It’s 2020 friends. Whether you like it or not (and I do hope that you like it…), diversity is a way of life in the U.S. As advertisers and marketers, we should act like it too.

I, along with my other analog friends, subscribe to magazines. Err… well I recently unsubscribed – but that’s beside the point. I received the latest Allure magazine this past week and flipped through the glossy pages of advertising. Let’s be honest, that’s mostly what magazines are these days. I purveyed the different products as a self-described recovering beauty addict. (Don’t worry, I – and my wallet – are recuperating from this habit.)

I stopped when I saw this ad for L’Oréal’s Infallible Foundation.

Now, at first glance, I thought of all the YouTube beauty influencers raving about this and how I would purchase it if I didn’t have other foundations. But, my eyes bounced around taking note of the dark foundation and African American woman highlighted in the lower half of the page. Okay, they’re trying to show that the foundation has darker shades, something not so common in the beauty industry. I assume Allure probably has a wider white female audience, but we love diversity, especially when it’s not for a specific capital gain. However, let’s look at this ad again.

You have 40 shades. Great! But, of those 40 shades, only about 3 or 4 actually range deeper than a dark tan.

Dear L’Oréal,

People with deeper skin tones don’t all fit in 4 little nice shade buckets. They, too, have different undertones and incremental hues of skin tone. Come on, L’Oréal! This looks like a half-assed job of trying to be “politically correct” by having a scattering of deeper shades. You have so many resources. Please do better.

Thanks,
Everyone

“How can we do better?”

Sure, it’s a valid question. It sucks that it needs to be answered, but I don’t mind earnest effort to do better and be more inclusive. For one, hire more diverse people. I bet if you put this shade range in front of a beauty-loving African American, they’d have a few lot of suggestions. You can improve your product and be authentic in your efforts to include more diversity.

Now, hiring people who don’t look like you shouldn’t be a “check-the-box” sort of effort. “Ah, we hired a black person/gay person/[insert whatever you want here], we’re good” is not the answer. No, don’t hire to attain a certain diversity percentage or threshold. They shouldn’t be the token minority. They shouldn’t be excluded nor treated with less importance or given less access. Be open.

Hire because you want their thoughts and ideas.
Hire because you want them to make a difference in your company.
Hire because you want them to be successful.

For example…

Too Faced Born This Way Foundation came out with an okay shade range. However, decent wasn’t good enough for them. They wanted more, but they wanted to make sure they did it right. So, they hired Jackie Aina as a collaborator/consultant. She’s a beauty influencer (bonus points for added buzz about the product) and a woman of color. She worked with them to create a more dynamic shade range.

There! That’s how you do it!

Sure, there might not be an influencer that fits perfectly for your company as Jackie Aina does with Too Faced. Nonetheless, there are smart, well-qualified people of color that can work for you and ensure your company is inclusive. Now, I understand that this is just one example of how to add diversity, and I only talked about race and color. There are other groups of people likely not well represented in your company. To stay on the beauty/makeup theme, look at what Haus Laboratory cosmetics is doing for the LGBTQ+ community.

Hire them and be open to their ideas. As long as you make them feel welcome, supported, and important, they’re going to do great work. And, that’s your first step toward the path of inclusion.

Another Note:

With the recent uproar regarding Harriet Tubman on OneUnited Bank, you may question whether any of it is worth it. Even with good intentions, prior research, and an African American behind the work, the notoriously largest black-owned bank still met ridicule and jokes. Yes, it does look like the Black Panther “Wakanda Forever” sign. Why? That salute was used due to its meaning of love and hug. Teri Williams, the bank’s president and chief operating officer, stood behind the card, and it’s been a success.

This worked because of the research conducted, the purpose, and by the fact that there were so many African Americans behind the debit card. It makes a difference. And, your company can be that difference with diversity.