By: Hannah Freeman, Junior, Marketing, International Business and Digital and Social Media Business Applications

Importance of the Marketing Department DEI Committee

There are continuous efforts to ensure that students feel comfortable and can be themselves here at Kelley. To highlight the initiatives to promote inclusion by the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, we spoke to Professor Michelle Shaw. According to Professor Shaw, “The DEI Committee is tasked with ensuring the department is a place where everyone’s voices are heard, and different perspectives enhance the experience.” The new DEI Committee is comprised of Professor Rockney Walters, Professor Rebecca Slotegraaf, Professor Michelle Shaw, and Clinical Professor John Cady. These members work to make certain that the Marketing Department is embracing and developing the diversity, accomplishments, and research of faculty and students.

Why is this committee so important? Professor Shaw noted, “The Committee is an example of the Marketing Department’s commitment to the need by people of all backgrounds to feel valued. We are also working to promote trust between students and faculty. It is important to educate our faculty and students about issues in today’s world and the ways they can help address them.”

What is Being Done Today

The Marketing Department has seen an increase in diversity within the last few years. For example, there are now more women faculty members, as well as diverse faculty in terms of culture and race. Professor Shaw stated, “Our faculty expose students to different perspectives and experiences through case studies and guest speakers that offer diverse thoughts, genders, cultures, races, etc. that expand learning beyond the classroom.” By exposing students to new ideas, they can increase self-awareness and understand where their thoughts and feelings are coming from.

The DEI Committee is currently working to implement initiatives that celebrate and increase diversity. Their first step has been to collect data on the current state of the Department. From there, they plan to develop initiatives to address the many dimensions of diversity and they can be included in the faculty, students and curriculum.

Moving Forward with Diversity

“There’s always room for improvement, but we are trending in the right direction of becoming more diverse and more inclusive in our Marketing Department culture,” said Professor Shaw. “In the future, we anticipate programs that will help grow diversity in the department even further. It is not enough to just have a DEI Committee. There must also be an effort to make a change. We are working to give everyone a voice. We are working to make everyone feel included. We are working to guarantee everyone feels safe. This commitment by the Department is going to continue and the culture will mold with it.”

“There will never be a point in which we feel that we have done enough to create a diverse department. However, we can be proud of the hard work that our DEI Committee is putting in to ensure that our community is one that welcomes all. We cannot make sustainable change in the Marketing Department without help from everyone in the community. By voicing how you feel and showing others your individuality, you are making a change.”

By: Vedika Soni, Senior, Marketing, and Digital & Social Media Applications in Business.

Meet Professor John Talbott

Professor John Talbott is the Director for the Center of Education and Research in Retail at the Kelley School of Business. He has played an integral role in the Marketing Department since his arrival to Indiana University in August 2007. As a long-standing faculty member, Professor Talbott has not only seen diversity grow but has also aided in stimulating the development of Kelley’s diverse culture. Professor Talbott values diversity and emphasizes the importance of inclusion by encouraging students to interact with their peers during classes and learn about different cultures. After having worked in the retail sector for over twenty years, Professor Talbott shares knowledge and experience in the field with students through the Kelley Retail Workshop.

The Kelley Retail Workshop

The Kelley Retail Workshop gives young business professionals an opportunity to dive into the retail environment and enhance their understanding of the industry through close-knit lectures, group simulations, industry partnerships and recruitment events. The Workshop is an asset for all those interested in pursuing a career within the fast-paced retail industry. It not only allows students to interact with industry professionals on a one-on-one basis, but also fosters the development of a strong professional network. The Retail Workshop recruits a batch of 30 students every fall and mandates the inclusion of at least one international student to incorporate a diverse perspective. Students are selected based on the applicant’s video introduction and personal statements which highlight the diverse backgrounds of each student. The application process focuses on diversity within individual experiences, in terms of race, age, gender, and cultural heritage, as well as business interests. The Retail Workshop is open to students specializing in any major at Kelley as well,  which also helps increase diversity.

The Retail Workshop provides students with multiple opportunities to interact with each other through course events such as a weekend trip to New York City and a visit to the Abercrombie & Fitch campus. Corporate dinners and round table speed networking events give students the opportunity to share their experiences and interact with peers and professionals to develop diverse perspectives. One of the most unique features of the Kelley Retail Workshop is its strong ties with industry leaders such as Macy’s and Ralph Lauren. This relationship extends to the classroom by ensuring the course aligns with current industry practices. All of these experiences provide impactful opportunities for students to learn from experts and each other.

