Florida A&M University & The Naturally Perfect Collaboration that Created the Wakati Brand

As our passionate Kao team worked to bring this new brand to life, they realized how much they needed to integrate diverse experiences, lifestyles and points of view.

With diversity and inclusion in mind, the Kao team leveraged its internal connections at various Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to bring fresh, intuitive perspectives to the branding process. Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), an HBCU located in Tallahassee, FL seemed like a great fit. Not only are Kao colleagues alums, but FAMU has been named the #1 Public HBCU in the Nation each year since 2016.

Kao worked with the School of Business and Industry’s Dean, Dr. Shawnta Friday-Stroud, to make the collaboration happen. In partnership with FAMU, Kao presented its business scholars with the marketing challenges of Wakati. Their work was astounding! Not only were the students able to intuit the consumer need, they also created brand elements that spoke to the cultural and functional benefit of the Wakati line. The results of this collaboration truly shaped what Wakati looks like today.

Wakati is now live in market, but our relationship with FAMU is just beginning. Keep an eye out at Florida A&M University, as well as other HBCUs. We will continue to learn from the aspiring new naturals on college campuses and invite them to help us redefine and refine what beauty is today.