Household brands including Lowe’s and Molson-Coors have dialed back on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in recent months, but Kellanova and Shipt are not backing away. In fact, they both see diversity as a growth driver.
Speaking on a panel with marketing leaders from both brands during the inaugural Blackweek conference in New York last week, Amber Guild, CEO of McCann New York, said: “If we really think about diversity, equity, and inclusion, it’s not just the right thing to do; it is the only thing to do for growth. Then it becomes about how we’re unlocking human possibilities for business opportunities.”
The Black population in the U.S., both native and foreign-born, is expected to grow from 49 million in 2030 to 60.6 million by 2060, per Pew Research. The U.S. Census also predicts 1 in 4 Americans will be Latinx by 2060.
Charisse Hughes, chief growth officer of Kellanova and Allison Stadd, svp of brand, culture, and media of Shipt, joined Guild to share how their brands are investing in partnerships and campaigns designed to engage diverse consumers across the U.S. and beyond.
In 2022, Kellanova partnered with restaurateur and influencer Pinky Cole, owner of Atlanta-based food spot Slutty Vegan, to promote its MorningStar Farms plant-based Incogmeato line. The company also created a Chef in Residence fellowship program the year prior, offering minority chefs the opportunity to work with its global research and development teams.
Elsewhere, Shipt tapped Issa Rae for its “Delight in Every Delivery” campaign, in which she worked with Howard University students to create a spot to promote Shipt’s student membership program. The brand then surprised the students with an event debuting the campaign in Times Square.
“Delight in Every Delivery” is the company’s biggest marketing campaign to-date. Though she didn’t share specific figures, Stadd said the initiative over-performed, leading to an uptick in brand awareness and engagement and increased downloads of the Shipt app.
Unlocking new audiences
Hughes said that investing in inclusive marketing is key to unlocking growth.
One of the first things she thought about after joining Kellanova in 2020 was how the company is educating and training its marketers to understand the communities they serve. The company subsequently launched the “K Way of Inclusive Marketing,” an employee training program designed to teach Kellanova marketers how to speak to diverse audiences.
