THE BLACK PAPER - Bold Culture
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
THE
BLACK
PAPER
THE BLACK PAPER 1
BlkPaper-BB424-2.indd 1 5/15/17 11:34 AM
IT’S TIME TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT DIVERSITY.
We’re Here.
Get Bold.
An agency tackling multicultural
representation in the media, marketing,
advertising, and tech industries
through awareness, consulting, and
connections.
www.boldculture.co
2 THE BLACK PAPER
BlkPaper-BB424-2.indd 2 5/15/17 11:34 AM
ALL ROADS LEAD TO A FACT
QUITE OBVIOUS FOR
ADVERTISING AND MARKETING EXECS:
BLACK CONSUMERS AND CREATIVES
ARE INCREDIBLY INFLUENTIAL.
DESPITE THIS,
BIG BRANDS MOSTLY STRUGGLE
TO REACH AND KEEP THEM.
WE OFFER
A WAY FORWARD.
A P U B L I C A T I O N O F
THE BLACK PAPER 1
BlkPaper-BB424-2.indd 1 5/15/17 11:34 AM
TABLE OF CONTENTS
5 THIS ISN’T KANSAS ANYMORE:
MORE LIKE ATLANTA
9 MEASURING INFLUENCE
10 PEPSI POPS ITS OWN BUBBLE
12 DONALD GLOVER AS MARKETING GURU
13 LIKE WILDFIRE
14 BLACK WOMEN DOMINATE
16 IT’S A TRUST THANG
17 HOW HAVE BIG BRANDS GOTTEN IT
WRONG?
19 BLACK AMERICANS IN ADVERTISING
25 IMPROVING BRAND OUTREACH
27 NOTES AND REFERENCES
2 THE BLACK PAPER
BlkPaper-BB424-2.indd 2 5/15/17 11:34 AM
TEAM
DARREN MARTIN JR.
Chief Executive Officer
AHMAD BARBER
Chief Creative Officer
JARED LOGGINS
Contributing Editor
Contributors
BIANA BAKMAN
JUDA BORRAYO
STEPHEN FELDMAN
BlkPaper-BB424-2.indd 3 5/15/17 11:34 AM
IN A WORLD
WHERE ANYONE
CAN COMMUNICATE
WITH ANYONE
EVEN ON THE
OTHER SIDE OF
THE GLOBE
HOW DOES
YOUR BRAND
STAND OUT?
4 THE BLACK PAPER
BlkPaper-BB424-2.indd 4 5/15/17 11:34 AM
THIS ISN’T
KANSAS ANYMORE: MORE LIKE
ATLANTA WRITTEN BY: JUDA BORRAYO
In the last 20 years, the elevation of targeted majority Black-owned businesses grew 34%.”
marketing, big data, and social media has IMPROVED EDUCATION AND Black female-owned businesses represent 59%
greatly influenced marketing strategies. INCOME HAS LED TO THE of all Black businesses and 15% of all female-
RISE IN BLACK AMERICAN owned businesses.2
New technologies, reductions in barriers to PURCHASING POWER
entry, and the explosion of social media, make That means about 2.6 million individual
it easier for businesses to connect with One major contributor to the rise in Black businesses with over $150 billion in sales are
audiences anywhere in the world. American purchasing power is education. owned by Black Americans.3
Simultaneously, customers are able to discover Black Americans are experiencing a twist to MINORITIES HAVE MORE
and buy from companies that align with their the classic Robin Hood saying of “the rich YEARS OF BUYING POWER
values, which has given them increased power getting richer and the poor getting poorer.”
in the purchasing process. In tandem this has On the contrary, you could say the poor are This is a nod in the direction of opportunity.
led to greater satisfaction among customers getting smarter, more flexible, and better
and revenue growth for businesses. educated. Black Americans are getting richer In “The Making of a Multicultural Super
and pulling more Black Americans up the Consumer,” Nielsen shares that today, Asians,
The world is now flat: global and local income ladder with them. Hispanics, and Black Americans make up 38%
marketing is possible on a scale like never of the total population. That’s more than 120
before. Why? Because of the existence of A rise in education leads to increased buying million people combined.4
digital marketing. In a world where anyone power.
