Diverse and inclusive marketing should be something you aim for year-round. However, it’s all that much more important during the holiday season as the more “traditional” holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving take the spotlight.
There’s nothing wrong with celebrating these holidays and incorporating them into your marketing, but there are other groups and events that individuals in your audience appreciate.
Inclusive November holiday marketing ideas & examples
To kick things off, check out these inclusion-focused marketing ideas for November:
Native American Heritage Month
Suppose you’re hoping to incorporate Native American Heritage Month into your diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts this season. In that case, you’ll be in good company as The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum all regularly pay homage to this November monthly observance.
Native American Heritage Month is observed annually every November, and it celebrates the contributions the first Americans made towards the growth of the United States. It also honors and reflects on the struggles indigenous American people have endured.
National Day of Mourning
A historically accurate description of Thanksgiving would include the reality of its damaging impact on Native American people, which is why we have the National Day of Mourning every year on Thanksgiving–to remind us of the pain Native American people have gone through and still may be feeling today.
Here are some ideas for ways your business can pay its respects to Native American Heritage Month as well as the National Day of Mourning:
- Amplify the voices of Native Americans by handing off your Instagram account to a Native American in your community for a day-long “takeover.” They can then go live on your stories or share posts about what Native American Heritage Month means to them.
- Loop Native American Heritage Month and the National Day of Mourning into your Thanksgiving messaging by sharing more conscious content around the holiday’s impact on Native American people.
- Check out the free Native American Heritage Month resources on the U.S. Small Business Administration website. There, you can find statistics to share, lists of Native American-owned businesses to partner with, and more.
- Spread awareness using a social media hashtag. The official hashtag for Native American Heritage Month is #NAHM.
National Adoption Month
There is always a lot of messaging around family during the holiday season, which makes it particularly important to stay mindful of those with non-traditional families. National Adoption Month, which is celebrated every November to bring awareness to children in foster care, provides an opportunity for this. Here are some ways to incorporate it into your holiday marketing campaigns:
- Avoid using traditional parent roles in your holiday copywriting, like “mom” and “dad,” which may make your audience members who don’t have that type of parental figure feel excluded.
- Adjust your content to be more sensitive to those with different family structures. For example, instead of promoting an event as a “family fun day,” try “friends and family fun day” or “festival fun day.”
- Highlight a superstar adoption story in your business’s community. If you have an employee, friend, or community member who was part of an adoption process, ask them to share their story to showcase how they inspire your business during this month and beyond.
- Raise awareness about adoption within minority groups. For example, did you know that adoptions done by LGBTQ+ couples only became legal in all 50 states just a few years ago, in 2017?
Day of the Dead (November 1-2)
Day of the Dead, also known as Dia de los Muertos, is a Mexican holiday that honors the souls of the deceased. It’s a two-day celebration that starts every year on November 1 and carries into November 2. This colorful and fun holiday is believed to open the passageway between the real world and the spirit world in traditional Mexican culture, so many people of Mexican descent feel they can connect with their loved ones who have passed during this time.
Nearly 20% of the U.S. population is of Mexican heritage, so you’ll likely have audience members who celebrate the Day of the Dead. Make your Mexican audience members feel included in your holiday marketing with these ideas and examples:
- Share fun facts or hold a virtual trivia event centered around the Day of the Dead to spread the word about the holiday’s traditions.
- Decorate your store or office with traditional Day of the Dead skulls, flowers, and more. Be sure to snap a picture of your temporarily updated decor so you can share it on your company website or social media platforms.
- Honor those who have passed. Have you or an employee ever lost a friend or loved one you’d like to commemorate? Day of the Dead is the perfect opportunity to do so! You could share their story on social media to give your audience a more personalized perspective of your business.
Forget-Me-Not Day (November 10)
Having been around since World War I, Forget-Me-Not Day happens annually on November 10 — right before Veteran’s Day on November 11. Forget-Me-Not Day is meant to honor and remember wounded soldiers who have become disabled due to their time fighting for our freedom.
The number of veterans who carry the weight of service-related physical and mental hardships is very high. In fact, counting only wars from 2001 and beyond still amounts to about 1.5 million veterans in America with a service-connected disability. While wounded veterans should be remembered every Day, here’s how your marketing can honor them on Forget-Me-Not Day:
- Donate your time, resources, or (if your marketing budget allows) money to a local Veteran’s organization or shelter.
- Be mindful of your veteran (and civilian) customers who have a disability by focusing on your website accessibility. Take time to ensure your site is easy to navigate regardless of what assistance someone might need. If you’re not sure where to start, check out this complete website accessibility checklist.
Women Entrepreneurs Day (November 19)
Only four out of every ten entrepreneurs in the U.S. are women. Women Entrepreneurs Day, which occurs annually on November 19, aims to change that.
This inclusive holiday is much needed, as America is still far behind other countries in terms of women entrepreneurs. In comparison, women represent 50% of entrepreneurs in Latin America and the Caribbean. Here’s how your business can make an impact with this holiday:
- Share surprising statistics about women entrepreneurs through an email marketing campaign or social media post. These are sure to engage your audience while spreading awareness. You can find plenty of diversity, equity, and inclusion in marketing statistics here.
- Partner with a woman-owned business. You could cross-promote one another in-store or online and offer samples or discounts on each other’s offerings.
- Support the Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organization. Also known as WEDO, this organization acts as a hub for Women Entrepreneurs Day. On its site, you’ll find many ways to elevate your marketing for the Day, including events you can attend, ways to donate, custom hashtags, surprising statistics, inspiring stories, and more!