Understanding "Normal"

Photo by Claudio Schwarz | @purzlbaum on Unsplash

Recently, Unilever, the global consumer goods giant, announced that it will be removing the word “normal” from its beauty and personal care products and related advertising. 

The idea behind this is to move away from descriptions that might suggest who (the type of person) the product is for, and towards those that describe what the product does. A step towards inclusivity and body positivity.

It’s an interesting move. It’s not the solution in and of itself (as Unilever themselves are quick to note), but it's a step in the right direction. “We are committed to tackling harmful norms and stereotypes and shaping a broader, far more inclusive definition of beauty”, said Sunny Jain, Unilever’s president of beauty and personal care.

Of course, Unilever is a multi-billion dollar entity, but they’ve realized that they play a role in shaping the culture that develops around their brands, which influences how people react to their brands. All of which ultimately flows right back to the company itself and its long term success.

The point is, our language makes a difference. The words we use, how we use them and who we use them for and towards, matters. And the bigger and louder our voice, the more responsible we need to be about how we use them.

But we don’t need to be billion dollar brands to play our part. Our words - as leaders, as team members, as any sort of participant in the commercial sphere - make a difference. 

Do we veer towards inclusivity or are we giving off exclusivity vibes? 

Are we proactively embracing diversity (in all its forms) or are we suggesting that we prefer (even implicitly) a lack of it? 

We need to be thoughtful about what we say and how we say it. Because, regardless of our intent, how those words are perceived by our customers and our employees, is what matters.