can communicate with anyone – even on the Multicultural consumers remain loyal to a
other side of the globe – how does your brand Black American audiences are more educated, brand or product for longer, so if you are in the
stand out? have higher spending power than ever, are business of subscriptions, consumer packaged
influencers, and are growing at a rapid rate. goods, or recurring purchases – listen up,
How does your brand or client’s brand get the Yet marketers and decision makers haven’t because Black Americans and multicultural
attention and/or sales of target consumers? woken up to spending more on advertising audiences have more years of buying power
to multicultural audiences, at least not yet, a than non-Hispanic Whites. (Please note:
Which audiences are currently leading to more potentially costly misstep. non-Hispanic Whites, for this report, are
sales, because they are actually spending Caucasians, here on referred to as non-
more money? “Fully 89% of African-American Hispanic Whites.)5
Millennials ages 25-34 completed high
Never before has it been so easy to tell a story school, compared to 77% of those If you’re in the business of luxury goods, you
and connect publisher-to-reader. Good stories 55 and older. Furthermore, 21% of may also want to note: according to Nielsen,
earn a slice of attention that could lead to Black Millennials ages 24-34 have an non-Hispanic White audiences fall short of the
brand awareness or sales. associate’s degree or higher, versus years of buying power of Black Americans.6
17% of those who are 55 and older.”1
What few executives and brands have caught Buying power is the amount of money that a
onto – yet – is the gold mine potential that According to Nielsen, Black businesses person or groups of people have available to
businesses have to market to multicultural represent 9% of all U.S. businesses. They go spend – whether on investments, goods, or
audiences – especially Black American on to affirm, “data shows that in the five-year services.
audiences. period between 2007 and 2012, the number of To put this in perspective, Black American
THE BLACK PAPER 5
BlkPaper-BB424-2.indd 5 5/15/17 11:34 AMTo put this in perspective, Black American buying power BLACK AMERICANS 42.3 YEARS OF BUYING POWER
was $320 billion in 1990; according to the Univesity of
Georgia’s Selig Center for Economic Growth. Black buying
power is expected to reach $1.4 trillion by 2020.7 To put
this in full context, Mexico’s GDP in 2015 was valued at
$1.144 trillion dollars.8 ASIAN AMERICANS 52.3 YEARS OF BUYING POWER
In short: if you are not marketing to Black Americans, or
multicultural audiences in general, you may be missing
out on repeat business and open wallets.
HISPANICS 56.5 YEARS OF BUYING POWER
Furthermore, the failure of brands to tap into Black buying
power demonstrates the extent to which Black Americans
are undervalued as consumers.
HERE ARE THE NUMBERS, FOR 2016 NON-HISPANIC WHITES 36.7 YEARS OF BUY
Source: The Nielsen Company, “The Multicultural Edge: Rising Super Consumers” (PDF file), accessed March 2017.
WHERE DO BLACK
AMERICANS DO BUSINESS?
You’ll find educated, affluent, and committed Black
Americans working in healthcare, transportation, STEM,
retail, sports, education, entertainment, and many other
industries. This matters given the strong correlation
between consumers and their relationship to the products
and services they trust.
In addition, it is of no surprise to most that Black
Americans are also trendsetters in music, sports, TV, and
entertainment, but we will get to that later in this
Black Paper.
THERE ARE MORE YOUNG BLACK
STUDENTS THAN EVER IN HISTORY
Younger Black Americans are finishing high school and
higher education at unprecedented rates.
Oh and there’s more great news for marketers able to
reach the hearts of this booming demographic. In one of
their reports, Nielsen goes on to share that:
“The share of African-American households
with an income under $25,000 declined from
43% in 2004 to 37% in 2014, while the share of
households with annual incomes over $100,000
increased from 7% in 2004 to 12% in 2014.”9
So Black Americans’ pockets are heavier and trending
upwards.
Source: The Nielsen Company, “Young, Connected And Black African-American Millennals Are Driving Social Change And Leading Digital Advancement
2016 Report” (PDF file), accessed March 2017.
This is great news for those who gain customer loyalty
among this increasingly more affluent community. Bad
news for brands that ignore cultural norms, traditions,
and completely face-plant in relating to Black American
audiences. Even worse news for those closed to the
possibilities.
