Circana, the new combined company name and brand identity for IRI and The NPD Group, have announced its new participants in the company’s Diversity Advantage Program, which empowers company owners from underrepresented groups to drive business growth.
“We are pleased with the significant impact we have made in our community through the DAP program so far, and with the positive growth our participants are achieving,” said Boris Oglesby, EVP and practice leader for Circana.
“As we head into year two, we look forward to continuing to provide resources and coaching to diverse-owned CPG companies with the support of Circana’s employee volunteers and retailer partners.”
DAP’s second cohort of 13 participating businesses in the consumer packaged goods industry joins 27 inaugural participants. Participants in the new DAP class will receive access to data and application training to build insights literacy. They also can leverage Circana’s expertise to help drive sales growth and market share for their businesses.
“We are proud to be part of DAP, which is working to create more equality in the consumer goods space,” said Stuart Aitken, chief merchant and marketing officer for Kroger.
“We’ve seen amazing outcomes for minority-led businesses participating in the program. We’re seeing just how impactful data, insights and a strong collaboration between manufacturers and retailers can be. We’re thrilled to continue our involvement in a program that is making meaningful change in our industry.”
New participants in this year’s DAP program include: Beauty Bakerie Cosmetics Brand Inc., Black Opal, Caribé Juice Inc., Creamalicious, Maggie’s Farm Ltd., DYLA Brands LLC, Golde Wellness Inc., Kitsch, Lochirco Fruit & Produce Inc., Mr. Kooks Inc., Night Hawk Frozen Foods Inc., Play Kids Products, Purely Gourmet Meat Co. and The Honey Pot Company.
“We are excited to join the DAP program, as its initiatives are ideally suited to help a company like ours capture growth opportunities,” said Anish Patel, president of Mr. Kooks Inc.
“The support from Circana gives us the resources and insights to succeed as an Indian-owned company in this market. We’re eager to continue partnering with large retailers and to seeing each cohort thrive.”
Circana employees created the Diversity Advantage Program because they wanted to foster a fairer and more equitable consumer goods ecosystem. The program empowers rising minority- and women-owned consumer packaged goods companies to achieve positive organizational growth. DAP is supported by more than 200 Circana employee volunteers and includes 11 retail partners across the U.S. and the United Kingdom.
To be eligible to participate in DAP, companies must have $1 million to $25 million in annual sales and be recommended by a participating retailer. Click here for more information about the program.
