Frictionless Growth Marketing
Sonia Thompson | Inclusive Growth & Customer Experience Strategist
Brand growth today depends on removing friction from your marketing and customer experience to attract and retain more of the people you want to serve.
Frictionless Growth Marketing is the podcast for marketers, business leaders, and founders who want to grow by eliminating the messaging, experience, and strategy gaps that quietly push customers away every single day.
Hosted by Sonia Thompson, Inclusive Growth and Customer Experience Strategist, the show breaks down how modern brands drive sustainable growth by designing frictionless customer journeys, building trust with identity-rich growth communities, and adapting to changing consumer expectations with clarity and confidence.
Each week, you’ll hear practical insights, real brand examples, and candid conversations with marketing leaders and subject-matter experts on:
Brand strategy that fuels long-term business growth in the age of modern marketing
Customer acquisition, retention, and loyalty in today’s market
How friction shows up across the customer journey — and how to remove it
Identity-driven marketing, cultural relevance, and belonging
What’s actually working now with today’s values-driven consumers
If you want to reach more of the people you’re meant to serve — and convert more of them — without relying on outdated formulas or brute-force tactics, Frictionless Growth Marketing will show you the new rules of modern marketing and growth.
Because when you remove friction, you remove barriers to growth — for your customers and for your business.
Frictionless Growth Marketing is the podcast for marketers, business leaders, and founders who want to grow by eliminating the messaging, experience, and strategy gaps that quietly push customers away every single day.
Hosted by Sonia Thompson, Inclusive Growth and Customer Experience Strategist, the show breaks down how modern brands drive sustainable growth by designing frictionless customer journeys, building trust with identity-rich growth communities, and adapting to changing consumer expectations with clarity and confidence.
Each week, you’ll hear practical insights, real brand examples, and candid conversations with marketing leaders and subject-matter experts on:
Brand strategy that fuels long-term business growth in the age of modern marketing
Customer acquisition, retention, and loyalty in today’s market
How friction shows up across the customer journey — and how to remove it
Identity-driven marketing, cultural relevance, and belonging
What’s actually working now with today’s values-driven consumers
If you want to reach more of the people you’re meant to serve — and convert more of them — without relying on outdated formulas or brute-force tactics, Frictionless Growth Marketing will show you the new rules of modern marketing and growth.
Because when you remove friction, you remove barriers to growth — for your customers and for your business.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Dec 6, 2024 • 35min
140. This AI tool assesses how inclusive brands are
In this episode, I sat down with Asha Shivaji and Jason Klein, co-founders of SeeMeIndex, and AI tool that evaluates how inclusive brands are with their marketing across a number of factors.We covered a lot during our chat, including trends they've identified in their work as they've evaluated brands across many industries, including the beauty and wellness industries.Get the Inclusion & Marketing NewsletterSeeMe IndexThe UN Business Case for Inclusive MarketingMore data on how inclusive brands drive sales
Nov 28, 2024 • 8min
139. The biases we hold
My personal belief is that we all hold some time of bias -- much of it unconscious. In this episode, I share a brief story of when one of mine recently showed up. Also covered is the impact of bias in marketing.Get the Inclusion & Marketing Newsletter
Nov 21, 2024 • 15min
138. How smart brands demonstrate their values to consumers
Brand values are increasingly more important to consumers. As a result, brands need to communicate not only what their values are but how they are living them. In this episode, I walk through various ways brands are demonstrating not only what their values are, but how they are living them.Get the Inclusion & Marketing NewsletterEpisode 122: How Michael Graves Design and Pottery Barn are working to bring accessible design to more consumersBrands mentioned in this episode:Ben & Jerry'sPatagoniaSeer InteractiveThe Home DepotTory BurchWarby ParkerMichael Graves Design
Nov 14, 2024 • 22min
137. 8 Inclusive eCommerce website examples that drive growth
eCommerce is a core part of the journey for many consumers across a number of different industries. And because eCommerce websites or sections of websites often attract a broad diversity of consumers with different identities, brands who take the time to design experiences with as little friction as possible for people with these identities, will see more conversions.This episode walks through how to build a more inclusive eCommerce website, with specific examples of how different brands do that for different identities. Even if you don't have an eCommerce website, many examples referenced will still be applicable for you in helping you build a site that drives more conversions.Get the Inclusion & Marketing NewsletterAll the examples mentioned in this episodeEpisode 127: How to create a multilingual content strategy with Selim Dahmani Episode 60: Designing inclusive experiences for neurodivergent consumersEpisode 58: How to build an LGBTQ+ inclusive brand with Hank Paul
Nov 7, 2024 • 15min
136. The YouTube growth strategy top channels use
