As Thousands Descend on NYC's World Pride, Smirnoff Says ‘Welcome Home'
*By Spencer Feingold*
Smirnoff Vodka is hoping to welcome the thousands of visitors from around the world that are expected to travel to New York City this weekend for the World Pride march with its latest Pride marketing campaign.
Early this month, that company launched its "Welcome Home" campaign, which includes pop-up events throughout the city, two limited-edition Smirnoff No. 21 Pride bottles, and financial support to Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the largest LGBTQ civil rights group in the U.S.
“We’re a brand that is sold in over 130 countries around the world and that means we know just how many challenges the community is still facing,” Jay Sethi, Smirnoff’s vice president of brand marketing in North America, told Cheddar. “So for the time that they are \[in New York\], we want them to feel at home.”
The company, whose storied history began 155 years ago in Russia, has partnered with actress and LGBTQ activists Laverne Cox, RuPaul's Drag Race star Alyssa Edwards, and Jonathan Van Ness from Netflix’s ($NFLX) Queer Eye.
“What I love most about the gorgeous new Smirnoff 'Welcome Home' campaign is that she shines a light in on how Pride is more than just a party; it's truly a home to our LGBTQIA+ brothers, sisters and non-binary siblings around the world," Van Ness said in a statement.
Van Ness is also hosting the House of Pride event organized by Smirnoff and its parent company Diageo ($DEO) in New York’s Soho neighborhood. The event will be held from Wednesday to Friday and feature several tents “Insta-worthy rooms” that honor the history of the LGBTQ community.
“It will be a celebration of how far this community has really come and yet how far we still have to go,” Sethi told Cheddar.
Yet Smirnoff is not just paying homage to the plight of LGBTQ people because it is Pride month, Sethi said, adding that the company’s support for the community is “in its DNA.”
The company is also showing its support financially, pledging to donate nearly $1.5 million to HRC by 2021.
“These crucial resources will help fuel the fight for LGBTQ equality and accelerate the pace of progress in the years ahead,” Chad Griffin, HRC’s president, said in a statement on Smirnoff’s support.
The company has also received a perfect 100 percent score on the HRC Corporate Equality Index for over ten consecutive years.
“I think the liquor brands have always done a good job \[at honoring Pride\],” Joseph Anthony, the founder and CEO of the marketing firm Hero Group, told Cheddar, adding that corporate support for the LGBTQ community should extend beyond the month of June.
Sethi said that Smirnoff’s commitment to the issue is evident in Cox’s year-round marketing partnership.
Cox “did her homework. She wanted to make sure that we were authentic, and that we really represented the community's interests,” he added.
In a statement, Cox said she hopes her work with Smirnoff “celebrates not just the LGBTQIA+ community here in New York but also recognizes those across the globe, celebrating in their own way. Hopefully with a delicious vodka cocktail in-hand, of course!"
Matt Faubion, Wealth Manager and Investment Adviser at Faubion Wealth Management, joins Cheddar to break down the pros and cons to gifting and receiving investments, like stock or cryptocurrency, as a gift this holiday season.
President Joe Biden is expected to meet with his COVID-19 response team as the omicron variant continues to surge across the country. Experts say Delta is driving this surge but Dr. Anthony Fauci says Omicron will take over. Emergency physician Dr. Daniel Fagbuyi joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Trip.com is now adding Hopper's price freeze feature for its users. The feature will help travelers save money by protecting them from pricing volatility when booking their next trip. The company is the first online travel agency to partner with Hopper's B2B initiative, Hopper Cloud. Dakota Smith, chief strategy officer at Hopper, joins Cheddar News to walk us through the feature and how the company is addressing Omicorn concerns.
'Spider-Man: No Way Home' caught moviegoers in its web this weekend at the box office. The film premiered at $260 million in U.S. ticket sales, making it the second-best domestic debut of all time and the biggest opening since the pandemic began. Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at BoxofficePro.com, joins Cheddar News to discuss the film's success.
Spider-Man is hoping to come to the rescue of movie theaters as they struggle to recover from the pandemic. "Spider-Man: No Way Home" starring Tom Holland is officially out in theaters and is expected to generate a whopping $150 million in its box office debut. Sean O'Connell, managing editor of CinemaBlend, joined Cheddar to discuss his expectations for the new Marvel movie, and what the entertainment industry is doing to prepare for a potential winter surge in COVID cases.
With the resurgence in COVID cases and the uncertainty of the Omicron variant, many companies, like Apple, Ford, Google, and countless others, are delaying their return-to-office dates. This means employees will continue to work from home full time or continue a hybrid approach, which can cause some challenges. Executive coach Stefania Romeo joined Cheddar to discuss how companies can best manage the difficulties of hybrid work.
Rebecca Minkoff is launching a new initiative through her non-profit, Female Founder Collective. A former Wall Street analyst and financial strategist will be coaching new founders to focus on their financial transformation, from getting their business financially organized to uncovering opportunities to increase revenue. The renowned founder and fashion designer joined Cheddar to discuss this new program and the advice she gives to female founders hoping to get their business off the ground.
Carlo's joined by a quarantining Baker to discuss the headlines from the weekend as Omicron spreads like wildfire, Manchin kills Biden's signature bill and Spider-Man throws a lifeline to the box office.
Travis Clark, senior media reporter at Insider, joined 'Wake Up With Cheddar' to break down the $253 million domestic opening for the new Marvel movie. This also marked the third-largest global opening of all time, earning $587 million worldwide, even though it wasn't released in China, which is a major market for moviegoers.
