• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, February 28, 2023

In-housing company Oliver, part of The Brandtech Group, has launched a new unit called InKroud, which the company said was created in response to Oliver clients wanting to more meaningfully connect with diverse communities.

It is the brainchild of Tyra Jones-Hurst, a business director at Oliver and now founder and business director of InKroud.

“With InKroud, we are curating a collective of culturally immersed creatives, strategists, and account leads dedicated to fostering genuine representation and authenticity with brands that are looking to engage honestly with their audience,” said Jones-Hurst.

Before joining Oliver in 2020, Jones-Hurst worked with clients such as DoorDash, H&M, Sony, and Walmart at Reef Agency. Earlier she oversaw Bacardi Canada and Dermalogica at Community Agency, and managed client services for Shopper Drug Mart, Loblaws and Beauty Boutique at Mosaic North America.

InKroud offers a range of services, such as Culture Checks, a process that identifies cultural nuances that connect diverse communities to mass brands. Creative Workshopping is another offering, which provides audits of existing assets to assess cultural gaps, relevance, tone of voice, and best practices for success.

Peter Kuhn, CEO Oliver North America says the launch of InKroud provides “a diverse and polycultural team of expert marketing specialists who can share their own combined life experiences and expertise to help brands speak to Black and Latiné audiences.”

To mark the launch of the unit, InKroud and Oliver’s DEI team are putting on a panel discussion this evening. The topic: “Black Resistance in Marketing & Advertising.” In addition to Jones-Hurst, participants include:

• Nana Agyemang - CEO and Founder of EveryStylishGirl & Media Strategist
• Mark Godoy Jr. - Art Director at Complex Networks & Victim’s Rights Activist
• Daniel Middleton - Founder at Mister Middleton & Creative Consultant
• Micaéla Verrelien - On-Air Host of Macy’s LIVE & Content Creator/Model
• Austin Williams - Adjunct Professor, Media and Communication Arts, at The City College of New York & Music Journalist

The event will stream on LinkedIn at 6 p.m.