Focusing on the “E” in DE&I, was the driving force for Deborah Brenner, Founder of Diverse Powered Brands, to form a new company and self-fund a team of developers and designers to bring her idea to fruition.
Through conversations with her extensive network, and after analyzing the data, Deborah recognized that buyers who were looking for diverse brands that their conscious consumers were demanding, didn’t have a centralized place to discover them and suppliers who were making amazing products were simply not being noticed. To level the playing field and empower suppliers to showcase their companies, boost sales for qualified brands within wholesalers, and enable buyers with a tool to discover diverse suppliers, a new marketplace needed to be built.
Beginning in 2021, Deborah, her team of developers, designers and marketers took a collaborative approach across the three-tier system. Deborah tapped into the expertise of suppliers, wholesalers, retailers, and beverage alcohol attorneys during the development phase to ensure this new tool goes beyond being a database, but a fully functional B2B marketplace focused on differentiating factors that would position diverse suppliers for sales growth and give the buyers the information they had been seeking. Specifically, wholesaler input was critical to ensure that the Diverse Powered Brands platform was three-tier compliant for U.S. users and all proprietary information, pricing, and ordering of products was done securely within the wholesalers’ own ecommerce and ordering systems.
Deborah continually engaged senior executives and requested feedback from companies such as Allied Beverage Group, Breakthru Beverage Group, Brown-Forman Corporation, Costco Wholesale, Diageo, Drizly, E. & J. Gallo Winery, H-E-B, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, Liberation Distribution (LibDib), Lobos 1707, Martignetti, MHW, Patina Restaurant Group, ReserveBar, Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC), Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits (SGWS), Target, and Walmart.
The Diverse Powered Brands Marketplace is currently in beta testing. Beta testers are using the platform in their day-to-day business environment and providing feedback to the Diverse Powered Brands team. Beta testing includes API integration that will allow for wholesalers to pull company and brand data directly from Diverse Powered Brands into their own ecommerce and ordering systems.
While Beta testing, suppliers that qualify as Diverse-Owned, Diverse-Led and/or Diverse-Made are encouraged to subscribe for early access to gain additional visibility as early adopters. Annual subscription renewal will not be due until September 1, 2024. Criteria for Diverse Qualifications
How does Diverse Powered Brands solve a problem for the suppliers?
Diverse Powered Brands was created as a solution in response to current deficiencies in the system tied to identifying diverse brands. Diverse suppliers have been limited in ways to share their brand stories, traditionally relying on print publications and digital advertising. The high costs to place advertisements is prohibitive for craft and emerging brands. Diverse Powered Brands empowers suppliers with the ability to manage their own brand pages and control their marketing, brand messaging, share their robust personalized brand stories, upload videos, additional assets, awards, medals, bios, team, and brand photos. Suppliers can maintain their brand pages 24/7 and 365 days a year. Empowering the supplier with the ability to manage their brand pages, ensures that every wholesaler and buyer has access to the same brand information.
For those distributed in United States, a list of wholesalers by state is provided so that buyers can order directly from the wholesaler. Information for international distribution is also available where applicable.
How does Diverse Powered Brands solve a problem for buyers on and off premise?
Buyers have been seeking this data, but the information is not readily available or located in one centralized place. Therefore, buyers must dedicate precious time to search and try and discover diverse brands on their own.
Diverse Powered Brands makes the discovery and ordering process more centralized. Buyers are empowered to explore and discover diverse suppliers all in one marketplace. Once the buyer finds the brands they are interested in, Diverse Powered Brands links them to the wholesaler. The buyer places the order directly with the wholesaler for fulfillment and invoicing.
Diverse Powered Brands includes resources that provides buyers with ideas on creating unique campaigns, LTO’s, activations, and promotions with the brands, satisfying their diverse consumers.
How does Diverse Powered Brands solve a problem for wholesalers?
Wholesalers have been attempting to identify their supplier partners which qualify for their buyer’s diverse programming, though they often don’t receive the full set of data they require. For wholesalers, they now have an easy way to identify qualifying brands in their company’s portfolios that meet the Diverse Powered Brands criteria.
Sales teams are empowered with robust diverse supplier brand marketing, brand assets, and brand story information right at their fingertips to share with their on/off premise accounts.
For those brands distributed in United States, a list of wholesalers by state is provided so that buyers can order directly from the wholesaler. Those wholesalers who are part of our Pro plan will be linked to each brand and the state they are distributed. Information for international distribution is also available where applicable.
Did you know?
BY 2025
companies expect more
than a 50% increase in their
diversity spend goals.
Source:
The Hackett Group’s 2021 Supplier Diversity Study
WOMEN-OWNED
businesses are currently the top
diversity category globally.
Source:
The Hackett Group’s 2021 Supplier Diversity Study
58%
of Americans consider themselves
conscious consumers, and
shoppers are becoming increasing
mindful of their purchases.
Source:
The Business Journals July 2021
ALMOST ONE-FIFTH
of Millennials also said diversity
influences where they spend their
money, such as with businesses owned
by women, LGBTQ+ individuals,
Black Americans and other
people of color.
Source:
TD Bank’s annual Consumer Spending Index 2021
GEN-Z
Are the Most Conscious Alcohol Consumers
Source:
Drizly
WOMEN
will pay more for or walk away from brands based on how they support the advancement of women.
Source:
Kearney 2020 Women Consumers Survey
About Deborah Brenner, Founder, Diverse Powered Brands™
Deborah Brenner is the Founder of Diverse Powered Brands™.
Deborah is also the Founder & CEO of Women of the Vine & Spirits® (WOTVS), an all-encompassing global membership organization dedicated to boldly pushing the wine, beer and spirits industry toward a more diverse, equitable and inclusive era that empowers all to succeed.
She is also the President of the Women of the Vine & Spirits Foundation, 501(c)3, which provides scholarships for the purpose of helping women advance their careers in the food, wine, spirits, beer, and hospitality industries through education, leadership, and professional development.
Known for her entrepreneurial spirit and enthusiasm for social equality, Deborah is constantly strategizing and advocating for a more diverse, equitable and inclusive beverage alcohol industry.
Prior to entering the beverage alcohol industry, Deborah spent 20 years in the male-dominated television and film technology industry.
For Media Inquiries, contact info@diversepoweredbrands.com