• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, October 19, 2021

Deloitte Digital has launched a new practice it’s calling Ethos which is designed to help CMOs and other business leaders develop programs, products and campaigns related to global issues, such as racial and gender equity, sustainability, climate change and social welfare.

The leadership team includes Nathan Young, the unit’s head of strategy and a co-founder of 600 & Rising, the Adland advocacy group for Black professionals. The group was instrumental in convincing the major ad marketing holding companies and agencies outside those groups to disclose workforce diversity numbers and to implement stronger programs fostering diversity, equity and inclusion.

Julius Tapper, manager, Deloitte Consulting LLP, serves as head of inclusive innovation for Ethos.

"As climate change and equity continue to be top of mind for U.S. consumers, it is imperative that brands consider investing in innovation around these topics," said Young. "Ethos is designed to give leaders the support they need to follow through on their purpose priorities and engage their audience with the change they're leading."

Deloitte Digital is already engaged with more than a dozen Fortune 100 clients on projects spanning Ethos' five core capabilities:

• Polycultural Research: Helping brands better understand the needs and motivations of their increasingly diverse audiences, their sociopolitical views and the influence of online culture.
• Brand Purpose Strategy: Helping brands explore, define and align their brand purpose with the needs of the planet and the values of their customers.
• Inclusive Innovation: Helping brands develop new products and services that create a positive impact on the world and better consider the needs of systematically disadvantaged audiences.
• Equitable Experience: Helping brands develop new physical and digital experiences that engage audiences with their purpose-driven goals and campaigns.
• Sustainable Design: Helping brands improve the sustainability of existing products while meeting and maintaining sustainability standards set by certification bodies.