A lot of brands make a symbolic effort to be “inclusive”. More and more brands are facing criticism from not having a drop of diversity at all, which is good, but: Are brands genuinely making an effort to be more diverse, or are they turning to “tokenism” in an attempt to avoid backlash. I do believe many brands, in fear of being called out on social media, will add a splash of diversity on their feed or invite one or two bloggers of color to events in order to fit the quota. I’m selective about brands I choose to work with. I pursue ongoing partnerships instead of temporary collaborations so that I can build relationships and ultimately be a thought partner.
