Iconic New Zealand ice cream maker Tip Top is putting a focus on inclusion and wellbeing.

We spoke to Liz O’Meara, Marketing Innovation Manager and asked her what advice she has for other organisations keen to lean into inclusion and wellbeing.  

Her top tip? It’s a team effort.  

“You can’t just have a couple of people championing it, it needs all of your leadership team on board otherwise it will peter out and the momentum will die if key people leave.”   

Liz says the current leadership team is backing the strategy like Kiwis back their favourite icecream flavour – with one-eyed loyalty.  

The Tip Top factory and offices will be turning as pink as the inside of a Rocky Road icecream for the week leading up to Pink Shirt Day on 20 May.  

There’ll be free pink smoothies for staff, morning tea events, talks around unconscious bias and rainbow awareness, and beyond the factory floor, Tip Top’s website and social media will turn pink to help spread the message about making Aotearoa a kinder, more inclusive place.  

Tip Top is committed to making its policies around diversity and inclusion front and centre of its business.

"Tip Top is committed to supporting our employees. Events like Pink Shirt Day are a great way for making this support visible and getting everyone involved. "

And it’s a commitment that’ll last well beyond Pink Shirt Day. Tip Top is already planning a Wellness Week in July, acknowledging the winter months can be tougher than most, and another focus during Mental Health Awareness Week in September.  

“You can get so bogged down and busy in your job you don’t take time to bond with people or make connections by having a conversation that doesn’t involve icecream. We want to create those times and moments and get people to lift their heads up above their laptops and start having a chat.”   

What a delicious idea.