Lots of brands are making YouTube marketing a priority. It's easy to understand why -- it puts you in a position to get in front of more of your ideal customers worldwide.But of course, with any marketing tactic, you need an effective strategy behind it to make it work for you. In this episode, I'm walking you through this smart inclusive strategy many top YouTube channels use with great success to reach.Get the Inclusion & Marketing NewsletterVideo mentioned in the episode134: 3 Steps to creating an effective multilingual content strategy127: How to create a multilingual content strategy with Selim Dahmani
Oct 31, 2024 • 16min
135. How to create an LGBTQ+ inclusive brand all year long
By this time of year, normally we don't see too many LGBTQ+ celebrations from brands. Pride month has passed, and many brands are back to business as usual, which in a lot of cases means they aren't doing much of anything to make LGBTQ+ consumers feel seen, supported, or like they belong.Brands that do a good job of serving the LGBTQ+ community do it all year long. In this episode, I walk you through ways you can build an LGBTQ+ inclusive brand that makes people from the community feel like they belong, no matter when they encounter your brand.Get the Inclusion & Marketing NewsletterEpisode 58: How to build an LGBTQ+ inclusive brand with Hank Paul
Oct 24, 2024 • 15min
134. 3 Steps to create an effective multilingual content strategy
Engaging customers that speak other languages is a smart strategy for brands to grow. But too often, marketers think that an effective multilingual content strategy is just about translating your existing content into various languages.The reality, doing that may not bring you the results you desire. In this episode of the inclusion and marketing podcast, I walk you through my framework for implementing an effective multilingual content strategy that enables you to convert more customers.Get the Inclusion & Marketing NewsletterEpisode 127: How to create a multilingual content strategy with Selim Dahmani
Oct 17, 2024 • 39min
133. Jaw dropping stats about Latino youth prove why marketers shouldn't ignore this growing consumer group
Every time I see data about the changing demographics in the U.S., it seems like my jaw drops open.
Population Growth: 70% of the U.S. population growth between 2022 and 2023 is attributed to Latinos, a trend that shows no signs of slowing.
Economic Force: Latino youth are projected to contribute 78% of all net new U.S. workers by 2030, and Hispanic consumer spending is outpacing non-Hispanic spending in key areas like personal care, home electronics, and new cars.
25% of Gen Z and Gen Alpha are Latino
94% of Latinos under age 18 are born and raised in the U.S.
Did you know all that, cause I sure didn’t.And when I think about this from a marketing standpoint, it’s clear that brands need to factor these changing demographics into their strategies.The data I mentioned came from the U.S. Latino Youth 2030 Report, conducted by Kantar in Collaboration with the Latino Donor Collaborative.I wanted to dive more into this data and the implications, so I sat down with Ana Valdez, President and CEO of the Latino Donor Collaborative.Get the Inclusion & Marketing NewsletterU.S. Latino Youth Report 2030: from Kantar and The LDCLatino Donor Collaborative
Oct 11, 2024 • 47min
132. How to build a high-performing diverse team in today's political climate
In the summer of 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court said that it was no longer lawful to use affirmative action as a way to diversify the number of students colleges and universities accepted each year. As a result, a decades-old policy meant to help universities do a better job of building a diverse and representative student body is no longer valid.As a result, many companies have been reevaluating their own recruitment and hiring policies to address how they could go about building a diverse team – in a way that is, of course, legal.From a marketing perspective, data shows that many marketing teams are quite homogenous. And that homogeneity – that isn’t representative of the actual consumers brands serve, often results in brands not doing the best job of being inclusive in their marketing.So, what’s a brand to do?Well, for this episode, I sat down with an expert, Leanne Elliott, a business psychologist who’s had years of experience with his. Leanne brings some guidance for you on how to build a diverse team in this environment. And I have a feeling if you follow Leanne’s advice, which is rooted in lots of hard-core data – you’ll do a better job of building a diverse and representative team that outperforms those that aren’t representative.Get the Inclusion & Marketing NewsletterBackground on political climate impacting hiring --> Why brands have broken DEI promisesLeanne's Company - Oblong HQ Leanne's podcast - Truth, Lies, and WorkEpisode 48: How to create an inclusive workplace culture with Al and Leanne Elliott
Oct 3, 2024 • 48min
131. Brands rollback of DEI, microfeminism, and insensitive headlines: Inclusive marketers react
There’s a lot going on in the world these days, which often means there’s lots going on in the world of inclusive marketing.And sometimes – certain topics really just require a conversation – an opportunity to work through thoughts, feelings, and ideas – on the journey to forming opinions.So that’s what we’re doing on today’s episode.I sat down with a few folks from my inclusive marketing crew – some voices you’ve heard before on this show, and one new one, you’ll get introduced to.So after this short break, you’ll here the latest “inclusive marketers reaction” show – me and my colleagues do a deep dive to discuss important topics bubbling up in the world of inclusive marketing.Get the Inclusion & Marketing NewsletterCompanies rolling back DE&I policiesNew York Times article re: Kamala Harris "combative" debate styleLinkedIn post with discussion about New York Times articleMicrofeminism TikTokInclusive Marketer's React: McDonald's, Sainsburys, Barbie Movie, and moreInclusive Marketer's React: Ralph Lauren and Zara debacleMatthew Tsang Episode (#76): Nothing about us without us, and working with an inclusive marketing agencyMariam Shahab Episode (#74): How to authentically engage Muslim consumers
