The Delta Brief
Some say it’s not about the destination but the journey. The WAATBP team and Delta aren’t afraid to say that both are of tremendous importance to us. Delta is proud to be the choice of countless young Black travelers, but those travels don’t begin at the check-in counter and end at the baggage carousel. Delta wants to be with you where the action is—where voices are amplified, emerging leaders are spotlighted, and culture is celebrated.
Your challenge is to create a pitch deck that outlines where Delta needs to show up — the venues, the cultural events, and the experiences — in order to connect with Gen Z and young Millennials and demonstrate its commitment to not only being there but hearing you on matters of representation and inclusivity. We’re looking for fresh, new activation ideas within these spaces to engage with that crowd in a way that resonates with the young Black traveler.
Winners will receive full access to this year’s WAATBP, including a round-trip Delta flight to New York City and two nights accommodation! Your win will be acknowledged from the conference’s main stage, and you’ll even be invited to a VIP dinner with Delta executives at a Black-owned NYC restaurant to discuss your pitch ideas.
Dates & Quick Rules
Dates
- Entries due: September 9, 2024 at 10 AM EST
- Winners notified: September 13, 2024
- Winner's ceremony at WAATBP: September 27, 2024
Quick Rules
- Must be 18 or over to submit
- Must be registered for WAATBP 2024
- Deliverables
- A pitch deck including:
- (2) cultural moments/events where Delta can connect with Black Gen Zs and Millennials (i.e. WAATBP, AdColor, Essence)
- 1-2 recommendations for how Delta can engage this audience in these spaces
- Ways to measure the success of the proposed recommendations (optional)
- Supplemental materials could include videos, photography, mood boards, etc. (optional)
- A pitch deck including:
- More info on rules HERE
The Brief
Background
At Delta, we actively seek diversity, boldly pursue equity, and consciously promote inclusion to
create a sense of belonging for our people. We understand how important it is to represent and
reflect the world we hope to bridge together. As a purpose-driven brand, Delta is committed to
developing values-led stories and moments that authentically resonate with Black travelers. Delta
has a unique opportunity to impact Black consumers beyond travel by connecting through shared
values and curating inclusive experiences. It is vital that Delta continues to find unexpected ways to
consistently show up for the Black community during key cultural moments and beyond.
Challenge
Despite a strong affinity towards Delta amongst Black travelers, most younger consumers view Delta as a means of transportation from point A to B. Although Delta connects people to places, we want to showcase to our consumers that we are more than just an airline.
Key Message: Delta is a global connector that delivers premium experiences during culturally relevant moments and beyond, allowing us to authentically connect with customers while providing platforms to elevate the stories of diverse creatives.
Establish an identity for Delta outside of the travel category and highlight our commitment to
connecting people to their potential in the face of adversity.
Your challenge is to: Identify experiences and ways in which Delta can meaningfully connect with Black Gen Z/Millennial travelers through cultural events that are rooted in their passion points (fashion, music, art, food, film, gaming, etc.)
No purchase necessary to enter. Five total winners will be selected in this contest. Please see
eligibility requirements, judging criteria, prize description, and other rules for the contest
below. By submitting an entry, you agree to the rules of the contest.
Audience
Gen Z and Young Millennials: In order to connect with the next generation of travelers on a deeper
emotional level, we need to establish Delta’s presence beyond the travel space by meaningfully
showing up within Black culture in a way that resonates but is also authentic to the Delta brand.
Gen Z and younger Millennials strongly value creativity, diversity, belonging, and community. They
were even dubbed the ‘Change Agent Generation’ by Forbes in 2021, due to their commitment to
hold corporations responsible for implementing actionable DEI strategy that promotes social
change in and outside the organization.
In a recent 2023 study, 81% of Gen Zers and 72% of Millennials confirmed that multicultural and diverse consumers have a big impact on their brand preferences and interests.
Often serving as cultural tastemakers and pioneers, the Black community has a myriad of traditions, events, and cultural icons. Young Black travelers expect Delta to show up outside of standard calendar moments to demonstrate a deeper understanding of Black culture in a way that leaves a lasting positive impact.
Our Ambition
Cultivating Connection Through Value Alignment: Meeting this audience where they are and in
spaces that they are most passionate about will set the stage for Delta to position ourselves as the
champion of connectivity within Black culture, and to showcase our commitment to advancing,
understanding, and bonding with the Black community outside of calendar moments.
Reason To Believe
Black consumers don’t want to just be represented, they want to be understood and related to.
They don’t want to be talked at, they want to be talked with. But we know that actions speak louder
than words.
Historically, Delta has shown its commitment to supporting and celebrating diverse communities while providing premium experiences:
- Delta proudly partnered with Essence Festival of Culture in 2024 as an official sponsor, launching a Fly Girl Confessional booth where attendees could pick their Fly Girl persona and record videos answering curated travel questions centered around their selected persona.
- Through Delta’s Close the Gap strategy we have increased representation of women, Black talent and Latin and Hispanic talent in roles across the company.
- In 2023, we welcomed 55 students from 13 HBCUs to our global headquarters for “From the Yard to Delta Boulevard,” an immersive, two-day experience that included the opportunity to interview for summer internships at Delta.
- Delta launched the Faces of Travel series with the purpose of increasing representation within travel culture and challenging what the “stereotypical traveler” looks like. It not only provides inclusivity of under-represented groups, but it highlights passion points, such as food, that shape their culture.
- Delta extended this initiative through the ‘Inspired Journeys’ digital art pop-up at ADCOLOR.
- At LAFW, Delta launched an exclusive travel-inspired collection w/ Issa Rae and 6 SMB-designers. With this activation, Delta was able to amplify the platform of diverse small business owners, connecting them to each other, places, and their potential.
Considerations
Overall, ideas should feel empowering, high-energy, and engaging. Delta strives to be welcoming, elevated, and caring in all we do. As we continue to build our relationship with young Black travelers, we want to cultivate connection, empowerment, and understanding through shared values/experiences.
We have served this community by highlighting its cultural richness, amplifying voices, and
providing global platforms to emerging leaders. We want to continue to create space for others to
hold the mic – not walk into the room to hear ourselves talk.
We’re here to provide the plane (and Biscoff cookies), but you control the journey.
The Ask
Build Delta’s cultural acumen with recommendations that connect with Black Gen Z and Millennials and has potential to extend through different channels (i.e. social media, digital media, OOH, events, etc.).
Deliverables
- A pitch deck including:
- (2) cultural moments/events where Delta can connect with Black Gen Zs and Millennials (i.e. WAATBP, AdColor, Essence)
- 1-2 recommendations for how Delta can engage this audience in these spaces
- Ways to measure the success of the proposed recommendations (optional)
- Supplemental materials could include videos, photography, mood boards, etc. (optional)
Please submit a pitch deck in one of the following formats: PDF, PPT. Google Drive and WeTransfer links accepted for supplemental material.
What success looks like to us:
- Increased engagement and positive sentiment across social
- Improved brand perception amongst Black Gen Z and Millennials
- Growth in audience + reach