Imagine what your brand and your reach could be like
if you appeal to this young and increasingly affluent,
trendsetting culture.
Appealing to the Black American demographic could
mean direct increases in your yearly revenue, brand
loyalty, and profits for your shareholders. Source: The Nielsen Company, “Young, Connected And Black African-American Millennals Are Driving Social Change And Leading Digital Advancement
2016 Report” (PDF file), accessed March 2017.
6 THE BLACK PAPER
BlkPaper-BB424-2.indd 6 5/15/17 11:34 AMKEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES,
THE BROWNS, AND THE DAVISES
What does the average Black American household spend
money on?
For one, Black Americans spend significantly more money
on basic food ingredients and personal care products.10
Black Americans are also passionate about entertainment
– both consuming and creating.
“Entertaining is also very important in the African-
American community. Annual events such as family
reunions, cultural festivals, and alumni gatherings
connect Blacks in a unique way that focuses on
fellowship and is cross-generational.”11
Everyone loves to be entertained, including Black Ameri-
cans. According to Nielsen, “African-Americans ... spend
more on watching movies and purchasing video games
than the total population.” While non-Hispanic Whites
average 3.1 annual movie ticket purchases, Black Ameri-
cans purchase 3.7; for video games, Black Americans come Source: The Nielsen Company, “Young, Connected And Black African-American Millennals Are Driving Social Change And Leading Digital Advancement
2016 Report” (PDF file), accessed March 2017.
in at 1.2 annual purchases vs 0.7 for non-Hispanic Whites.12
When Black American communities get together to cele- ACCORDING TO THE LATEST U.S. CENSUS,
brate roots, traditions, and culture, they talk about it, a lot.
On the internet. THERE ARE 83.1 MILLION MILLENNIALS
BLACK AMERICANS ARE PASSIONATE USERS OF
SOCIAL MEDIA BLACK AMERICAN MILLENNIALS
COMPRISE 14% (ABOUT 11.5 MILLION)
Black Americans over-index on time spent on social
networking sites, even more so for Black Millennials.13 OF THOSE MILLENNIALS
Does your ad budget reflect the reality in these market
share numbers? Are you behind the times?
BLACK AMERICAN MILLENNIALS COMPRISE
THE FACTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES: 25% OF THE TOTAL BLACK POPULATION
It’s clear that Black Americans are active on Twitter,
Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and more! 55% OF BLACK MILLENNIALS SAY THEY
SPEND AN HOUR OR MORE DAILY ON
SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES
(COMPARED TO 49% OF THE TOTAL
MILLENNIAL POPULATION)
29% OF BLACK MILLENNIALS SPEND THREE
OR MORE HOURS DAILY ON
SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES
(COMPARED TO 20% OF THE
TOTAL MILLENNIAL POPULATION)14
THE BLACK PAPER 7
BlkPaper-BB424-2.indd 7 5/15/17 11:34 AMINFLUENCE
THE POWER OF BLACK PEOPLE’S INFLUENCE
IS GROSSLY UNDERSTATED, UNDERVALUED,
AND IN SOME CASES, MISREPRESENTED.
IT IS ONLY WHEN AD EXECS COME TO
UNDERSTAND THE CULTURAL NUANCE OF
BLACK ENGAGEMENT THAT THEY WILL
UNDERSTAND WHY THEIR INFLUENCE IS SO
POTENT, AND CAPITALIZE ACCORDINGLY.
EASURING
FLUENCE
8 THE BLACK PAPER
BlkPaper-BB424-2.indd 8 5/15/17 11:34 AMMEASURING
INFLUENCE
FROM THE INDIVIDUAL TO THE COLLECTIVE
WRITTEN BY: DARREN MARTIN & JARED LOGGINS
Measuring and modeling Black influence on American pop culture once
entailed identifying crossover appeal among Black pop culture icons.
