Better Positioning for Greater Diversity
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) is a leading non-profit that uses independent scientific research, citizen support, and political advocacy to provide solutions to complex, environmentally-related problems. In looking at the changing population and the changing world, UCS recognized the need to
- Increase engagement with Black, Latinx, and other scientists of color in order to be more inclusive of a broader range of issues and perspectives
- Increase the diversity of thinking contributing to the success of the organization’s mission
The challenge was to help UCS do a better job attracting and retaining Black and Latinx scientists.
A Multicultural Solution
Our Tool: Breakthrough Innovation Hub™; Exploratory Groups and Interviews
Our Approach: Discovery and Analysis
What We Did: Multicultural Marketing and Strategy
The Breakthrough team was comprised of professionals with expertise in communications, advertising, multicultural marketing and multicultural positioning, sociology, market research, and social media. The work was executed in 3 phases:
- Internal interviews and secondary research to understand the brand essence and perception of diversity from the UCS perspective
- External interviews and focus groups with Black and Latinx STEM students and professionals to understand issues and barriers in their language
- A quantitative survey among over 450 scientists to validate hypotheses and develop fact-based recommendations
Recommendations included
- UCS brand strategy
- Positioning
- Segmentation identifying who the best UCS candidates are
- Website and social media changes
- Relevant imagery
- Advertising concepts
- A list of professional organizations with whom to develop strategic alliances
Our findings were incorporated into the UCS strategic plan and implemented.
