The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) released the 2005 Economic Reciprocity Initiative (ERI) industry report cards grading major corporations in lodging…
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) released the 2005 Economic Reciprocity Initiative (ERI) industry report cards grading major corporations in lodging, telecommunications, financial services, general merchandising and automotive for the year 2004. The five industries earned average and below average scores. The (C) and (D) grades, released during the NAACP`s 96th Annual Convention in Milwaukee, reflected for most industries a slip in 2004 within the areas of employment, vendor development, advertising/marketing, charitable giving and investing/ franchising.
NAACP Interim President & CEO Dennis Courtland Hayes said: The report cards are a good indicator for the NAACP to measure efforts or the lack thereof of major corporations in the areas of hiring, promotion, procurement, philanthropy and marketing. We will urge our members and partnering organizations to not patronize businesses and corporations that do not provide meaningful opportunities in the five industries mentioned. The main purpose for the report cards is to ensure a more enlightened consumer base.
Lodging
The lodging industry in the 2004 report cards earned an overall grade of (C), marking no real improvement from the 2003 report card. Wyndham, Hyatt, Adams Mark and Marriott each scored the highest with a (B-). Intercontinental Hotels Group, Loews, Choice Hotel and Omni each scored a (C+) followed by Hilton and Starwood scoring a (C). Cendent and Carlson scored a (C-) and Best Western International, Inc. scored the lowest with a (D) for the second year, denoting a rating between poor and needs improvement.
Since the first review in 1996 there has been little overall improvement in the lodging industry. In that year, the highest score received in the lodging industry was a (C+). This compares to a (B-), the highest score received in 2004.
The performance by 13 hotel chains surveyed for 2004 also showed minimal improvement in the five key areas.
In employment, the industry performed at an average grade of (B-) in 2004. African Americans served on the Board of Directors in eight of the 10 companies surveyed; a decrease seen over the past year. Although the industry continued to show a willingness to explore incentives and establish creative programs to increase African American property ownership, almost no change was recorded overall in the numbers scoring an average grade of (D) in property ownership.
Most companies have established programs to increase vending relationships with minorities; such efforts have yet to translate into actual minority business contracts. The industry scored an average grade of (D+) in this category, with only four out of the 13 companies surveyed scoring higher than a (C-).
Although the lodging industry spent hundreds of millions of dollars in advertising and marketing it scored an average of (C).
Overall the industry scored a (B) in philanthropic giving to African American organizations and programs for the fiscal year 2004. Eight out of 13 companies scored an (A.)
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