Data from powerhouses like Nielsen have confirmed this approach;
for example, they show that the strength and reach of Black cultural
powerhouses like Beyonce, Will Smith, Oprah, and Michael Jordan give
them wide-ranging cultural capital. This cultural capital gives way to
social influence. The more crossover appeal, the more likely it is he or she
has expansive social influence. According to the logic, Michael Jordan
has historically been the most marketable Black figure in sports, while
Oprah is the most influential in television.15
Given ongoing innovations in new media, we now have data points to
track the extent of Black popular culture’s influence – and not just in
relation to ‘crossovers’ and cultural titans like Beyonce and Oprah, but
also for the everyday Black consumer. Black Twitter is one of the more
obvious microcosms to track influence. Thanks to Black consumers
who use Twitter and to top-rate research on the complex relationship
between the two, Black Twitter has become a well-known subset of
Twitter, which cultivates topics among Black individuals fueled by music,
television, humor, and the mundane. In recent years, Black Twitter has
come to embody a major confluence of powerful voices around a whole
range of issues and agendas. They scrapped George Zimmerman trial
Juror B37’s book deal. They directed attention to the absurdity of Paula
Deen’s racism with #PaulasBestDishes. They’ve helped mobilize a new
generation of civil rights activism with #BlackLivesMatter. There’s also
the sheer brilliance of Black Twitter’s use of ‘meme culture,’ which pairs
wisdom, cultural knowledge, and humor with popular visuals.
The point is that although those in digital marketing and advertising
have been right to direct their attention to Twitter as the central place
to measure influence, the power of Black people’s influence is grossly
understated, undervalued, and in some cases, misrepresented. Ad execs
must come to understand the cultural and political nuances of Black
Twitter in order to produce better multicultural marketing and advertising
strategies.
THE BLACK PAPER 9
BlkPaper-BB424-2.indd 9 5/15/17 11:34 AMPEPSI POPS ITS
OWN BUBBLE
BRAND’S IN-HOUSE TEAM DEVELOPS TONE-DEAF
AD, BLACK TWITTER DESTROYS IT
WRITTEN BY: DARREN MARTIN JR. & JARED LOGGINS
Pepsi now joins the ranks of companies who have miscalculated their
messaging aimed at Black audiences. And if Black Americans have
shown us anything, it is this: you cannot get by on bad marketing in this
age of Black Lives Matter. Pepsi has learned, the hard way indeed, that
having a keen sensitivity to the audiences’ politics matters. On April 4,
2017 Pepsi released the ad, which featured the model and television
personality Kendall Jenner gleefully handing a can of Pepsi to cops.
Almost immediately upon release of the ad, people took to social media
to express their concern over the ad’s light-hearted portrayal of protests
against police brutality. The following day, the company was forced to pull
the ad and issue an apology after scrutiny from many across Twitter and
Facebook. Here are some of the responses to the ad:
@THECARAD 3:48 PM - 5 April 2017
THIS #PEPSI AD IS EXACTLY WHY
CULTURAL DIVERSITY IS NECESSARY
IN DIGITAL MEDIA AND MARKETING
OFFICES! CULTURAL DIVERSITY IS
A MUST IN 2017.
117 337
10 THE BLACK PAPER
BlkPaper-BB424-2.indd 10 5/15/17 11:34 AM@BERNICEKING 12:15 PM - 5 April 2017
IF ONLY DADDY WOULD HAVE
KNOWN ABOUT THE POWER
OF #PEPSI
156K 285K
@YEAHMORGS 2:08 PM - 5 April 2017
OUR FIGHT FOR LIBERATION IS NOT FOR
SALE. NO THANKS #PEPSI
328 604
@JORDEN__MOSLEY 10:19 PM - 4 April 2017
#PEPSI, BURNING BRIDGES WITH
BLACK FOLKS SINCE 1984.
633 1.2K
How can marketers avoid such a colossal misstep in @KLAYECREATION 9:40 PM - 4 April 2017
the future? There is an easy answer: hire multicultural
marketing and advertising agencies, hire more diverse
YO JUST LOOK IN MY POCKET!!! I
cultures in-house and demand it in your agencies, and GOT A #PEPSI I GOT A #PEPSI
foster a more inclusive company culture. Enlist the
talent of those who are on the ground in communities
and have a particular sense of the community’s politics, 753 987
sensibilities, likes, and dislikes.
