
Inclusive Communications Campaign Checklist
Know your audience.
- Have you clearly identified all the audiences you want to reach?
- Have you considered communities that may be unintentionally overlooked?
- Have you engaged people from your intended audience to review materials or provide feedback?
Use clear, respectful language.
- Is your writing clear, conversational and free of unnecessary jargon?
- Are you using respectful, people-first or community-preferred language?
- Have you avoided making assumptions about gender, family structure, culture, income or ability?
Make visuals count.
- Do your photos and graphics authentically reflect the people you’re trying to reach?
- Are you avoiding stereotypes or token representation?
- Does the imagery support the message rather than distract from it?
Prioritize accessibility.
- Are videos captioned?
- Is alt text included for images?
- Is the content easy to read with appropriate color contrast and font sizes?
- Have you checked how the content performs on mobile devices and assistive technologies?
Think about distribution.
- Are you sharing content through the channels your audiences are most likely to use?
- Should materials be translated into additional languages?
- Are there trusted community organizations who can help amplify your message?
Take one last look.
- Has someone outside the project team reviewed the campaign?
- Does your message speak directly to every member of your intended audience?
When inclusion becomes part of the planning process instead of the editing process, you can create campaigns that build trust and help ensure that everyone has the opportunity to engage with your message.
And that's what great communications should do.
Savannah Young, Account Supervisor, Vanguard Communications