Midnight has launched a free practical guide to help businesses make their communication more inclusive, accessible and responsible.
Created in partnership with inclusivity consultancy Edge of Difference, A guide to inclusive PR communications gives organisations clear advice they can apply across PR campaigns, social media, websites, thought leadership, presentations and other marketing materials.
The guide was shared with Midnight’s clients first and is now freely available to communications and marketing professionals, business leaders and anyone involved in creating or approving external content.
It explores how language, imagery, accessibility and representation shape the way communications are experienced and understood. It also provides a practical framework for creating content that is clear, credible and respectful of diverse audiences.
Making inclusive communications practical
Inclusive communication is about more than avoiding particular words or phrases. It requires organisations to consider who they are speaking to, how different people may experience their content and whose perspectives might be missing.
It can help businesses reach wider audiences, build trust and credibility, support a sense of belonging and reduce reputational risk.
Midnight and Edge of Difference recognise that this is an evolving area. Inclusive communication requires organisation-wide commitment, while the people creating content also need practical guidance they can apply under real-world pressure.
The new guide is therefore designed to be a useful working resource, rather than a theoretical set of principles.
It has also been shared with everyone at Midnight involved in producing external communications and will be used when planning, creating and reviewing agency and client content.
Alex Hankinson, Joint Managing Director of Midnight Communications, said:
“Most organisations want to communicate inclusively, but people can sometimes feel uncertain about what that means in practice or worry about getting it wrong. We don’t pretend to have all the answers at Midnight, but we are committed to learning and improving, and to putting that learning into practice.
“Inclusive communication is not about achieving perfection or following a rigid list of rules. It is about being thoughtful, listening to different perspectives and being willing to make better choices.“We originally created this guide to give our clients something practical they could use when planning and reviewing their communications. We’re now making it freely available because every business can benefit from considering who its communications include, and who they might unintentionally exclude.”
What the guide covers
The guide sets out eight principles for inclusive communications. These include using clear and accessible language, representing people accurately and respectfully, avoiding stereotypes and tokenism, and reflecting diversity across imagery, spokespeople and case studies.
It provides practical guidance on:
- Selecting imagery that reflects the diversity of real audiences without relying on stereotypes
- Making content more accessible through video captions, alternative text or written image descriptions, readable fonts and appropriate colour contrast
- Reflecting a wider range of voices and perspectives, supported by meaningful inclusion within the organisation
- Providing training and support for emerging spokespeople
- Avoiding unnecessary jargon, acronyms, idioms and gendered language
- Referring to personal characteristics only when they are directly relevant
- Ensuring statements about diversity and inclusion are supported by meaningful action
- Gathering and using images, personal stories and testimonials ethically and with appropriate consent
Real-world examples demonstrate how seemingly small choices can affect how a message is received. These include replacing gendered job titles with more inclusive alternatives, avoiding assumptions based on age or background, and recognising the difference between amplifying people’s existing voices and claiming to give them a voice.
The guide also explores considerations for B2B technology companies, financial and professional services firms, and organisations developing their leadership and employer brands.
A concise inclusivity sense-check is included for teams to use when briefing a campaign or reviewing content before publication. It prompts communicators to consider language, representation, relevance, accessibility and narrative framing, finishing with one important question: who might feel excluded by this, and why?
Communication as a force for good
As a certified B Corp, Midnight is committed to helping build a more responsible economy through better business communications.
Its partnership with Edge of Difference brings together Midnight’s PR expertise with specialist knowledge of diversity, equity and inclusion. Together, the organisations help clients review campaigns through an inclusivity lens, develop responsible messaging, and access inclusive communications advice and training.
Alex added:
“As a B Corp, we believe businesses should consider the impact of their communications, not just the attention they generate. More inclusive communication helps build trust and makes it more likely that people feel seen and understood – and it needs to be built in from the start.”
The guide will be reviewed regularly to reflect evolving language, audience expectations, regulatory guidance and best practice.
Download a free PDF copy of A guide to inclusive PR communications here.
