Co-creation with marginalised communities: why it matters

Brands and organisations have long since dipped their toes into cultural narratives and spotlighted communities to promote a message. 

While this can be an effective ploy (see: the NHS using Harry Styles’ album announcement to remind people to book their smear), it often means marginalised communities are spotlighted, but not served - and the queer community is typically in the firing line.

A prime example is brands marking Transgender Awareness Week, but not working with the trans+ community themselves to create a campaign that meaningfully addresses how transgender lives are under attack. You know the ones.

If you want content that shows you actually give a f**k, it’s not enough to just feature these communities - you have to co-create with them as well. 

We spoke to Harriet Phillips and Annie Bartley, founders of queer-led brand communications agency I am Female*, about the power of co-creating with marginalised communities in business.

“We believe better work is created when it is shaped, at all levels, by the very people who represent it. Those doing creative work need to genuinely understand the audience at its core.”

“On our recent viral campaign with sapphic dating app, HER, queer women were involved in the creative process, from strategy through to execution. Their contribution was treated as real, paid creative work rather than an informal consultation.

“Our approach focused on ensuring the people shaping the work understood the culture, humour, and lived experience of the sapphic community it was speaking to.

“If brands want to genuinely connect with their communities, they need to co-create with them and, crucially, pay them.”

Founder Adam Holcroft-Tebbutt shares how he puts co-creation at the heart of the business:

“Rainbow & Co has always been about listening first. I’m really conscious that representing a community means you don’t get to decide everything in a vacuum, so involving queer people in the work is just part of how the business runs. 

“We regularly invite members of the community to contribute to our blog so real experiences are reflected, not just my perspective or what I think people want to hear. 

“A lot of it also happens in much more informal ways; chatting with customers at events about anything from queer culture to what’s actually going on in their lives, and asking for honest opinions on designs or what they’d like to see next.

“Those conversations shape the brand in really practical ways. They help keep the work grounded, accountable, and rooted in reality, which feels especially important as the business grows.”