‘Love is for everyone’: Consistent diversity and inclusion messaging across platforms
Hallmark Media explains how it shares the love with everyone.
Nothing is cozier and more comfortable than a Hallmark movie.
But over the last few years, Hallmark Media has been working hard to diversify its offerings and send the message that “love is for everyone.”
That meant ensuring a wide array of faces and cultures in its movies, but also in carrying those themes through to its social media accounts.
Sharmistha Chatterjee, director of social media marketing and audience strategy, engaged in a Power Conversation at Ragan’s Social Media Conference this March to explain just how they’ve helped share the love with everyone.
Know what you stand for
When communicating diversity and inclusion efforts, the first step is knowing what your brand stands for and how you’ll incorporate diversity into those broader themes.
“For Hallmark Media, we believe in love,” she said. “So how would I talk about love in the social media space, incorporating DE&I? I would say it’s a celebration of the different cultures, backgrounds, ethnicities, etc., that we portray in the film. Putting it together with your content, strategy and images that includes DE&I you showcase on our social media platforms is one way of communicating.”
She also recommends understanding the audiences you have on each platform. While the overarching messaging should remain consistent, the exact ways of communicating can vary based on various demographic makeups of each social channel.
Don’t work alone
Chatterjee recommended bringing in other departments early and often to improve your work. For instance, she reached out to the PR department to gain an understanding of what messaging they had that social media could weave into its efforts.
“I sometimes don’t have a lot of knowledge on what PR is doing,” she said. “But they communicate externally, they’re the first one to get those exclusive press stories. So I would encourage you as a thought leader, as somebody in social media to reach out proactively and get this kind of information.”
Watch Chatterjee’s full presentation for more insight on sharing the love, internally and externally.
These conversations will continue at Ragan’s Future of Communications conference in Austin, Texas, Nov. 13-15. Register now.
