Event Recap: Enhanced Allyship with NielsenIQ
A recap of a webinar held on December 6, 2022
A women-led, person-of-color panel came together on Tuesday, December 6th to discuss the importance of enhanced allyship and the impact it will have on the CPG industry. Kymberly Graham, Vice President, Head of Diversity Initiatives at NielsenIQ, led a wonderful discussion with industry experts, who share a mission of promoting enhanced allyship in the CPG industry.
If you couldn’t join us live, click below to watch the webinar now or keep reading for key takeaways.
This thought-provoking, passion-filled conversation was equal parts educational and inspiring.
Key Takeaways:
Representation Matters.
The United States is becoming a more diverse society. In fact, recent census data shows that 100% of the US population growth is coming from multicultural groups. That trajectory will continue over the next forty years, with 2 out of every 5 people having a diverse background. As the number of multicultural consumers grows, so should the number of diverse products.
“We envision a world where a consumer can walk down an aisle and see themselves represented on the shelves,” said Kathleen Casanova, Founding Executive Director of Project Potluck, a grassroots organization that supports people of color through mentorship, resources, and more. “There’s so much growth [opportunity] in natural and organics.”
The Multicultural Consumer is the Future.
The growing diversity of our society is creating major market shifts. Today, the buying power of multicultural consumers has reached over $4 trillion. This shift has an enormous impact on the US and global economies. And, as mentioned above, the data shows that this is only expected to grow as the diverse population and its influence grows.
The most successful CPG brands will be the most inclusive. Graham added, “Opportunity lies in the multicultural groups.” Therefore, CPG manufacturers must understand how they are meeting multicultural needs and celebrating their diverse successes through supportive tactics like awareness, allyship, and engagement.
Cindy Li, Director of (included) ACCESS, Founder & Tea-EO at Uproot Teas added, “We are at the heart of really being able to influence and create these major market shifts. It means that we have to start understanding how these organizations are meeting their needs, how to accelerate better multicultural success.”
Support Starts with You.
Though growing in numbers and influence, multicultural people need authentic allyship to progress to their highest potential. An ally is more than a mentor. It’s someone who speaks on behalf of others in need, who are systematically marginalized, or unable to effectively use their own agency to influence policies, processes, or decisions.
Cynthia Fletcher Billops, VP - Operations, Membership and Belonging at One Step Closer, advised everyone in the CPG industry to prioritize allyship in the workplace. She said, “Invite others to speak, rather than being the first person to speak. Lift them up and support them, rather than putting them on the spot.”
Only until the entire industry practices these inclusive behaviors will we see a shift to enhanced allyship. With everyday practice, we will all become expert allies.
“There’s not one thing you can do today that makes you a good ally,” said Casanova. “It’s a mindset, a series of choices, actions that you put into practice every single day.”
These efforts will improve the lives of underrepresented consumers, CPG brands, and the industry. Doors will open and profits will increase.
Now, the question is: where do we go from here?
Each panel member shared their thoughts on what we can do to support the enhanced allyship mission.
Cynthia Fletcher Billops, VP - Operations, Membership and Belonging at One Step Closer: “Diversity is important. We don’t want people that agree with us all the time. We’re looking for new ideas. We’re connecting and caring. Expanding our care connection and our ability to care is huge. And we can’t do that if we aren’t interacting with people who are different from us. How can we be an ally? You can learn powerful non-defensive communication. You can listen to understand, rather than listen to respond.”
Cindy Li, Director of (included) ACCESS, Founder & Tea-EO at Uproot Teas: “If you are someone within an organization who has the ability to proactively make suggestions within your organization… think how you can practice enhanced allyship. Look at your responsibilities within your role and see how you can bring someone into your world and expand their realm of possibilities.”
Kathleen Casanova, Founding Executive Director of Project Potluck: “I think getting really clear on your privilege allows you to have a deep understanding of what you can offer. Not just an opportunity to feel really terrible about all the things you have in life. This is an opportunity to figure out what you can share. That might be wealth, knowledge, opportunity – everybody has something to offer.”
Member Resources
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