Gilbane recognized a lack of awareness or sense of belonging for Asian cultures in the AEC industry, which led to the creation of Gilbane’s Asian Professionals in Construction (APIC) employee resource group (ERG) in 2021. APIC then created the Asian, Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month campaign in 2022 to bring awareness to the month-long celebration of several AAPI cultures and heritages. APIC’s founders saw an opportunity to promote the new ERG and show how it can help employees feel a sense of belonging.

During AAPI Heritage Month, Gilbane spotlighted employees internally and externally on social media. Employees shared their personal stories about a favorite holiday/celebration, foods, their experiences in the AEC industry, and why they joined the APIC ERG. Many touchpoints were hit on during the month, including a spotlight image for the Gilbane intranet homepage, a custom email signature and email header used to send out communications, social media posts, and a Gilbane blog post. The APIC ERG hosted a lunch and learn where members shared highlights about their culture with a focus on food, holidays and traditions, culminating in a recipe book that celebrated Asian culture and cuisine.

The campaign was a true collaboration bringing attention to Gilbane’s inclusive and diverse culture. We received great feedback from our target audience who appreciated the stories shared and enjoyed learning about AAPI cultures. The APIC ERG saw a 20% increase in membership after the campaign and engagement with social media posts was significant.