Gatorade has been known to partner with famous athletes and the NFL in the past- but this iconic company is now switching up their marketing strategy. They’re choosing to invest in younger and more diverse athletes, in fact, “last year, Gatorade committed $10 million over five years to help improve access to sports” (Marketing Brew).
They’ve been taking on new initiatives such as expanding to different countries and starting youth soccer tournaments. This year, they’ve also partnered with Laureus USA, which is a Cohort of Elevating Black Leaders in Sport that helps increase access to “free sport and wrap-around programming for Black youth in under-resourced communities.” (ComCast).
According to their 2022 Impact Report, they’ve distributed $3 million to over 250k athletes through 1100+ grants. Their DEI initiatives include donating money to nonprofit organizations to help diverse youth have access to sports. For example, they’ve partnered with Athlete Ally to help educate athletes, coaches, and sports practitioners on how to support LGBTQI+ athletes and their families. They’ve also partnered with Sports 4 Life, to help diversify sports opportunities to nearly 6,000 girls. (Impact Report 2022) These DEI initiatives are great examples of how Gatorade is pushing their mission to make a difference in their target audience’s lives. Gatorade has clear goals and has acknowledged the barriers that their athletes face, and have adjusted their impact plan accordingly.
Not only is Gatorade staying authentic to their brand, but they’re able to successfully incorporate DEI in a way that’s meaningful for them. This is what FIG believes is the essence of DEI for businesses- making diversity work in a way that pushes the company’s mission and benefits the community. Rather than using DEI as a checklist, they’re able to mold it into an opportunity to help the community.
Gatorade? FIG approved ☑️