Strengthened by the civil unrest in the United States and across the globe that ignited almost two years ago, companies have been watching and reviewing their brand message but also their corporate cultures and hiring practices to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). DEI has become actual priorities for executive teams, HR leaders, boards of directors, marketing teams, and legal departments seeking to ensure their ongoing success by aligning their daily practice with the DEI messages voiced by many in the streets.

What does it mean, and what does it take, for a brand to embrace DEI in its customers’ eyes? How can that be challenging for brands whose identity has been built on years and years of tradition; can brands keep their identity and customer loyalty while still, at the same time, evolving in sync with society? What about brands whose targeted markets are all over the globe and therefore do not share the same cultures, including when it comes to the meaning of DEI? And, last but not least, what about the employer brand: How can it implement DEI within an organization in an effective, business-friendly, and performance-oriented way?

Our guest, Adraea Brown, is assistant general counsel at H-D U.S.A., LLC, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, responsible for leading Harley-Davidson’s in-house trademark team, which includes oversight of a portfolio of over 5,000 global trademarks, trademark enforcement, and litigation. She also serves as legal support for the company’s multimillion-dollar licensing and general merchandise business. Ms. Brown has been an International Trademark Association (INTA) member since 2015 and was the co-chair of INTA’s Global Brand Transactions & Due Diligence Subcommittee of the Commercialization of Brands Committee (2020-2021).

Related Resources

To go further:

About Adraea Brown

Also of interest: 

Modern Counsel: Adraea Brown Gears up for the Future

The Diversity Movement: 4D Brand Building and DEI: Nurturing a Brand That Will Last

Branding Business: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Three Crucial Components of a Successful Employer Brand

INTA Bulletin: The State of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion—Interview with Presidential Task Force Co-Chairs

2021 Brand Resilience Conference: Practitioner Roadmap for Guiding Change