Creating Inclusive Marketing Campaigns for the Gaming Industry: A Comprehensive Guide 🎮

1minus1: Digital Studio for the Games Industry

10 min readMar 27, 2023

By Charlotte Marange, 1minus1

As of 2021, half of all gamers worldwide are women (according to Newzoo, 2022), but they only make up 23% of the games industry workforce (IGDA, 2022) — IOW, it’s a significant gender gap. And it gets worse — a 2022 GDC survey found that only 10% of game industry leaders identified as BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic), despite nearly half of US gamers coming from these communities (ESA, 2022). ☹️

Gaming isn’t alone in this, but clearly, there’s a pressing need for more diversity and inclusivity in the games industry. But it’s not just about being morally right — it can hit create missed opportunities via lost hires and lost players. If a studio’s marketing campaigns, for their studio or any of their IP’s fail to reflect the diversity of their audience, they could be missing out on a whole lot of business.

That’s why in this article, we’re going to dive into why diversity and inclusivity are so important for the gaming industry both morally and for practical business reasons, and how studios can make sure marketing campaigns are inclusive and welcoming to all but get the business benefit beyond the moral side of things. Maybe that way we can make things look a little less like virtue signalling and move the subject into practical solutions that help improve the bottom line as well as culture. So …

The moral imperative…

When you’re creating a campaign, it’s important to keep in mind that anyone could be seeing it, irrespective of targeting. If you are a games studio, you will have your own ideas about what your audience could be, but maybe not what it really is. That’s why at least thinking about representation is key for inclusivity and diversity. Messages should be able to speak to people from all walks of life — no matter their race, ethnicity, gender identity, age, religion, ability, or sexual orientation. But really, how in the hell do you actually do that?

It’s been 50 years since the sociologist and expert in cultural studies Stuart Hall (1973) wrote that representation matters in the media — including video games and marketing campaigns — because “it has the power to shape our views of ourselves, others, and the world around us”. The media we consume, like video games, plays a big role in how we see different groups of people and can really impact our attitudes and behaviour towards them. It can also dictate how different groups respond to communications significantly.

When gamers from marginalised communities are underrepresented or shown in a negative light, including where they look like they are being depicted as token gestures to try and tick the diversity box, it can reinforce harmful stereotypes and keep the cycle of inequality going. When we showcase diverse and positive representations in a natural — organic — way, it can inspire empathy, understanding, and acceptance — and help fight back against harmful biases. Representation also matters because it can provide role models and encourage gamers from underrepresented communities to be aspirational, which breaks many of the ‘blockers’ for them within diverse cultures.

The business necessity

So now we have covered all the ‘feel good’, ‘get it morally right’ side of things. And yes it’s true those things above should be obvious. They are obvious, but all the same, they are also so, so often ignored or forgotten (let’s say ‘forgotten’). But if one needs a reminder, there’s much to diversity than simply doing the right thing. Ignoring inclusive practices can put those companies that do so at a disadvantage

Marketing campaigns that prioritise diversity and inclusivity are also a smart business move. Consumers are increasingly seeking out brands that demonstrate inclusion and diversity in their promotions and calling out those that do not. It’s a real and significant factor now in 2023. As far back as 2018 — admittedly right in the heat of the ‘me too’ era, as much as 70% of millennials were deemed more likely to choose one brand over another that wasn’t prioritising diversity (Carufel, 2018). Similarly, also in 2018, 71% of LGBTQ IAP+ consumers said they are more likely to interact with an online ad that authentically represents their sexual orientation (US Census Bureau, 2018).

The reality is that marginalised communities (BAME, people with disabilities, & the LGBTQIAP+ community) have significant purchasing power. And it’s increasing — the demographics continue to shift; for example by 2045, the US is expected to become minority white.

It’s a perfect marriage really. Their their brand and marketing communications, studios (any brands, really) get to do the right thing, and use it to help the bottom line; building brand loyalty by breaking down social barriers and promoting positive progression in society that reflects a true audience.

This doesn’t negate the fact that some games will be more tailored to one audience than another, it just takes into account that there may be more crossover than a brand is often aware of. As an example, we were asked if it was correct to target only one gender in one recent marketing campaign, because the split was, according to their own research, weighted towards one gender. This might have been true (and actually, it was), but it didn’t mean that those identifying as not being of that gender couldn’t be targeted. The obvious methods of course being making sure that we used more than one gender in the content, or target the different genders with different content.

Ultimately, consumers are looking for businesses that share their values. Businesses are looking to avoid negative publicity and backlash.

Making sure your campaigns are diverse and inclusive

It starts with internal teams

Creating diverse and inclusive marketing campaigns begins with having an internal team that is diverse and inclusive itself that can truly represent the audiences you are targeting. If that isn’t the case (and being able to hire diverse teams is a challenge in itself — the core challenge, and beyond the scope of this article), external feedback will be important. Studios need to commit to doing this work themselves and championing the work within their organisation. It’s not enough just to have that diverse team, of course, they need to tap into the increased creativity that comes from having a team with different perspectives, experiences, and ideas. This means seeking out diverse perspectives, hiring inclusively, and amplifying diverse talent.

Unfortunately, statistics show that the marketing industry still lacks diversity in terms of gender and ethnicity. To address this issue, you can seek help from organisations such as Feminists in the City (In the spirit of transparent communication, FitC is run by Julie Marange, Charlotte’s sister!). But however you do it, it is crucial to get multiple sets of eyes on your campaigns to catch any problems and ensure that you are representing a diverse range of perspectives and cultures.