THE BLACK PAPER 11
BlkPaper-BB424-2.indd 11 5/15/17 11:34 AMCASE STUDY
DONALD
GLOVER AS
MARKETING
GURU
TAPPING INTO THE CULTURE
WRITTEN BY: DARREN MARTIN JR. & JARED LOGGINS
Donald Glover is many things: Black American crooner from
Atlanta, songwriter, actor, rapper. What about marketing guru?
To be sure, his show “Atlanta” – in which he serves as showrun-
ner, writer, producer, and lead actor – shocked the world with its
immense popularity. But it would be a miscalculation to pin the
show’s success solely on its writing (the script is quite good). The
show has done so well because of its culturally relevant
engagement with Black people on social media. There is
obviously the fact that the show is based in Atlanta – one of
the Blackest cities in the nation, with 54% of its residents being
Black.16 On this point, the show also shares its namesake with a
popular film among Black audiences: “ATL.” It’s pretty obvious
that Glover’s show builds on the popularity of an American city
and other cultural productions like “ATL.” The context here is
important because it reveals that Glover has tapped into the
cultural nuance necessary to push a product to a decidedly
Black base. The causality between the social influence of stars
and increased visibility of the products they push is, in this case,
too obvious to deny. In early 2017, Glover accepted the Golden
Globe Award for “Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy.”
During his acceptance speech he gave a shout out to the
Atlanta-native rap group Migos and their new song “Bad &
Bougie.” Over the subsequent days, the song soared up the
charts peaking at No. 1.17 Both Glover’s cunning decisions on his
show and his public love for Migos’ hit song demonstrate the
potential power of influence. Marketing execs should take note.
12 THE BLACK PAPER
BlkPaper-BB424-2.indd 12 5/15/17 11:34 AMCASE STUDY
LIKE
WILDFIRE
INFLUENCE FROM THE GROUND UP
WRITTEN BY: DARREN MARTIN JR. & JARED LOGGINS
September 13, 2016: Atlanta-based rap duo Rae Sremmurd
release their infectiously catchy song “Black Beatles.” Days
after its release, Billboard calls it a “quintessentially youthful
song, which is extremely welcome in this oncoming era of social
conservatism.”18
October 26, 2016: Students at Ed White High School in
Jacksonville, Florida kick off the viral sensation also known as
the “mannequin challenge.”19 A week later, students at Colony
High School in Ontario, California created their own mannequin
challenge video with “Black Beatles” playing in the background
because as a student there explained to The New York Times it
was his favorite song and “[he] wanted [his] friends and the
internet all to hear it and enjoy it as well.”20 A trend was born.
Millions would participate in the challenge through new media
channels like Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook.
This episode in popular culture shows that social influence flows
from bottom to top. More crucially, the challenge demonstrates
that, in this case, music can be the basis for watershed moments
in contemporary popular culture. The challenge accumulated
well over 2.5 million unique videos, positioned Rae Sremmurd’s
song at the top of the pop charts and cemented the song’s
legacy as one of many successful crossover dance numbers. It’s
not simply that it went viral; it’s that it experienced viral growth
in a way that transcended traditional racial, ethnic, and class
boundaries. The challenge, coupled with the song, was a
breakthrough moment for the high school students who started
it as well as for a diverse cast of celebrities like Paul McCartney,
Hillary Clinton, 2 Chainz, and the Dallas Cowboys. Sremmurd’s
success not only marks their influence on the Black community,
but also outlines a cross-cultural influence that increases their
brand awareness and brand capital.