Talbott on Making Kelley Diverse

Over the years, the Marketing Department at the Kelley School of Business has grown to attract a large student and faculty population of different ages, races, genders and cultural heritages. While the Kelley School of Business has a large proportion of international students, particularly from Asia, only 10% of the student population that are Black. Kelley is actively undertaking initiatives to ensure all cultures are represented. One of these initiatives is a Summer Outreach Program to interact with underprivileged and under-represented children. These outreach programs have played a vital role in improving the diverse make-up of the Kelley School of Business as they attracted under-represented populations that differ not only in race and culture, but also educational interests.  In an attempt to make the Kelley Retail Workshop more diverse, Professor Talbott is working with the Simon Youth Foundation to reach out to diverse high school students to create an interest in retail at a younger age. These children are at risk of not completing their education and may not be fully aware of the potential opportunities available in retail. With the Simon Youth Foundation, Professor Talbott hopes to increase their access to educational resources such as the Kelly School of Business, ultimately infusing educational and financial diversity within the Marketing Department.

Kelley’s Diversity

The Kelley School of Business is a diverse institution that recruits and retains students from different walks of life. The student body exudes diversity as it represents different countries, age, gender, cultural heritage and educational interests amongst others. Nonetheless, the  Marketing Department is actively seeking to improve its diversity and to help students develop a holistic outlook. This growing diversity within the school can be attributed to faculty members like Professor Talbott, who are undertaking initiatives to ensure every classroom in Kelley has a diverse outlook.

By: Emma Hamlet, Senior, Marketing.

The Not So Diverse Reality of Corporate America

After graduating with an MBA in Marketing from the Kelley School of Business, Julie Kratz took off into the corporate world. Of course, this was the expectation for her post-graduation plans – the same expectations that many students feel the pressure of today.

While working with this company, it didn’t take Julie long to notice that there was little to no diversity in her workplace. In a business run by white men, she didn’t see herself reflected in the top leadership. Julie quickly realized that she had a different calling in the business world: to be a voice of change for creating more diverse and inclusive organizations.

Fast forward to today, Julie has been the founder and CEO of Next Pivot Point for last six years. She specializes in training and advising companies on how to be more diverse and inclusive. The face of Corporate America is quickly changing from wealthy white men to people of every race, gender, sexual orientation, and ability.

Be the Change

Being a catalyst for change requires a lot of passion and work, as well as a deep knowledge of the research and methodology that goes into changing business as we know it. When teaching companies about diversity, Julie uses the ‘DEI’ training strategy. DEI stands for diversity, equity and inclusion.

According to Julie, “Diversity is about different types of people, inclusion is about people feeling heard, seen, and belonging at work. Equity is about treating different people equitably so that we can increase diversity, rather than equal treatment which tends to give everyone the same resources despite different levels of privilege.”

Reading this definition, you may think that this initiative is just common sense. It may be for Kelley students, alumni, and faculty. However, outside the walls of Hodge Hall, some companies are years behind. For this reason, Julie advises students to take time to broaden their horizons as far as possible. Whether it means doing research, traveling, or connecting with people virtually, it is more important than ever to take the opportunity to better understand diversity. The workplace needs leaders to help it move beyond an exclusive work environment that has been created by centuries of bias.

Diversity in the workplace means more success. When team members have different backgrounds, viewpoints, and experiences, better ideas are generated. To be specific, Julie explains that “organizations with more inclusive management teams make 87% better decisions, are more innovative, and in general achieve 19% higher revenues with 20 to 40% higher profitability rates.” Diversity is a win-win for everyone.

How Can I Be a Catalyst for Diversity?

Change happens one person at a time. Whether in the classroom or in the office, consider these tips and resources to be more accepting of and inclusive to all people.

• Reach out to someone in classes that you don’t know.
• Research different religions, cultures, sexual orientations, and cultural backgrounds in your    free time.
• Show genuine interest in and listen to what others have to say.
• Check out this page for more information on racial issues, culture, and diversity education through Indiana University.
• Keep up to date on the news surrounding your nearest town and city – what protests and rallies are happening around you?
• Support businesses that are owned by people of diverse backgrounds.

By: Amanda Wahlstrom, Junior, Marketing, Accounting, and Sport Marketing and Management.

Here at Kelley, we think about diversity every day. We’re in classes with students and professors from all over the globe (and some physically across the globe—thanks Zoom!). We could talk about the statistics and how they show our diversity, but what’s more important is how this diversity impacts marketing. We all come from different backgrounds and cultures that create different experiences and paths for ourselves. As part of the Kelley Marketing Department, we not only experience diversity in the classroom, but as different people, places, and moments and we are here to tell you about it.

Geographic

The Kelley community is truly global. Whether it’s studying abroad through one of Kelley’s 59 programs or coming from one of the almost 50 countries outside of the United States represented at Kelley to study here. Nick Bigliano is a senior that lived in Italy during his time at Kelley and will be showcasing how that helped him get where he is today. Jeffrey Yu, a student currently studying abroad in Taiwan, will be taking us through what his life abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic is like. Rashi Sarraf from New Delhi, India found her place in Kelley through a diverse pool of organizations. Alumni Di An will be taking us through us her experiences with international business.

