The pandemic has produced ‘what’s next’ and Karen Vega along with her team at Paramount surfed the crest of the wave of the global DEI conversation. They’ve produced the “In America” series, which highlights LatinX, Asian, Black and LGBTQ experiences.
A very specific set of circumstances culminated in the summer of 2020 and Vega realized that, “there was a need for real-time decision-making on insights.” She received sign-off and brought together her time to be able to provide “a real-time account of cultural insights.”
Vega readily offers that, “the organization benefited from marginalized audience insight.” The team’s work product was so well received that the organization felt that the internal research had an audience outside the company. And so the “In America” series went on tour, including at Media Insights & Engagement. The “In America” series is part of an overarching “Content For Change” initiative which has been set to ensure change but also measure impact.
During the conversation it became apparent that Vega’s team was well-constructed and provided the opportunity to be nimble and succeed with the initiative. The In America team includes Angel Bellon, Alex Cammy, David Pangilinan, Viv Youn, Dana Wade, Michelle Green along with Karen Vega who explains that the “research provides the opportunity to be researcher and subject.”
Vega added, “well-timed impactful insights can benefit the organization and team.” Setting research in motion in real-time based on changing facts on the ground ensured that the initiative had the opportunity to provide impact for the organization. Beyond that organizational impact, the fact that the research was well-founded, provided organizational connectivity at a time of societal division. But it wasn’t just the organization who benefited.
The team was rewarded with the success associated with an internal initiative that was so beneficial it became an external initiative. But doing double-time as conceivers and implementers but also as subjects of the research, the team was also rewarded with the research findings themselves. The organization was rewarded with traditionally marginalized employees feeling heard and being thrust to the forefront of focus.
That puts the company in a great place to grow a positive culture, but attract talent through a resonant initiative. Beyond those fantastic benefits, the organization also has an opportunity to create key differentiation and ultimately drive revenue and profit through unique actionable insights.
