Research -Industrial context

    To gain an understanding of Universal Music Group it is important to look at their talent and people who are signed to them, some of their most popular including; Billie Eilish, DaBaby, Lewis Capaldi and Summer Walker. Most of their artists are fairly mainstream as that is their brand identity. 

Universal is a huge conglomerate and owns many other brands which are shown below: 

Universal Music Group promotes themselves as being a true activist in social responsibility and also state that they are: 

A driving force for equality and social justice, the Task Force for Meaningful Change (TFMC) works to amplify and expand UMG’s current programs, devise new initiatives and support marginalized communities in the ongoing fight for equality, justice and inclusion. Our work is divided into six areas, including:

1. Aid/Charitable Giving

   We support initiatives with organizations working in areas such as: economic empowerment and business development; housing; legal services and bail; mental health services; legislative reform; physical health services; and voting resources and education.

2. Global

   Acknowledging that racism, intolerance and bias know no borders, we are identifying and adopting global policies and initiatives to address equality, bias, equity and inclusion efforts for all UMG offices and their communities around the world.

3. Internal/Institutional Change

   We examine UMG’s workforce policies and procedures, and work environment. This includes identifying areas to improve access, recruitment, advancement and retention of a diverse workforce at all levels within the company but with a focus on leadership positions and other senior-level roles.

   We work closely with UMG HR’s Diversity & Inclusion team to continue its ongoing efforts and build upon the company’s partnership with USC Annenberg’s Inclusion Initiative.

4. Legislative/Public Policy

   We pursue constructive social change by supporting public policies via: Federal, state and local legislation to challenge laws and regulations that promote bias and systemic discrimination; and voter education, registration and participation.

5. Partners

   UMG has a history of investing in, and partnering with, entrepreneurs who have grown their business out of the community, building some of the most impactful and dynamic voices in entertainment today. Working alongside our partners in their focused efforts to initiate and support change in their communities, we reap the benefit of their insights, which help us continue to grow our own efforts in the fight for justice and equality.

6. Programming/Curation

   Just as music connects people around the world, our goal is to promote dialogue and understanding through speaker fora, counseling, and educational and creative programming focused on the themes of tolerance, equality and inclusion – especially around the intersection of Black Music, art, lifestyle, fashion, technology and creators, as well as celebrating Black artists and creators, and conducting thoughtful discussions on current events.

   We will continue to expand upon UMG HR’s Diversity & Inclusion programming, including their Belonging Table town hall series about diversity and inclusion and other series bringing outside experts to address relevant topics, ranging from economic empowerment and business development, mental health and voting.