Inclusive Language

Everyone needs to feel they’re being targeted by your message, so using inclusive language is key. Gender-neutral language or the people you’re referencing is the key starting point. We all know the drill by now (but many forget to do it, still); instead of using “he” or “she”, you can use “they” or “them”. It’s beyond obvious that it’s important to avoid using language that could be considered offensive or derogatory to any particular group of people, such as racial slurs or gendered insults. What isn’t always so obvious, is what that language that offends might actually be. You can find many inclusive language guides online. For example the Inclusive Language Guide published by the University of Oregon.

Inclusive visuals and photography

Visuals for campaigns are clearly also key. Keeping in mind that your target audience is likely diverse, with 43% of Millennials identifying as African American, Hispanic or Asian in the US (Nielsen, 2020), and similar levels of diverse communities growing around the western world. To ensure visuals are inclusive, where you can, pick images that show diversity and represent all the different types of people who make up your audience. This approach will help you create a campaign that talks to everyone, not only white young males (we’re stereotyping here, aren’t we?). It’s always worth remembering that even if research shows that the majority of your audience is indeed young white males, incorporating diverse imagery can still help you create a campaign that resonates with a wider range of people.

Make your content accessible for the persons with disabilities

Ideally, campaign materials need to be accessible and inclusive for people with disabilities, so the ideal is you can consult them to help build your campaign to better understand their needs. But let’s be honest here, this isn’t practical to do in most cases.

But we have a responsibility to not forget to use accessible design: using even just the core accessible design principles such as high-contrast colour schemes, alt-text for images, and closed captioning for videos. For game trailers, it should, of course, include audio descriptions and subtitles.

Where relevant, you should also showcase your game’s accessibility features that can include remappable controls, colourblind mode, and adjustable text size. Demonstrate your commitment to inclusivity and accessibility within your game. Microsoft/Xbox do a lot of this, and do it extremely well, if you are doing anything like this then

Use counter-stereotypes!

Starting from the obvious position that it’s important to avoid stereotypes that reinforce negative assumptions about particular groups, there’s work to do here that might not always be quite so obvious. It goes way beyond sexualization; portraying a woman as a doting mother or a man as a high-achiever in the business world, or portraying ageing as a time of isolation and loneliness and adolescence as a time of heightened storm and stress (Abrosymova, 2021) — are, of course, stereotypes. Slightly more subtle stereotyping such as this is surprisingly prevalent in much of non-gaming advertising. There’s less room for it in gaming, where advertisements are more often focused on gameplay, and of course the way these things are shown in game are critical (beyond this article’s scope!), but getting into the way of thinking where other stereotypes can be avoided is a helpful position to be in.

Instead, it’s good to consider using counter-stereotypes that showcase diversity in a positive and authentic way 💪. Counter-stereotypes are a powerful tool for grabbing attention and going against standardised images that represent oversimplified opinions. Even the most open-minded people can have unconscious biases that are reinforced by stereotypes portrayed in the media. So using counter-stereotypes in marketing campaigns can not only improve your brand image, but also grab attention from your target audience. A good example is the “The Power of Inclusivity” campaign EA launched in 2019 for Apex Legends. It featured a diverse cast of characters from different ethnicities, genders, and sexual orientations. The characters included a gay man who is also a talented scientist, a female soldier who is also a mother, and a character with a prosthetic leg who is a skilled fighter. This is definitely smashing stereotypes.

Highlight the diversity in your game

If your game is inclusive and designed to include people of diverse backgrounds, this should always be reflected in marketing campaigns. The same applies if your game features diverse characters and storylines: highlight them in your marketing materials, as this can help attract players who are looking for representation in the games they play.

However, one pitfall many are rightly worried about is making sure to avoid tokenism and queer-baiting. The most well-known example of queer-baiting is not in gaming, but in Disney. In many of their marketing campaigns, they highlight the fact that some characters are queer, only to have them appear on screen for a few seconds (for example Beauty & the Beast).

Queer-baiting 🏳️‍🌈 = easing or hinting at a romantic or sexual relationship between same-sex characters, without actually depicting or following through with such a relationship. It’s a tactic used to attract LGBTQ+ viewers or consumers without actually providing them with meaningful representation

Choosing partners from diverse backgrounds

Choosing partners from diverse backgrounds can help organisations reach a wider audience and showcase their commitment to diversity. This may involve partnering with diversity and inclusion advocates within the games industry, such as Women in Games, who can help you find diverse talent within the industry and commit to gender equality; the IGDA Foundation, which supports diversity and inclusion through initiatives like scholarships, mentorship programs, and game development workshops for underrepresented communities; and AbleGamers, which focuses on making gaming more accessible to people with disabilities by providing customised gaming equipment and raising awareness of accessibility issues in the industry.

You can also collaborate with influencers and streamers from diverse backgrounds to showcase your dedication to diversity and reach wider audiences. Platforms such as Lurkit, GameInfluencer, or Matchmade can help with this, but the choice is ultimately up to you when it comes to selecting influencers from any background.

Final thoughts

Creating diverse and inclusive marketing campaigns for the gaming industry is an essential part of building a strong and inclusive brand. Such campaigns can help your business reach out to a broader audience and build brand loyalty, while also addressing the need for greater representation and inclusivity in the gaming industry. To create campaigns that are truly inclusive, it is essential to have a diverse and inclusive team in place and to use inclusive language, accessibility and visuals. By taking these steps, you can help to promote positive change in society, break down social barriers, and foster a more inclusive and welcoming gaming community for everyone! 🔥