Patron Tequila has announced the launch of their collaboration with Marcus Graham Project (MGP), a non-profit organization founded to help Black students find careers in the marketing and advertising industry by investing in exposure, training and mentorship. This program—an extension of Patron ‘s existing ‘More Than Tequila’ platform, showcases how the brand continues to uphold their commitment to support the Black community, while also aiming to amplify, create pathways and opportunities for emerging ethnically diverse talent. Diversity, equity and inclusion has always been important at Bacardi, Patron ‘s parent company, and at the start of the Black Lives Matter movement, Patron took a stance to be part of the solution and to take action against racial inequality. The collaboration with Marcus Graham Project is one way that the brand continues to advance change together.
At the current rate of hiring, retention, and promotion, the advertising, media, and marketing industries will not reflect the rich racial diversity currently found in the U.S. until the year 2079 —a statistic that is as alarming as it is unacceptable and why non-profit organizations like Marcus Graham Project are critical to investing in and creating opportunities to develop the next generation of Black leaders. To support Marcus Graham Project in programs that enact change and foster greater equality, Patron will be sponsoring the spring 2021 edition of the organization’s annual iCR8™ Boot Camp, which provides diverse aspirants in the fields of marketing and media, with the exposure and experience necessary to solidify meaningful careers within the industry.
“At Patrón we made a commitment to set a new standard for diversity and inclusion from recruitment to leadership to employees to our partnerships,” says Adrian Parker, Global Vice President, Marketing for Patrón Tequila at Bacardi Global Brands Limited. “Representation matters and now more than ever it is extremely important to keep our foot on the gas as the road to equality is a long one. As part of our internal commitment to look within our own organization, we are proud to be partnering with Marcus Graham Project to invest, create pathways and opportunities for the next generation of marketers. Through our current work and future planning for Patrón campaigns, we will be the first brand from the Bacardi portfolio to work with Marcus Graham Project to ensure we have diverse representation at the table as part of our brand ethos of ‘More Than Tequila.’ This is only the beginning and we are proud to have a committed partnership with them to ensure we have more diverse representation within our walls.”
The iCR8™ Boot Camp sponsored by Patron will give 12 up-and-coming marketers the opportunity to follow along and contribute as Patron rolls out an initiative centered around some of the brand’s premiere focus areas. Participants will be assigned a specific marketing campaign with Patron, and exposed to the campaign development process, have one-on-one meetings with stakeholders from different layers of the marketing mix to understand channel efforts, and see the end-to-end rollout of a core pillar program. The boot camp team will function as a student-run pop-up agency and will have the opportunity to provide consulting services for a select non-profit organization or minority-owned business, as well as for Patron, one of the world’s biggest brands.
“Looking back at the events that have transpired in our country in the last 365 days, it is important that our organization embark upon partnerships with brands that not only are walking the walk but also know the time is now to press the gas on solutions that are long overdue. From our first conversation with Patrón we could see that they were serious about their involvement with Marcus Graham Project. They made it clear that their sponsorship of the iCR8™ Boot Camp, which would give participants the opportunity to gain exposure in the spirits marketing industry, was just the beginning.” says Larry L. Yarrell II, Co-Founder and COO of Marcus Graham Project. “They were immediately on board and began brainstorming additional ways on how they could get involved. Just as Patrón is ‘More Than Tequila’, the iCR8™ Spring Boot Camp experience is more than an internship—it’s a movement in leadership that we’re proud to push forward with a brand such as Patrón.”
Interested applicants should visit the Marcus Graham website for more information about this spring’s iCR8™ Boot Camp sponsored by Patron and how to apply. Applications will be accepted until February 14th and the 12-week Boot Camp is slated to begin on April 5th.
