CPGs have also been active in the space, with Procter & Gamble producing inclusive campaigns for brands such as Gillette, Tampax, and Tide. Inclusive work environments. Workplaces that welcome and value employees with all kinds of differences are not only moving the industry in the right direction, but also increase employee satisfaction and drive profit. ​

For example, virtual influencer Noonoouri starred with Chinese actor Li Xian in a campaign for luxury menswear brand Ermenegildo Zegna, and Luo Tianyi has endorsed major consumer brands including Gillette, KFC, Pizza Hut, Tide, beverage brand Vitasoy, and local cosmetics company Pechoin.

Consumer packaged goods giant Procter & Gamble not only produces inclusive campaigns for its brands—including Gillette, Tampax, and Tide—but it also uses its corporate platform to elevate diverse voices about important topics related to identity, inequity, and exclusion. P&G doesn’t shy away from difficult or controversial issues, either.

Men’s personal care brand Harry’s is pushing sleek holiday razor gift sets as it continues to encroach on market leader Gillette. And D2C beverage startup Haus released a seasonal Bitter Clove aperitif. “D2C brands are savvy and innovative marketers that find ways to stand out amid the noise, and there’s no more noisy time than the holidays,” Lipsman said.

A common example of one such successful D2C brand is Dollar Shave Club, which is taking on giants like Gillette and winning. Another is smartphone manufacturer OnePlus. In 2014, the Chinese startup launched its first handset, the OnePlus 1, with no marketing budget and no warehouse inventory to speak of.

Men’s personal care brand Harry’s is pushing sleek holiday razor gift sets as it continues to encroach on market leader Gillette. And D2C beverage startup Haus released a seasonal Bitter Clove aperitif. D2C brands are savvy and innovative marketers that find ways to stand out amid the noise, and there’s no more noisy time than the holidays.