The IRI Diversity Advantage Program

Empowering minority- and women-owned CPGs to grow

We believe that smaller diverse-owned businesses deserve an equal opportunity to leverage their talents for growth. Since diverse supplier ecosystems can help combat social injustice and generate economic opportunities for these communities, we decided to find a way to help level the playing field for diverse-owned businesses in the consumer packaged goods industry.

Using our deep data, analytics and technology expertise, and leveraging our strong relationships with retailers, IRI created the Diversity Advantage Program (DAP) to work directly with and support diverse-owned businesses in their quest to grow.

About the Program

The DAP makes IRI's assets and expertise available to smaller CPGs to help them forge stronger partnerships with large retailers and more easily scale their companies.

Companies that are part of the IRI DAP receive operational support such as data, training and consultative services, so that they can develop insights and have the resources they need to achieve positive organizational growth for themselves, their families and their communities.

We source program participants from businesses that are accredited via the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the National Minority Suppliers Development Council (NMSDC) and from retailer recommendations, as many have their own diversity supplier programs.

To participate in DAP, companies must be minority- or women-owned consumer goods companies with $1 million to $25 million in annual sales and looking to scale their businesses.

News

Success Stories

Mented, a woman-founded cosmetics company, wanted to increase its sales with a key retailer. IRI created a survey to help Mented better understand a key retailer’s cosmetic guests. The survey insights helped guide Mented’s strategy, which led to a sales increase of 80% and a doubling of its average weekly distribution at the retailer.

BLK & BOLD, a Black-owned specialty coffee and tea brand, saw an opportunity within the coffee category for more premium, specialty K-cups, a new segment for the brand. IRI provided data and insights into which of a retailer’s stores had customers with the highest propensity to purchase K-cups. With this information, BLK & BOLD was able to expand its distribution to 450 of the retailer’s stores, chosen as one of only two premium K-cup brands selling there.