McDonald’s, CNN and WellPoint are among the companies that have redefined diversity initiatives in the 21st century. Best-practice firms use diversity to help shape strategy, attract new customers and increase revenue.

Their achievements are instructive for a newspaper industry that must create a new business model and address the needs of increasingly important demographic segments: those 30 and younger; the still-potent baby boomers; the rapidly growing Hispanic population and other ethnic minorities whose buying power continues to increase; and women, the key decision-makers for household spending.

The NAA Foundation asked Leading Edge Associates to examine best-practice firms to learn how they create positive business results by incorporating principles of diversity and inclusion. Leading Edge reviewed many companies and ultimately interviewed executives at McDonald’s, CNN and WellPoint. This white paper examines how these three are turning diversity into dollars.