Oliver Launches New Cultural Marketing Division InKroud

The in-housing specialty agency Oliver is helping marketers connect authentically with Black and Latinx communities. It's launching a diverse, poly-cultural division called InKroud, founded by Oliver business director Tyra Jones-Hurst. The founder piloted InKroud last year in response to a growing number of inquiries from clients on how their in-house agencies could more authentically connect with diverse communities. While brands can tap into external multicultural agencies for marketing expertise, in-house agencies operate exclusively within their company's structure. This leaves in-house agencies seeking third-party guidance with fewer options. With InKroud, Oliver aims to fill that gap while deepening brands' connections with Black and Latinx communities. The Former Creatives Behind M&M’s Mascots Believe the Characters Are Adding Fun to Cancel Culture Oliver, which won Adweek's 2021 Fastest Growing Large Agency award, is known for its work establishing in-house groups on behalf of brands, including large companies like Bayer, which tapped the group back in 2018. Jones-Hurst joined Oliver in 2020, having previously worked for Reef Agency on clients including DoorDash, H&M, Sony and Walmart. "We all know that culture can't be glossed over lightly, and that consumers are changing the way that they interact with brands. Their values come first," Jones-Hurst told Adweek. Cultural relevancy for in-house agencies InKroud's already begun working with some brands, including Canadian coffee brand Eight50. The company's founder felt its previous packaging failed to capture the essence of Ethiopia, where its beans are sourced, and enlisted InKroud for help developing more culturally informed packaging. InKroud developed Canadian coffee company Eight50's new packaging. The division has ramped up by partnering with other brands in the CPG and athleticwear industries as well. And although InKroud services are free to existing Oliver clients, the division is attracting new business to the agency, Jones-Hurst confirmed. Its services include what InKroud refers to as "culture checks," or marketing assessments designed to help brands understand cultural nuances when planning campaigns. InKroud calls another service "creative workshopping," or auditing brands' existing content and assets. “Brands cannot effectively communicate and gain relationships with customers if they don’t understand how they think,” said Peter Kuhn, CEO of North America at Oliver, in a statement. "This is not the old scenario where you marginalize the contributions of your underrepresented colleague by saying, 'Would this offend you?’ This begins at the beginning—the brief is answered by the audience." Modernizing the Marketing of 160-year-old Health Care Giant Bayer Jones-Hurst stressed that InKroud is not an internal DEI initiative, but a division of experts within Oliver. InKroud employees are Black and Latinx, and the bonus for Oliver clients is that InKroud staff can bring their lived experiences to the table when advising on campaigns. "The point is just not to have a white perspective at the center of everything," she said. To mark the group's official launch, InKroud and Oliver's DEI team will host a panel discussion between activists and influencers titled Black Resistance in Marketing & Advertising. The panel will take place tonight at 6 p.m. Eastern. Participants include Nana Agyemang, CEO and founder of EveryStylishGirl and media strategist; Mark Godoy Jr., art director at Complex Networks and victim’s rights activist; Daniel Middleton, founder at Mister Middleton and creative consultant; Micaéla Verrelien, on-air host of Macy’s LiveBeauty and content creator/model; and Austin Williams, adjunct professor in media and communication arts at The City College of New York and music journalist. "I thought that there's a really sweet spot to create a company where Black and Latiné experts can come together and really accurately capture diverse audiences, but also be marketing professionals and thrive in what we have education and talent and backgrounds in at the same time," Jones-Hurst said.