Marketing is Public Service—If You’re Doing It Right

Explore how storytelling drives access, equity, and behavioral change

Let’s get one thing straight: marketing isn’t just about catchy taglines, polished Instagram grids, or making the font on a PowerPoint deck pop. (Although let’s be honest, a good font can change lives.) At its core, marketing—when done right—is public service. It’s communication with purpose. It’s storytelling with a backbone. It’s not just what we say—it’s how we show up for people.

If you think marketing is just a glossy megaphone for selling things, I’m here to lovingly shake that snow globe. Because the best marketing doesn’t sell—it serves. It helps people understand their options, make informed decisions, and feel seen in a world that often doesn’t bother to look twice.

The Hero of the Story Isn’t You—It’s Them

Great marketing doesn’t spotlight the organization—it spotlights the audience. Your job isn’t to parade your brilliance around like a Homecoming Queen. Your job is to make people feel like they belong, like their experiences matter, and like they’re not alone.

Want people to sign up for health services? Help them see themselves in your campaign—down to the dialect, hairstyle, or cultural reference. Trying to increase voter turnout? Don’t just post about dates and deadlines—talk about the auntie who brought snacks to the polls, or the teen who canvassed their neighborhood between shifts at Target. Human stories work because we’re wired for connection, not cold data.

Access Isn’t Accidental

Equity and access don’t just magically show up because you posted a flyer in three languages. If your marketing plan doesn’t include historically excluded communities, it’s not a strategy—it’s a decorated excuse.

Whether you’re in healthcare, education, housing, or civic engagement, you should be asking:

• Who isn’t seeing this message?

• Who can’t understand it?

• Who doesn’t trust it—and why?

Inclusive marketing means doing your research, sitting in community meetings, paying people for their lived expertise, and reworking your campaigns until the folks you’re trying to reach feel like you actually get them.

Behavioral Change Isn’t Sexy, But It’s the Assignment

The real power of marketing lies in its ability to change behavior. And I don’t mean “get them to buy that toothpaste with the fancy lid.” I mean life change. The kind that gets someone to go to their first therapy appointment. Or schedule a mammogram. Or apply for a grant. Or talk to their kid about vaping.

That kind of shift doesn’t happen with scare tactics or pixel-perfect infographics. It happens when someone sees a story that feels true. When they feel empowered, not judged. When the message feels like it came from someone who’s been in their shoes—not someone waving down from a conference room window.

TL;DR?

Marketing is about people. It’s a love letter to community. A PSA wrapped in warmth. A tool that, when used with intention, can open doors, build trust, and actually make someone’s day better.

So yeah. If you’re doing it right? Marketing is public service.

Now go forth and adjust your font size—but also your perspective.