MGM MIRAGE, the second largest gaming corporation in the world, relied on TCG to reach targeted audiences for the company’s launch of a broad- scoped initiative to highlight their commitment to diversity. TCG and developed a multi-tiered diversity media communications strategy to introduce MGM MIRAGE’s successes to diverse national media. As a result of our integrated media strategy, MGM MIRAGE has received consistent positive coverage among national diversity media outlets.
RESULTS: Our integrated media strategy produced consistent positive national coverage among diversity media outlets and coverage among all media targets has increased annually. MGM MIRAGE consistently wins diversity leadership awards, both from the media and from national diversity organizations.
Nearly twenty years ago, TCG established Microsoft’s diversity marketing program to position Microsoft as a responsible corporate citizen to diverse audiences, position Microsoft as a good workplace for women and minorities, and raise awareness of products and services among diverse audiences. Our
multi-pronged mission centered on the execution of a broad, strategic influencer partnership plan spanning media, government, community and other elites designed to drive partnerships, provide tangible examples of the company’s commitment to a diverse customer base, story placement, research
development of technology-use among women and minority entrepreneurs and ad-buys.
Our strategy produced three Board seats on blue-chip minority- serving organizations and three high- impact “signature” national co- branded programs. As a result, Microsoft received national recognition from the Dialogue on Diversity, Black Enterprise, and the U.S. Department of Commerce, among manyothers.
CHALLENGE
One of the challenges that Caraway has taken on for Microsoft was helping XBOX reach a broader audience. XBOX competitors have been consistently attracting Black and Hispanic gamers in the U.S. focusing on next-gen intenders, many of whom own PlayStation 2 consoles. Caraway was charged with generating additional relationships and urban media coverage in order to help establish XBOX as a leading brand within the target community as well as show balance with showcasing Scene It: Lights, Camera, Action, a movie trivia game for the XBOX 360.
RESULTS
As part of our Urban Marketing initiative XBOX 360 sponsored two of the hottest parties at the 2008 NBA All-Star celebration in New Orleans, the Alonzo Mourning/Magic Johnson 8 Ball Pool Tournament and the Shaquille O’Neal/Reggie Bush Big Easy Billiards Bash. Sponsoring these two events showcased XBOX 360’s commitment to reaching beyond traditional markets to directly engage the urban market. Both star-studded events featured an XBOX lounge and XBOX sponsored billiards teams. The focus of the XBOX lounge was "2k Sports NBA 2K8” and “Scene It: Lights, Camera, Action” for the XBOX 360 which engaged the broader audience of women and children in attendance as well as the core traditional console gamers. By highlighting this family-friendly, party enriching game, XBOX showed how gaming is a social experience that brings family and friends together.
Caraway continues to educate journalists about technology opportunities for minorities in an effort to pitch educational awareness stories.
The Heinz Family Philanthropies
African American and Latina Women: Women’s Retirement Initiative
BACKGROUND
“The Women's Retirement Initiative” is an outgrowth of the 1995 publication of Pensions in Crisis and was created to examine how the dynamics of our pension and retirement systems contribute to the disproportionate rate of poverty among older women. TCG’s mission was to develop meaningful partnerships with women’s minority advocacy organizations to provide education about the need to increase the economic security of women of color and to influence public policy and public opinion about women’s retirement and pensions benefits.
CHALLENGE
The Philanthropies had no prior history of partnership with any national minority women’s advocacy groups. Elder African-American and Latina women are disproportionately poorer in comparison to White women in the same age range due to a lack of retirement and pension savings, according to recent studies. Current changes in Medicare and related social services have made these disparities even more pronounced for minority women.
RESULTS
TCG successfully engaged the nation’s leading African-American women and Latina associations by developing a strategic national education advocacy plan that involved a lecture series, seminars, hosting exhibitions, and resource material distributions. We crafted key communications messages about retirement and pension options available to improve the financial security of women of color and elevated the public policy dialogue through a focused media campaign that included conducting interviews and publishing opinion and editorial columns. TCG provides strategic counsel to the Philanthropies’ representatives about the most effective methods to engage national African-American
and Latina organizations and secured a rare editorial placement in the official magazine of a prominent professional health services group.
TEXACO, Inc.
Yolanda H. Caraway, President, and CEO of The Caraway Group, Inc., assisted Texaco in various aspects of its inclusionary and diversity efforts and outreach programs. Texaco was under fire for its hiring and promotion practices, and the company was embroiled in a racial discrimination lawsuit. In the midst of this, some senior executives were caught on tape making racist remarks. Due to recent explosions and air quality concerns, activists also levied charges against Texaco that it had no regard for the health and safety of its workers or for the health of community residents.
The Rainbow PUSH Coalition had even announced a boycott of Texaco. In caling for the boycott, Rev. Jess Jackson said, “Enough is enough. I hope when you need gas and see a Texaco sign; you’ll just keep on driving.” Sensing that it needed to act fast, Texaco engaged Ms. Caraway to develop a strategy.
CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
Ms. Caraway was asked to come on board by a Texaco consulting attorney, who knew well her ability to bring people to the table for productive dialogue. She liaised with Texaco executives and influential Black thought leaders, including Rev. Jackson. She had personal conversations the late Dr. Dorothy Height, National Council of Negro Women president; the late Joseph E. Lowery, Southern Christian Leadership Conference president; Kweisi Mfume, NAACP president; and Hugh Price, National Urban League president in order to chart the best course of action for remedy. Ms. Caraway organized two conference calls and an in-person meeting with these civil rights luminaries and Texaco brass. The most the immediate success of her was that the boycott was called off.
Apart from the end to the boycott, the discussions also inspired the material that later became a comprehensive plan to ensure fairness and economic opportunity for Texaco’s employees and business partners. The pan encompassed the inclusion of minorities and women throughout the organization, and long-term institutional change. Deval L. Patrick, who went on to become the first Black governor of Massachusetts would be responsible for implementing the features of the plan.
Aspects of the plan included:
Recruitment and hiring: Expand its overall college recruitment efforts to draw upon a broader
talent pool.
Workplace initiatives: Implement a redesigned diversity learning experience for managers and
supervisors.
Expand business partnering efforts: Par of which included increasing Texaco’s overall
purchasing activities with minority and women-owned firms.
These efforts aided Texaco in making diversity a true and enduring priority.