To create lasting change, start with an audit of your investment in recruiting and hiring practices; this may require external expertise but sets up your company for long-term diversity. 

Ally Financial demonstrated significant success in retaining and advancing people of color, as noted in its 2022 report. Ally has not only created educational outlets for its employees and customers with great success (reportedly over 40% of its employees joined an ERG), but it has used its partnerships across women’s sports as a call to action for other brands to level up in their support of women, women athletes and women’s sports. Andrea Brimmer, its CMO and a former athlete, committed more than 45% of the company’s sports marketing budget in 2023 to women’s sports.

As an industry, we’ve mistakenly operated under the impression that intent is where solutions live. We’ve since learned, from the world speaking to us loud and clear, that impact supersedes intent. That means moment-to-moment tactics will never create the impact you want. If the existing industry approach was enough, we’d have created much more change by now.

As we turn a corner as an industry toward true DEI focus, we recognize that progress starts with long-term commitment and is nothing without it; if you don’t have a long-term plan, you don’t have a plan at all. 

Giving depth and marking tangible progress in diversity isn’t a monthly celebration. It requires work, planning, goal-setting, partnership and accountability. You’ll know you’ve achieved success when Women’s History Month, Pride Month and Juneteenth don’t feel like obligations or surprises, but rather opportunities to celebrate and commemorate the diverse ecosystem you have carefully crafted.