How Shipt CMO Alia Kemet is Doubling Down on DEI

Kemet, who is on Blackweek’s steering committee and spoke at the event last week, said the conference speaks to Shipt’s values.

“It’s really important to us, as a company, to think about all people from all walks of life and certainly to champion the underrepresented,” she told ADWEEK at the conference.

The exec, who previously held marketing roles at McCormick & Company, IKEA, and Whole Foods, joined the same-day delivery service in October 2022. Despite its parent company Target reversing its LGBTQ+ diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts last year, Kemet has implemented changes to double down on Shipt’s commitments to DEI.

For instance, Kemet hired a brand and culture team to identify authentic opportunities to engage with diverse consumers on social media and during cultural moments. She also hired a memberships leader to oversee how the brand leverages customer insights to speak to different audiences authentically.

This year, Shipt was recognized as one America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity by Newsweek.

Doubling down on DEI

Kemet said that for Shipt, prioritizing DEI is embedded in how the team operates every day. Five of Shipt’s eight executive leaders are ethnically diverse, and five are also women

“If you have to look really hard for diversity, equity, and inclusion at a company, it’s probably not there,” she said.

To strengthen Shipt’s commitment to DEI, Kemet prioritizes community-focused initiatives.

Last year, the brand invested $335,000 into LadderUp, an eight-week accelerator program providing capital, e-commerce training, and mentorship to help small businesses. Back in April, it selected 10 different businessesacross five states to back, including food markets Wright’s Market (Opelika, Ala.) and Destiny African Market (Randolph, Mass.), plant shop The Succulent City (Chicago, Ill.), and candle company Kobi Co. (Minneapolis, Minn.). Each received a $5,000 grant after successfully completing the program.

Similarly, Shipt launched a student membership program as part of its ongoing “Delight in Every Delivery” campaign last August. The brand tapped Issa Rae, who mentored five Howard University students to create a spot for the launch. Shipt and Rae then surprised the students by throwing an event and unveiling the ad on billboards in Times Square.

Kemet said the student membership program overperformed, and “Delight in Every Delivery” is one of its biggest brand campaigns to date,driving 68% of customers to convert from a free trial to paid membership and more than 75% of customers to place at least one order. The campaign also achieved 18% of its 2023 acquisition goal one day post-launch with no paid media support.

Looking ahead

While Shipt is investing in AI to add personalization to its app and its chat platform, Kemet is highly cognizant of using the technology “to support and not to hurt” underrepresented people.

Listening to customers and leveraging influencers helps Shipt ensure its messaging remains authentic to diverse audiences. The brand uses quarterly testimonials and other consumer research to understand search trends so it can adapt to the needs of its customers in real-time.

Shipt also studies customer behaviors versus demographics, finding that busy people are most likely to use the delivery service regardless of age, race, or sex.

For Kellanova and Shipt, DEI Isn’t Just Nonnegotiable, It’s a Growth Driver

Looking toward the holidays, a peak time of the year for the brand, Shipt plans to run a promotion from December 17 to January 4, 2025, where customers can purchase an annual membership at a discounted rate of $49 per year, versus its regular price of $99 per year.

To support the push, Shipt is again working with Issa Rae, who stars in its holiday spot alongside her friends, and will use digital storytelling to showcase real shopper experiences.