Gender

One thing that makes the Marketing Department unique is the prevalence of women, who represent the majority of the faculty. We will be exploring this further with a piece breaking down what it means to be a woman in this space.

Involvement

The Kelley School of Business has 60+ student organizations all with a diverse set of passions and people represented. With so many to choose from, we will be hearing from students and professors about the organizations and workshops that they are involved in. Riley Deam will be taking us through the ways that she broke out of her comfort zone through different opportunities offered in the Marketing Department. Professor Charles Ragland will be taking us behind the scenes of the Global Sales Workshop and how they ensure diversity within the workshop and how it makes them stronger. Dennis Spahr, a professor in the Professional Sales part of the Marketing Department, will show the diversity of our course offerings and how that can help fuel competition through the National Selling Team Competition. Professor John Talbot leads the Retail Workshop and knows a thing or two about incorporating diversity into their operations and structure.

Research

The Kelley School has nearly 350 faculty conducting research and shaping the way we learn, all in their own diverse ways. Marketing Professor Ashok Lalwani will be exploring how culture affects both behavior and decision making. We’ll be digging deeper with a look at diversity through the faculty’s eyes with Professors Josh Gildea, Beth Fossen, Dennis Spahr, Shanker Krishnan, and Shibo Li. However, professors aren’t our only source of research and experience. The Marketing Department, like all of Kelley, has such great alumni and from that, such great advice and experiences! We will be hearing from Julie Kratz, a specialist in diversity, who works as a consultant for companies that want to increase their diversity and inclusivity.

Our Diverse Stories

These stories are just the tip of the iceberg for diversity within the Marketing Department. Our diversity goes beyond what you may be able to see on paper. Our stories include diversity in geographic location, gender, involvement, and research as well as any other area imaginable. While we all come from diverse backgrounds and experiences, we all come together to find common ground at Kelley and within marketing. We hope you will continue to follow along as our stories are told here as well as on Instagram and LinkedIn.

By: Nicole Milaszewski, Senior, Marketing, Media and Creative Advertising

We often think of diversity in terms of age, race, gender, and ethnicity. Diversity also
includes, but is not limited to, gender identity, sexual orientation, social class, political
beliefs, religious beliefs, different upbringings, psychographics, career paths, research
interests, and physical ability or attributes. These characteristics of diversity can
profoundly affect our self-view and our relationships with others. Marketers must
embrace all aspects of diversity to understand consumers and develop messages,
products, and services that connect with their needs and desires. Here at the Kelley
Marketing Department, our diversity is just that – diverse, and is central to our core
mission of serving customers. Our campaign “Diversity: People, Places, Moments” will feature stories showing that diversity is at the heart of marketing.

How will it work?

“Diversity: People, Places, Moments” will highlight how the Marketing Department
embraces diversity through a collection of blogs and videos. Diversity can be found in
the people we surround ourselves with, the places we go, and the moments we
experience. Our students, faculty, and alumni will serve as powerful storytellers to share
the diverse stories and activities that exist within the Kelley Marketing Department.

What will it look like?

The stories will be featured here, on our Department’s new blog. These posts will also be on our Instagram as well as our Linkedin. Through connection and engagement on these new social channels, we hope to drive awareness of the diverse diversity found within our department. Each week will consist of at least one piece of new content including:

Major Mondays: These posts will highlight our diverse Kelley Marketing students.
Whether it is about how they are attending their Zoom classes with a 12-hour time
difference or how they are putting a unique spin on their Marketing major,
#MajorMonday will have all the stories.

Faculty Fridays: Kelley Marketing Faculty, who produce both a nationally recognized
curriculum and research on any marketing topic you can think of, will share their insights
under #FacultyFriday.

Alumni Advice: Our Kelley Marketing Alumni are not only in diverse parts of the world,
but are also pursuing diverse career paths. Look for #AlumniAdvice to find their stories.

Why is highlighting diversity important?

Marketing is centered around the idea of reaching people of varying backgrounds,
opinions, socio-economic classes, psychographics, and demographics. It is crucial to
recognize and understand the diversity of every consumer. Our department is a
reflection of that diversity. With the launch of this campaign, we will
highlight the value of our differences and the power that comes from putting them all
together. Diversity is at the heart of marketing, and at the heart of the Kelley Marketing
Department.

How do you follow along?

Learn just how diverse our diversity is through our faculty, students, and alumni. Follow along with our blog for weekly stories and connect with us on our brand new Instagram and Linkedin. Share your Kelley Marketing Pride amongst your peers.

How do you share your diversity story?

If you’re a Kelley Marketing faculty, alumni, or student that wants to share your story please reach out to our content creation team here.