Edelman Diversity Practice Grows.

Edelman has expanded its depth in the diversity marketplace with the addition of several new clients and by hiring the firm’s first diversity manager.

Originally assigned with a project to launch Mervyn’s cookware line featuring celebrity chef Aarón Sanchez, Edelman succeeded in capturing the target audiences’ attention and that of the client. Edelman was recently chosen by Mervyn’s to lead its overall Hispanic media outreach effort. The firm’s charge includes raising visibility of Mervyn’s within the Hispanic community, generating awareness of its affordable seasonal and celebrity-endorsed product lines and building brand differentiation.

Working with one of the most respected non-profit organizations in the Hispanic community, Edelman is the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement’s (HACE) first public relations agency of record. For more than 20 years, HACE has worked to help build careers of Latino students and working professionals within the public and private sectors. Edelman is tasked with the planning and execution of HACE’s annual career conference in Chicago and helping facilitate the organization’s national expansion into markets such as Houston.

Edelman was recently hired by Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) to assist their joint multicultural education program in developing and launching a toolkit to help both organizations’ North American chapters promote multicultural issues and reach untapped markets that are underrepresented in the meetings industry. The toolkit will include recommendations on educational/professional development as it relates to cultural awareness, marketing, and business opportunities in their respective markets.

Edelman believes in supporting the communities in which it works. To that end, the firm forged an alliance with the New York International Latino Film Festival (NYILFF) and provided pro bono outreach for this summer’s festival. The NYILFF is the first festival in New York City to showcase the works of national Latino filmmakers alongside international Latin American films, while offering expansive images of the Latino experience.

The Diversity Solutions team helped launch the Festival with a press conference at City Hall along with Mayor Michael Bloomberg, John Leguizamo, the New York Latin Media & Entertainment Commission and HBO. In addition, the team managed pre-event exposure, red carpet attendance, secured media interviews with directors and actors, and provided on-site assistance.

“As the focus on multicultural communications continues to expand, so too does our practice and our commitment to diversity,” said Julie Freeman Bradler, Senior Vice President, Diversity Solutions. “Companies see our team in place in multiple markets, focused squarely on these audiences and recognizing the unique value and resources that the Edelman Diversity Solutions group can provide.”

Edelman has also strengthened its internal multicultural efforts by hiring Tracy Owens as the firm’s first diversity/community relations manager. He is responsible for company-wide diversity and community relations initiatives, including the development and implementation of the Edelman diversity outreach program and further increasing the company’s diverse workforce through recruiting. Previously, he worked in corporate communications with Sears and Ameristar Casinos and served as an account supervisor with Hill & Knowlton in Chicago.