Brand Inclusivity: What’s the Big Deal?

There has been a lot of talk about brands who are inclusive and those that are not. While I do understand that no single brand can or will appeal and cater to everyone, it is important to understand how much representation matters. Brands, ads, and media in general have a powerful impact on what we accept in society and how we perceive everyday life situations. An exclusive brand is not inherently a bad brand however, it should market itself as such and don’t just pretend to be inclusive for profit or make those who don’t buy from it feel unworthy.

Brands like Victoria’s Secret want to profit from plus size and transgender women, yet they have no interest in representing them or even go as far as saying that they’re not part of the fantasy they’re trying to sell. This only reinforces the idea that only certain women are allowed to feel sexy and it’s not only wrong, but also it keeps prolonging the idea that plus and transgender women are unworthy and should look a certain way to fit the ideal. FatPhobia especifically, which is often used to discredit the body positivity movement, shows how much people don’t really care about the health of fat people, but only want to reinforce their ideals of what people should look like, but there’s no such thing as an ideal body. Contrary to popular belief, being body positive is not about promoting unhealthy behaviours or glorifying being overweight, but this movement wants to empower everyone, that they accept and love their bodies no matter what they look like. However, that should not get in the way of you taking care of yourself and recognizing that if there’s a problem you should get treated.

On the other end of the spectrum of brand inclusivity is Fenty Beauty, whose tagline is “Beauty for All.” In the past there weren’t many brands that were inclusive toward darker skin tones, that is until Rihanna came into the make-up game. Her super successful makeup line is known for her many options available for foundation shades. This has not only made the brand skyrocket in popularity and sales, it is recognized for its inclusivity and has served to hold other brands accountable for their lack of inclusivity in their shade ranges. I’m looking at you Givenchy.

You can definitely disagree with me; however, I encourage you to investigate and be aware of the causes the brands you support stand behind. Brand inclusivity is a really big part in the progress that is being made as society because as I’ve said once or twice before, REPRESENTATION MATTERS. There is no change unless we are forced to see how wrongfully represented some communities are and these are just a few of the issues. It is extremely crucial that you, as a consumer, know what you’re buying into.