Dr. Robinson Talks Diageo’s ‘Present Your HBCU Spirit’ Marketing campaign

Behind each culture-shifting model marketing campaign, is a dynamic visionary like Dr. Danielle Robinson, Head of Group Engagement and Partnerships at Diageo, who elevated Homecoming season with the famed model’s ‘Present Your HBCU Spirit’ initiative.

“We began off in 2021 with a $12.7 million greenback donation to twenty-eight HBCUs and wished to actually keep engaged with our colleges and the alumni viewers by participating round moments of celebration like Homecomings and Anniversaries,” mentioned Robinson, an award-winning advocate for community-empowerment.

“It was actually once I began to have interaction and perceive the neglect of the HBCU neighborhood from a Governmental perspective in addition to a company perspective, that I assumed this was a means for us to have interaction and make a distinction.

Rooted in authenticity, the impactful initiative celebrates HBCU tradition whereas constructing neighborhood, powering Homecoming/Traditional activations, offering scholarships to assist future leaders, and fostering important applications like Studying Expertise For Life.

Supply: Diageo/Hyyer Artistic

“The Studying Expertise for Life program is one in every of our flagship neighborhood applications globally,” mentioned Robinson. “I lead it right here for North America, and have been doing it for 12 years. It’s a program that makes a speciality of coaching folks in underemployed communities in bartending, hospitality, and entrepreneurship.

“We function in 10 cities and have in-person applications so it’s free, free, free for anyone who needs to get a basis in bartending. The net and in-person courses that we do head to head vary from 5 days to three weeks and also you is usually a bar again or a full-on bartender once you graduate.

We graduated 8,000 college students in North America since we began–280,000 globally and accomplice with duty-free corporations, Carnival Cruise Traces, and Marriott Hilton.

Our college students are working in every single place. I’ve had college students on Bar Rescue. It’s phenomenal.”

Supply: Diageo/Hyyer Artistic

With everlasting endowments at 28 HBCUs and minority-serving Establishments, Diageo prolonged its profitable streak with stops on the buzziest Homecomings, together with SpelHouse, North Carolina A&T’s ‘GHOE,’ and Howard College’s star-studded Off The Yard Pageant.

To honor the legacy and pleasure of “The Mecca,” the trend-conscious model introduced out viral comic Desi Banks and rising Hip-Hop star Woman London to have fun the enduring spirit of Howard College.

Supply: Diageo/Hyyer Artistic

Supply: Diageo/Hyyer Artistic

Supply: Diageo/Hyyer Artistic

Constructing on the momentum from Homecoming SZN ’25, Diageo introduced its return to the legendary Bayou Traditional between Grambling State and Southern College on Nov. 28-29 in New Orleans.

As tens of hundreds collect for the storied spectacle, the model (which serves because the Traditional’s official spirits accomplice) will highlight inclusivity, neighborhood influence, and legacy by alumni storytelling and scholar engagement through the Studying Expertise for Life program.

“New Orleans is wonderful through the Bayou Traditional–300,000 folks descending on the town,” mentioned Robinson. “You already know, the dome, all of the events, the celebrations within the streets, you may simply stroll up and begin dancing in the course of the sidewalks.”

Whereas there’s definitely an emphasis on selling a very good time, particularly when having fun with spirits from its sturdy portfolio (over 200 manufacturers!), it’s clear that security can also be a serious precedence for Diageo.

“I would like [students] to go away [our events] with a message of accountable consumption and that typically the most effective resolution is to not eat in any respect,” mentioned Robinson.

So we now have our ‘Cheers To Alternative’ program, which is about low, mid, and no choices, which suggests we now have mocktails on the menu, we now have low alc choices on the menu, so you could have some decisions.

And typically you would possibly simply need a mocktail, or you may have a unbelievable cocktail from a few of our brands-so they’ve many decisions.

[And we want them to] make certain they’re desirous about how they get house after a night–our ‘Take a Minute, Make a Plan’ program addresses that. However simply understanding that alcohol must be utilized in a accountable means.”

For more information about Diageo’s HBCU-focused campaigns, click on right here.