Sonia Thompson

Florida

Columnist at Inc.

I help brands grow by winning consumers most companies ignore | Host of Inclusion & Marketing podcast | Creator, Inclusion & Marketing Newsletter (She|Her)

Articles

Why Fast Growing Beauty Brands Are Standing By The LGBTQ+ Community

2 days ago | forbes.com | Sonia Thompson

People from the Walt Disney Company participate in the annual LA Pride Parade in West Hollywood, ... More California, on June 9, 2019. - LA Pride began on June 28, 1970, exactly one year after the historic Stonewall Rebellion in New York City, 50 years ago. (Photo by DAVID MCNEW / AFP) (Photo credit should read DAVID MCNEW/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty ImagesSome beauty brands are growing faster than their peers. There’s data to help us understand why.
Beyoncé’s Shirt Sparks Backlash-Here’s The Lesson For Marketers

3 days ago | forbes.com | Sonia Thompson

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 02: Beyoncé accepts the Best Country Album award for "COWBOY ... More CARTER" onstage during the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 02, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording AcademyOn Juneteenth, Beyoncé performed during night one of her stint in Paris for her Cowboy Carter tour.
Inclusive Marketing Isn’t A Requirement For Brands

3 weeks ago | forbes.com | Sonia Thompson

Vogue recently produced an ode to the iconic movie Hairspray featuring model Gigi Hadid. The problem many fans found with the video tribute, was that it didn’t feature any plus-sized people, whom are a core part of the film. Fans of the movie were outraged, and let Vogue know they did not appreciate their erasure of plus-sized people. Years ago, cheesesteak shop Geno’s Steaks in Philadelphia received a lot of backlash when the owner posted a sign that said, “This is America.
How The ‘Sinners’ Movie Delivered On Authenticity

1 month ago | forbes.com | Sonia Thompson

Ryan Coogler’s Sinners’ movie just crossed another milestone, with domestic box office sales passing the $250 million mark. It is now the third highest-grossing horror movie of all time in the U.S., and the highest grossing original horror movie of all time in North America.
The inclusive marketing strategies Zumba, Lysol, Wistia, and more are using to grow, straight from marketing leaders

1 month ago | blog.hubspot.com | Sonia Thompson

Growth is the mandate for brands each year. One way to grow? Create offerings that appeal to a wider group of people. That’s where inclusive marketing comes in. Inclusive marketing is all about acknowledging the many ways people are different.
The top inclusive marketing trends of 2025, according to Sonia Thompson

1 month ago | blog.hubspot.com | Sonia Thompson

Okay. So if you've been around here for more than a little bit, you know that I follow a gluten-free diet for health reasons. So when I go to a restaurant, I'm wondering, does their menu work for people like me?
This Surprising Strategy Helps Toyota Reach Latino Consumers

1 month ago | inc.com | Sonia Thompson

Podcasting continues to be a growing channel, as the number of listeners tuning in at least once has grown to more than 584 million worldwide. That’s a nearly 7 percent year-over-year increase. Another study by Edison showed that 55 percent of people in the U.S. aged 12 and up listen to a podcast at least once per month. Podcast listenership within the Latino community specifically is growing rapidly as well.
‘Sinners’ Movie Proves (Once Again) What Consumers Really Want

1 month ago | forbes.com | Sonia Thompson

Ryan Coogler’s latest movie‘Sinners,’ continues to dominate the box office and be a hot topic on social media as well. In it’s opening weekend, the film earned $48 million domestically, which was the most successful for any original film this decade. In it’s second weekend, the movies only had a 6% drop in sales, in comparison to drops that are typically in the range of 40-50% in the second weekend. Thus far, this horror movie has already grossed $161 million worldwide.
Law & Order: Organized Crime Is Leaning Into More Of What Viewers Want

2 months ago | forbes.com | Sonia Thompson

The Law & Order franchise has been around since 1990, and with it we’ve seen a number of different characters, themes, and evolutions in the show’s approach. Season five of the newest edition to the franchise, Law & Order: Organized Crime recently went live on Peacock. The series’ new home has provided the show the freedom to explore a different, grittier format and push boundaries it previously wasn’t able to do on network television.
3 Challenges With Modern Day Economic Boycotts

2 months ago | forbes.com | Sonia Thompson

In recent months, there’s been no shortage of calls for boycotts for brands that have chosen to rollback their diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Amazon, Target, Wal-Mart, and Nestle are the latest companies organizers are urging consumers to stay away from for a time period. Thus far, results have been mixed. While Tesla stock is down, and website and foot traffic are down at Target in comparison the prior year, Amazon seems to be unscathed thus far.