Times are changing as marketing and content continues to evolve to magnify the wants and needs of consumers.  The death of George Floyd signified a state of urgency to face racism and strive for equality and justice. People are becoming more discerning and looking to connect with the brands that 

show a fair representation of the world in which we live.  This is achieved by implementing diverse and inclusive casting techniques of talent who represent all ethnicities, genders, sexual orientation, etc. As complicated as it might seem, it is actually pretty simple to do the right thing if you follow a few important steps to achieve your casting goals and diversify your marketing techniques.

Define Your Objective 

You first must define your casting objective.  What is the product or service you are selling? What is it that you are hoping to achieve with your content and who is your end consumer?  Are you launching a new product to market or just trying to attract a new audience?  Figuring out your end game will set you up for success when casting talent. If you have not already done an ideal customer profile I would suggest doing that first. Your target audience will be the benchmark to help you cast the right talent for your brand and to connect with the right audience.  Take your time and do the research it will pay off in the end.

What Is Your Company Mission 

The heart of every good company or brand is their mission statement.  What does your company stand for?  This will help when casting talent by not only defining your objective, but telling a greater story.  Let’s say you are launching a yoga brand and already have followers, but the mission of your company is to be spiritually woke and socially conscious.  This might change the dynamic from just a casting call for fit people who like to do yoga or other fitness activities to a casting call for a greater audience. There are many women of color who enjoy yoga or even enjoy wearing yoga attire as well as others who are socially conscious and might like your brand simply because your mission aligns too.  So, it would be reasonable to cast talent to showcase your diversity as a brand and as a company.  Let’s not forget that the black dollar represents over a trillion dollars of spending in our economy.  

Manage Your Expectations 

Diversifying your casting calls and advertising will not happen overnight.  If this is a new endeavor, you will likely already have volumes of content with little diversity, but do not get discouraged, small steps lead to a better future if you start diversity casting now.  Make a long term plan to incorporate different ethnicities and types of models and talent in your campaigns.  You may start with adding a black model or actor, then maybe two including someone who is transgender or hispanic. Down the road you could possibly run an entire campaign with all diverse models and talent and see how it performs.  You will be able to see how new customers and new messaging will grow your brand.  The world is a big place and it is empowering to expand your vision with diversity casting. 

Get Help 

You may need some assistance when casting your projects for diversity.  Do not hesitate to ask for help.  You may have a diversity and inclusion division within your company so you will definitely want to collaborate with them.  If not, you may need to consult with other employees who are ethnically diverse, are sensitive to the subject  and willing to help.  Castango provides professional assistance to help companies diversify their campaigns by recommending diverse and unique talent to fulfill otherwise traditional white roles.  Don’t get me wrong, there is still plenty of work for white talent, but expanding the vision and creating a more equitable world is the end goal.  These efforts will translate into more sales, greater respect and brand loyalty.  However, you must be honest in your campaigns and not hire talent simply to meet a quota.  Do you remember the Benetton ad? They were ahead of their time.  A true representation of the demographic you are trying to reach is essential which is why you want to engage help.  Authenticity is so important as well as understanding cultural norms and biases to ensure your messaging is on point. 

Hiring Talent 

Once you are clear about your objective, have an honest mission statement, and the proper assistance you can begin hiring your talent.  The process is easy when you hire talent on demand.  You simply sign up, post a job for free and let the talent come to you. You set the rate when and where you want across the United States. Let’s say you were looking for a black male model for a men’s apparel subscription box.  After the job is posted, you will start getting submissions straight to your inbox when models apply. You can screen applicants by their cover letter along with looking at their online profiles which include photos, video, bio, skills, physical statistics, industry expertise, and more. Meanwhile, you can also utilize an advanced search to find talent with your preferences on his or her gender, age, language, ethnicity and hair color.  If you would like to send an offer to a specific model who didn’t apply, you can communicate with him or her through Castango by clicking “Hire Talent” or “Message Talent”. Castango has also streamlined the online payment process making it easier to pay talent so you can  focus on the shoot.  Payment is released to the talent after the job is completed to your satisfaction. 

In Conclusion

Creating a diverse and inclusive casting process can help improve your marketing initiatives as we strive for a more equitable and just country.  Showcasing male and female models of different races, backgrounds, and sexual orientation is truly building bridges and increasing your visibility.  It’s so important to be on the right side of history in this day and age and casting diverse talent will help your company’s efforts to progress.  Remember it’s progress not perfection.  If you have a project you would like to cast or want to learn more, you can sign up with Castango and post a job for free.  You can also call 800-778-8790 for live support.  The future is determined by what you do today not tomorrow.