Inclusive Marketing? The Power of Representation: Voices, Memories, and Justice
- Ayub Elias
- Nov 11
- 4 min read
In today’s blog, Healing Bells’ web designer and marketing specialist Ayub Elias Jaime flips the traditional view of consumer, capitalistic marketing on its head. Instead, he advocates for inclusive marketing that fosters empathy, compassion, and connection.
Inclusive marketing, to me, is an approach that goes beyond market strategy. It is the possibility of representing and connecting with diverse people who inhabit this world, creating products, services, and messages that are relevant and accessible to everyone. Its deeper purpose is to build a sense of belonging, to avoid exclusion, and to show respect for human rights. It is not about adding voices as decoration, but about opening space for different perspectives, about recognizing that there is no single mold from which we must speak.
Speaking of inclusion in marketing today is about recognizing and honoring the struggles for justice of communities that historically have been made invisible. It is a way of answering the question of how we wish to be represented and how we support others to be seen with dignity. For me, inclusion in communication and advertising is not limited to showing diverse images, even though those matter; it is more about the intention behind those images, about the narrative that welcomes rather than excludes, about the story that whispers, “you belong here, too.”
The social, cultural, and economic shifts of our times have opened the eyes of many brand marketers. Selling alone is no longer enough: people are looking for connection, recognition, justice. Marginalized communities have led the way toward change—for compassionate action and liberation from social struggles. Inclusive marketing becomes an echo of voices that refuse to be silenced. When a brand embraces that commitment, perception changes. It is no longer just a logo in a campaign: it becomes a symbol of trust. People no longer feel only like customers, but part of a wider community. That trust transforms into loyalty that goes far beyond consumption.
Recognizing if a brand is truly inclusive requires looking beyond its slogans. Look at its values, its past and present actions, at the decisions it makes, and whether humans are prioritized over economics.
A Space of Healing
When words are chosen with care, they can embrace. When images represent diverse realities, they can return belonging to those who once felt excluded. Creativity, in this sense, is both resistance and memory: resistance against narratives that exclude, and memory to preserve those narratives against imposed silences. A campaign can be more than a product; it can be an act of justice, of dignity, of recognition.
For example, Healing Bells’ Artistic Director, Dr. Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra composes music based on stories of social injustices and agency. She speaks of her approach to justice, dignity, validation, and empowerment in songs she composed for the Ni une más (Not one more) music, theatre, and dance production:
“Survivors of sexual violence are often made to feel that the abuse perpetrated on them is their fault. That’s a form of gaslighting: creating false narratives that can loop endlessly in survivors’ minds. To counter those falsehoods, I compose choruses that flip the narrative back to the truth, such as “It’s Not My Fault!” When survivors sing these powerful words together, we feel it in our bodies. We feel the trauma of blame and shame begin to dissipate, and the truth of our value and agency grow stronger.”
Listen to “It’s Not My Fault” sung by David Magumba, Mahi Ruiter-Feenstra, and Sasha Gusikhin, with Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra on the piano here:
Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra will mentor participants on how to develop these methods of flipping the narrative in Healing Bells’ upcoming Compose for Change: Healing Arts class series, which fosters empathy, compassion, and helps people find their voices as arts activists.
In my view, the most valuable aspect of inclusive marketing is that it reminds us of the power of the collective. It is not about imposing one voice, but about listening to many. It is not about speaking for survivors, but about creating spaces where their words are amplified with care and respect. Co-creation, collective action, shared work: this is the ground from which truly inclusive campaigns are born. Only there, in what we share, can we build narratives that are just, expansive, and real.
FAQs
What is inclusive marketing?
It is an approach that seeks to represent and connect with all people, particularly those who have been historically excluded, creating messages and experiences that foster belonging and respect.
Why is inclusive marketing important in 2025?
Because we live in a time where representation and justice are collective demands based on the ethics of inclusion. Brands that don’t understand these needs risk being left out of the social conversation.
How does Healing Bells help the community from the perspective of inclusive marketing?
Healing Bells creates spaces where creativity becomes a language of belonging. Through art, music, and storytelling, it honors voices that were once silenced, generates messages that reflect diversity, and builds communities grounded in care, justice, and co-creation.
What are examples of inclusive language in marketing?
Using words that embrace all identities, avoiding stereotypes and expressions that exclude. Speaking from respect, empathy, and openness.
How does inclusive marketing contribute to equity and justice?
By recognizing that everyone deserves representation, voice, and space. It contributes by making visible what was once denied and opening paths toward a more just society.
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