Rethinking Inclusion: 3 things I've learned as YouTube's CMO
Oct 28, 2021 – minute read
At YouTube, we care deeply about giving everybody a voice. It’s not about ticking diversity boxes. This is where we see the future growth of our platform.
Our viewers are more diverse than ever, and they want to use their voices for racial justice, the climate, and mental health. They expect us to take brave stands on these issues with them. The challenge for us is how do we ensure that we show up for all of our viewers in the ways they care about?
Mistakes are inevitable. I’ve made many. And audiences really let you know about it. But I firmly believe that the best thing to do is share what we learn with others who are also on this journey, and keep trying to be better. Because we must.
The opportunity we all have is to make this a more inclusive world and to hold ourselves accountable to that. I think the most important thing we can do as an industry is to be humble and keep learning, and we’ve got to share stories and learn together.”
In this video, I share three key lessons from my experience as the CMO of YouTube rethinking inclusion in our work and on the platform.
Visibility ≄ inclusivity. The easiest thing we can do is to simply show a range of faces and body types in our content. But, you can’t simply put diverse images in an ad. Truly inclusive work comes from telling authentic stories that challenge stereotypes and honor the lived experiences of the audiences we are focusing on.
Listen more. The best way you can honor your customers and be truly inclusive is by listening to as many voices as you can. This has to be intentful and methodical, and is forever work. It can't just happen as you are testing ads. You will be surprised at what you learn and the amazing insights it gives you into your brand.
Change takes more than a marketing campaign. To truly welcome people into the door of your brand, you have to think through your inclusive business policies end to end. It is our job as marketers to understand the integrity of that story. A campaign is not enough.
The opportunity we all have is to make this a more inclusive world and to hold ourselves accountable to that. I think the most important thing we can do as an industry is to be humble and keep learning, and we’ve got to share stories and learn together.