5 Things / uplifted and empowered
I cannot confirm this, but it's very possible that Hallmark saw a spike in sales to its Mahogany Uplifted & Empowered collection this week. Mahogany is Hallmark's line of products to celebrate Black culture. With messages like "It's okay to say 'we are not ok'", Uplifted & Empowered is the line of cards created last year to authentically center racial empowerment.
This matters for lots of reasons. First of all, the collection was developed by Black writers in conjunction with Hallmark's African-American Employee Resource Group. Informing product design is a great way to utilize and energize an ERG. Also, the messages are great! They're authentic and meaningful. And of course, this only expands Hallmark's market.
There are lots of wins here, and Hallmark is proving to be a great example of a company being Inclusive 360.
Here are some other good vibes I found this week:
Bhima Jewellry, an Indian company, released an ad that beautifully shows a young trans person's acceptance within their family. This matters because not only is this ad a positive depiction of a transgender person, but it beautifully models ideal parental behavior! (h/t to Seema Jain for sharing.)
The United Kingdom apologized in the House of Commons for failing to honor hundreds of thousands of World War I military personnel due to "pervasive racism." Those excluded from records, monuments, and memorials were mostly Black and Indian British troops. This apology and subsequent commitments matter because they are an important act of taking responsibility for errors of the past.
VH-1 is a partner in a new program to amplify the reach of 20 Black-owned businesses based in Brooklyn. The partnership provides both marketing and financial support to these businesses which lost a lot of revenue due to a Covid-related decrease in foot traffic. This matters because it's a way to amplify Black voices and businesses, and expand their access to consumers.
I've been a fan of General Motors CEO Mary Barra for awhile now, and I've especially loved the two word dress code she established, "Dress appropriately." Well, she's now announced the policy for GM's future of work: "Work appropriately." This can mean different things to different people – but, as in the dress code policy, it sends a powerful signal to employees that they are trusted.
She writes, "What’s most important to recognize about “Work Appropriately” is that it’s a mindset – that all are responsible for driving maximum engagement and inclusion in how we work." This matters because it puts employees first.
Images by: Hallmark Ideas