Have you ever wondered if your marketing truly resonates with all audiences, or are you, like many marketers, unintentionally limiting your reach? I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Lisa Thompson, Strategy Lead at Wavemaker and founder of Common People, and our conversation opened my eyes to something we often overlook: class diversity in marketing.
In this episode of *Embracing Marketing Mistakes*, we dive deep into a topic that doesn’t get enough attention in our industry – how class backgrounds shape marketing strategies and what we’re missing when we ignore it.
“Most of our campaigns are aimed at the national population, but if our teams don’t reflect that diversity, how can we truly understand the people we’re trying to reach?” Lisa posed this question during our conversation, and it really hit home. As marketers, we pride ourselves on understanding our audiences, but if we’re not factoring in class diversity, we’re leaving a huge gap in our insight.
One of the standout moments for me was hearing Lisa talk about her journey from a working-class background in Wakefield to becoming a leader in strategy at Wavemaker. She shared how her personal experiences helped her challenge the status quo in an industry dominated by middle-class perspectives. This got me thinking—how many of us have unknowingly overlooked the impact of class in our campaigns?
“We forget that the people we’re trying to communicate with aren’t necessarily the people we surround ourselves with,” Lisa explained. This line stuck with me. It’s easy to become comfortable in our professional bubbles, but those bubbles can blind us to the realities of the broader audience we aim to connect with.
In the episode, we explore how brands can leverage class diversity to create more inclusive and effective campaigns. Lisa also shares some brilliant tips for marketers who want to make their teams more diverse—starting with something as simple as removing the requirement for a university degree when hiring. “We’re not doctors; we don’t need a degree to be effective marketers,” she said, and she’s absolutely right.
One of my favourite takeaways from this episode was the importance of balancing data with human intuition. In an age where data drives most of our decisions, Lisa argues that bringing a more human-centric approach to marketing could be the key to real, lasting connections with audiences. This approach not only boosts creativity but also delivers better business results.
So, if you’re serious about driving genuine engagement and improving your marketing ROI, you need to give this episode a listen. It’s packed with insights that could very well change the way you approach your campaigns and team dynamics.
After all, what’s the point of marketing if we’re not reaching the people who matter? If you’re curious about how class diversity can elevate your strategy and help you avoid costly marketing mistakes, tune in now. I guarantee it’ll challenge your thinking and push you to create campaigns that truly resonate.
Listen to the full episode here:
Cheers,
Chris
Chris Norton is the founder of Prohibition and an award winning communications consultant with more than twenty years’ experience. He was a lecturer at Leeds Beckett University and has had a varied PR career having worked both in-house and in a number of large consultancies. He is an Integrated PR and social media blogger and writes on a wide variety of blogs across a huge amount of topics from digital marketing, social media marketing right through to technology and crisis management.
