Co-creating Sustained Impact for Diversity and Inclusion Engaged Marketing

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the complexities inherent in a collaborative academic-practitioner journey to co-create sustained impact that advances diversity and inclusion (D&I) efforts in the marketing field.
Design/methodology/approach – Building on empirical insights from a series of academic-practitioner co-creation workshops and in-depth collaborations with two key stakeholders, this paper reflects on the co-creation efforts and use of brokerage and bridging practices, to engage effectively with different stakeholders under the Diversity and Inclusion Engaged Marketing (DIEM) Initiative.
Findings – To illuminate the collaborative practices that have facilitated enhanced knowledge sharing between the academic and practice fields, we present two case studies, showcasing the impact outcomes co-created with DIEM-related practitioners based in the UK and the US.
Research limitations/implications – This paper provides a roadmap for a co-created impact journey, starting from a cross-contextual approach to impact gap identification. Our approach involves bridging capital and brokerage of knowledge in the development of collaborative platforms and academic-stakeholder interactions, generating impact outcomes that are not without challenges.
Practical implications – The roadmap can be used to facilitate future academic-practitioner collaborative efforts.
Originality/value – The reflections on ongoing co-created impact journeys reinforce the value of a wider understanding of impact for practitioners and academics, stemming from sustained academic-practitioner collaborations.