gist
- DEI. Diversity, equity and inclusion are key to a comprehensive and engaging marketing strategy.
- Team diversity. Essential for effective and comprehensive marketing.
- emotional intelligence. Essential for a better digital experience.
Nav Thethi is a seasoned professional in digital marketing and customer experience, currently Senior Manager of Web and Digital Experience at Hitachi Vantara. Over the past two years, he has been an ongoing contributor to his CMSWire, sharing insights on various aspects of customer experience and digital marketing.
One of Nav’s recent columns focused on the key aspects of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in marketing practices and provided practical guidance for implementing these principles in the industry. It offers. Nav seeks to enhance cross-functional collaboration and team diversity, two of his keys to ensuring a diverse strategy. His Nav efforts to contribute meaningfully to the industry have made him a respected voice in the field.
We recently spoke with Nav on these topics.
This transcript has been edited for clarity.
Dom Nikatro: Hi everyone, this is Dom Nicastro, Senior Managing Editor at CMSWire. And again, I think I’ve done this with you for the last time, Navi. I gave myself a promotion. I call myself editor-in-chief because I had your senior role in mind. You are Nav Thethi from his Senior Manager of Web Experiences at Hitachi Vantara. How are you doing, Navi?
Navi Tetty: i’m great. It’s been sunny here in California, are you enjoying the weather? And yes, it’s getting busy. And yes, it’s Monday morning.
Promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in marketing practices
Nicastro: sweet. Yes, you have been a CMSWire contributor for 2 years since 2022. And now he is in 2023. You are stepping up your activity again. we love your content Thank you for being a wonderful member of this family of contributors.
Tetty: Thank you very much for the opportunity. CMSWire was the first publishing agency to actually accept my articles, and I started my existence in this world with his CMSWire. Thank you very much, Dom.
Nicastro: Well, the others must not have heard. Because you’re talking about the heart of the customer experience that digital marketers value. And that applies to today’s column as well. Your latest column is about diversity, equity and inclusion in marketing and how to go beyond. I just want to do it and say I will do it. I’m actually doing that. So I thought I could start with an overview of how you think about diversity, equity, inclusion and the importance of marketing. And what is it? What does it look like?
Tetty: Of course, Dom. So, as you know, DEI – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – is nothing new. The term has already caught on for quite some time, and many organizations are focusing their marketing campaigns on this aspect. And it’s not being ignored, which is a good sign. But there is always room for improvement, and there will always be reminders needed over time. What I’m trying to do with this article is to remind people of the basics of DEI and my own little bit of 2 cents of added value. Yes this is the basics. But then again, in addition to maximizing reach to all segments of your customer base, there are a few factors we all need to consider. This article tries to target a global audience.
Related Article: The Intersection of DEI, Marketing and Customer Experience
Diversify your marketing team for an effective DEI strategy
Nicastro: So what I like about this is that you’re not just saying it’s important, Mr. Navi. Because I don’t think anyone would argue that having some kind of diverse perspective in your campaign, your content, is a bad thing. No one will say, “Yes, you are narrow-minded without diversity.” No one would say that. right. But what I love about this column is that it doesn’t just say how important it is, it actually shows how to do it. Of course, we don’t publish the entire article because we want people to read it as well. But just one example is one important way marketing teams can actually make this happen.
Tetty: Starting with the most important message I want to convey in this article, this article will start from the bottom up. The last line I mentioned emphasizes diversifying your team. Start in-house. . When we diversify from different genders, interests, tastes and orientations, like a diverse team, we can make better decisions together. And I’m not just talking about demographics, physical perspectives, locational perspectives, etc. of diversity. We’re also talking about cross-departmental collaboration, even when decisions are made on the strategic side and there are no techs in the room. Even then, decision-making is also inefficient, as there are some holes that need to be filled at a later stage. So this is my key message. In other words, it starts in-house. OK. And diversify your own team to include people from different regions, different social segments, and demographics.
Related Article: How Generative AI Can Improve DEI in Customer Experience?
Cross-departmental collaboration is essential for DEI efforts
Nicastro: Yeah no it makes perfect sense. That relates to my next question, which is about who. I’ve already answered this, but I’ll go into more detail by division. Now, what I’m imagining is if the marketing team is thinking of new ways to go about this rather than going it alone, they know my team and the editorial team very well, so this means that cross-departmental cooperation will be required. When we do something, do we get marketing involved and getting people to attend events makes a big profit? What did you sell? right? It’s great to have that perspective. Do you think this is an initiative? Seriously, isn’t it just a matter of the marketing team?
Tetty: That’s right, everywhere. Because, like all businesses, what are the two pillars that run your business — money comes after — employees and customers, right? People who are receiving, I mean, there are people there, right? That’s the human segment, right? Everything else is like additional parameters to those two pillars. Therefore, in that case, the experience of the employees will also be diversified, focusing on the DEI perspective will enable them to better understand the audience, the customer. This means you can tap into the gaps you need to deliver customer experiences across all DEI covered segments.
That’s right, the DEI itself isn’t really a segment. This is the checkmark you need to make sure you’re defining your audience correctly. Don’t let anyone ignore you. It’s about accessibility and how to get your message across in a neutral way. Therefore, it is received as personal on the receiving end.
These are all basics, aren’t they? But the key here is to have the right people designing your campaigns. right? Do they understand the audience’s feelings and emotional side? Unless it’s personal, you can’t get the message across honestly. right. So here is what I want to emphasize in this article.
Nicastro: yes. By the way, Navi, that’s a great point. I hope people get a lot out of this article. And I have to thank you personally. Because you’re the first I’ve seen Someone used data to refer to my generation and that is Gen X. I haven’t seen much of anything like it, no one seems to care about us. And I’m glad you put a little Gen X stats in there. Because everyone cares about his Gen Z, Gen Y, Millennials, and it feels like he’s skipping Gen X and moving into baby boomers. thank you. Thank you for letting us in our mid 40’s really participate, it made me feel special.
Tetty: thank you. Yes, I am with you.
Integrate Emotional Intelligence into Digital Experiences
Nicastro: Well, it felt good. But more importantly, it does a great job. An important topic that hasn’t been covered in a while. So I am especially grateful that you have taken up this issue again. we need to do more. I look forward to more columns from all of you. Last question. We are recording this in his April, which is his April 2023. What can CMSWire readers expect from future columns?
Tetty: yes. yes. Thanks for asking, Dom. And because digital is too data-driven, we do a lot of research to cover the emotional component of digital experiences. Besides, it’s too far, right? And how to add that emotional dimension to the customer experience on the digital side. I’m doing some research there and will be speaking more on these topics for review. Yes, how to use AI and digital experiences to blend your emotional intelligence.
Nicastro: Perfect. It’s a fascinating theme. I look forward to it. Then access another Zoom to take another video. how does that sound?
Tetty: Of course I look forward to it.
Nicastro: ok, perfect. Nav, Nav Thethi, CMSWire contributor. Thank you again for being part of this family. I am extremely grateful. Thank you for calling me again.
Tetty: thank you very much.
Nicastro: have understood. have a good one
Tetty: thank you.
Nicastro: Bye now.
