Identity and Intersectionality in Marketing

by Jon Scaccia August 20, 2024

In today’s world, marketing is more than just advertising a product—it’s about understanding the diverse lives of consumers. Yet, one crucial concept remains largely underused: intersectionality. This term, which highlights how overlapping social identities (like race, gender, and class) shape our experiences, can transform how marketers approach their work. The recent scientific article, Intersectionality in Marketing: A Paradigm Shift sheds light on why this perspective is essential and how it can be applied. Let’s explore what this means and why it matters for everyone, especially public health practitioners and researchers.

What is Intersectionality?

Intersectionality is a framework that helps us understand how different social identities overlap and intersect, creating unique experiences of privilege and oppression. For instance, being a woman and being Black are two identities that, when combined, create distinct experiences that differ from those of White women or Black men. This concept, first introduced by Kimberlé Crenshaw, emphasizes that these intersections should be acknowledged and understood, especially in fields like marketing.

Why Should Marketers (even health marketers) Care?

1. Understanding Diverse Consumers: Traditional marketing often segments consumers based on isolated categories like age, gender, or income. However, intersectionality reveals that these categories are not isolated but interconnected. For example, the shopping habits of a young, Black woman will differ significantly from those of an older, White man, even if they share the same income bracket.
2. Addressing Social Relevance: Incorporating intersectionality ensures that marketing strategies are socially relevant and inclusive. This approach not only reflects the real, lived experiences of consumers but also helps in developing products and campaigns that resonate more deeply with diverse audiences.
3. Highlighting Systems of Power: Intersectionality uncovers how power dynamics shape consumer experiences. For instance, marketing that fails to recognize the combined impact of racism and sexism might alienate potential customers who experience these forms of discrimination simultaneously.

A New Framework for Marketing

The article proposes a new intersectional marketing paradigm, offering a roadmap for researchers and practitioners. Here are the key components:

1. Exploratory Subsample Analyses: Researchers should conduct analyses that explore how different groups within a sample respond to marketing stimuli. This can reveal unique patterns and insights that a broader analysis might miss.
2. Developing Intersectional Hypotheses: Formulating hypotheses that consider multiple social identities can lead to more nuanced and accurate findings. For example, studying how marketing messages affect consumers based on their combined gender and racial identities can provide deeper insights than considering these factors separately.
3. Inclusive Literature Reviews: Conducting literature reviews that incorporate diverse perspectives helps build a more comprehensive understanding of the field. This practice ensures that research is not biased towards the dominant social groups.
4. Detailed Demographics: Collecting and reporting detailed demographic data allows for a better understanding of how various intersections affect consumer behavior. This transparency is crucial for developing inclusive marketing strategies.

The Impact on Public Health and Marketing Research

The article highlights the slow adoption of intersectionality in marketing compared to other fields, including public health. A search in top academic journals revealed that intersectionality is underrepresented in marketing literature. This gap signifies a missed opportunity for marketers to fully understand and engage with their diverse audiences. For public health practitioners, this oversight can result in health campaigns that fail to reach or resonate with key segments of the population, exacerbating health disparities.

Real-World Applications in Public Health

Consider the well-researched topic of health disparities in the United States. Studies often show that younger people tend to have better health outcomes compared to older individuals. However, an intersectional analysis reveals that this pattern is not uniform across all racial groups. For instance, younger Black individuals might face different health challenges compared to younger White individuals due to systemic racism and socioeconomic factors. Such insights are critical for public health practitioners and marketers who aim to design health campaigns that effectively address the unique needs of diverse populations.

Join the Conversation

Intersectionality offers a powerful tool for understanding and addressing the complexities of consumer behavior and health outcomes. As marketers and public health practitioners, we must ask ourselves:

1. How have overlapping social identities shaped your own experiences with health campaigns and marketing?
2. Can you recall a health campaign that effectively addressed multiple social identities? How did it resonate with you?

We invite you to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments or on social media.

Conclusion

Embracing intersectionality in marketing and public health is not just about being inclusive—it’s about being accurate and relevant. This perspective helps marketers and health professionals understand the real, lived experiences of diverse consumer groups, ensuring that their strategies are effective and socially conscious. By integrating intersectionality into their research and practices, marketers and public health practitioners can develop more inclusive, impactful campaigns that resonate with all individuals, ultimately improving public health outcomes.

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