In business school I took a Total Quality Management course, and really enjoyed it. And then early in my corporate career, I got my Green Belt in Six Sigma.
Unlike most marketers I knew, I really got excited about terms like root cause analysis and done right the first time.
That systems and quality thinking often aren't things we hear about in our day-to-day from a marketing, but the result of those concepts show up in everything we do.
In many instances, when consumers complain about an experience they've had with a brand -- especially one related to someone who is part of an underrepresented or underserved community, I can trace it back to a root cause.
On LinkedIn, I talked about a time when I went to three different makeup stores while I was on a business trip, and none of them had makeup for my complexion.
The root cause: incomplete buyer personas.
In the 2025 Representation in Marketing research study I published earlier this year, the biggest complaint from consumers -- by far -- was that brands engaging in inclusive marketing and being more representative were doing it in an inauthentic, check-the-box, kind of way. And it was both frustrating and ineffective.
The root cause: insufficient degree of customer intimacy.
This summer, when we saw all the uproar over the Sydney Sweeney X American Eagle campaign. And all year, the boycotts of Target for rolling back their DEI policies have negatively impacted sales.
The root cause: misalignment of brand and consumer values.
Consistently delivering products, experiences, and communications that make more of the people you want to serve feel seen, supported, and like they belong with you, while also driving business results for you --- requires investing time in getting the fundamentals right.
Getting those fundamentals right the first time is ideal.
It's never too late to go back to address the root cause of friction points throughout your customer journey that are harming your conversions and limiting your growth.
If you want help getting clear on where to focus — and how to prioritize the fundamentals that will actually move the needle — a Frictionless Growth Roadmapping Session™ is a great place to start.
Also, this post will help you start thinking about how you should evolve your buyer personas so you can attract, convert, and retain more of the people you want to serve.
Word on the Street
A 'Ralph Lauren Christmas' has been trending on TikTok. Former employees [Molly and Preston] explained in detail the right and wrong way to pull off the décor this holiday season. It's a fun reminder that specificity in how you show up for all the communities you want to serve needs a clear, defined, and shared playbook.
Influencers in the disability community are frustrated and calling out Instagram for recent updates that now make it impossible for them to post without assistance
The Braille Institute of America designed a font specifically for accessibility
On the Inclusion & Marketing podcast: Why the fastest-growing brands start with "who", not "what | Apple Podcasts | Spotify