THE BLACK PAPER 13
BlkPaper-BB424-2.indd 13 5/15/17 11:34 AM14 THE BLACK PAPER BlkPaper-BB424-2.indd 14 5/15/17 11:34 AM
BLACK
WOMEN
DOMINATE
WRITTEN BY: DARREN MARTIN JR. & JARED LOGGINS
Producer, showrunner, writer, and also one of the few Black women in
Hollywood with successful mainstream shows, Shonda Rhimes opened the
floodgates of racial and cultural diverse representation on ABC with Black
women at the center of many of her narratives and in return, it has created
a wide, racially and culturally diverse audience – benefitting the network in
enormous brand lift and ad sales. Though she has other writing credits to
her name, it would be “Scandal” starring Kerry Washington that became
among the most tweeted about shows on television. Shonda’s insights on
representation of Black women in lead roles paid off again with Viola Davis
playing the starring role of Annalise Keating in the mega-hit show “How to
Get Away with Murder” (HTGAWM).21 The casting strategy is not happen-
stance. Beyond the data, it seems to hold up intuitively. More diverse cast-
ing, combined with good writing and marketing, equals a more diverse and
expansive viewership. The data supplements this fact. Nielsen’s 2014 report
entitled, “Powerful. Growing. Influential. The African-American Consumer”
found that Black women are among the most actively engaged media
consumers and a key demographic to tap for marketing and advertising.
STATS
40 PERCENT OF BLACK WOMEN AGES
18-54 CONSIDER THEMSELVES TRENDSETTERS.
62 PERCENT OF BLACK WOMEN BELIEVE SUPPORTING
AND EMBRACING THEIR ETHNIC CULTURE IS
IMPORTANT.
59 PERCENT OF BLACK WOMEN BELIEVE SUPPORTING
MINORITY BUSINESSES IS IMPORTANT.22
Taken together, these numbers indicate a huge opportunity for marketing
and ad execs to responsibly tap into a reliable consumer base. Black women
will support their own.
According to an AdAge analysis, “Scandal” and HTGAWM cost advertis-
ers $224,509 and $252,934 for a 30-second commercial, respectively. Both
shows were among the top ten priciest 30-second TV ad buys in the winter
season of 2015.23 The prices weren’t unprecedented as both “Scandal”
and HTGAWM deliver a racially and culturally diverse crowd of viewers in
the coveted 18-49 demographic each season.24 Shonda Rhimes knew how
to leverage diversity to build an entertainment powerhouse – both of her
shows have been renewed for a new season. According to Dr. Darnell Hunt,
diversity and film expert and director of UCLA’s Bunche Center for African
American Studies, ABC is one of the few leading networks pushing for talent
like Rhimes these days. Other networks are falling behind, Hunt says, and as
a result are unable to keep up with the always changing media landscape
on and off the screen. “The networks and studios have to break up their
own management structures,” Hunt says, “and that completely hasn’t been
done. Even with the diversity that we see on the screen today … behind the
scenes, it’s abysmal. And it hasn’t changed in 30 years. So, they’re going to
have to deal with that at some point and until they do, we’re going to be
having this conversation.”25 Those ABC advertisers knew something that
many of their counterparts fail to comprehend: diverse casts equal diverse
viewing audiences, and the smart marketer understands how to leverage
this for ROI and sales.
THE BLACK PAPER 15
BlkPaper-BB424-2.indd 15 5/15/17 11:34 AMIT’S A
Nielsen conducted a multicultural audience study that found:
BLACK CONSUMERS ARE 96% MORE LIKELY
TRUST
THAN THEIR NON-HISPANIC WHITE
COUNTERPARTS TO HAVE THEIR PURCHASING
DECISION BE INFLUENCED BY A CELEBRITY
THANG ENDORSEMENT
THEY ARE 79% MORE LIKELY TO BUY A CE-
WRITTEN BY: DARREN MARTIN JR. LEBRITY DESIGNED PRODUCT THAN NON-HIS-
& JARED LOGGINS PANIC WHITES WITH SIMILAR INCOME
40% OF BLACK CONSUMERS EXPECT
BRANDS TO SUPPORT SOCIAL CAUSES26
So how has this played out in practice? One good example is
Nike’s longstanding marketing appeal to their diverse consumer
base. They have taken what is best described as a familial
approach to Black consumers. From commercial cameos
featuring the likes of Serena Williams to LeBron James to
Michael Jordan, Nike is keenly aware of the immense
popularity these athletes enjoy in Black communities. This
awareness translates to profit since consumers see a direct
relationship between products and their own interests and
sensibilities. In turn, companies like Nike are right to tap into the
groundswell of support for Black athletes by using them in major
ad campaigns. The approach is both intentional and
methodical. Consider the comedian and actor Kevin Hart’s
relationship with the brand. A recent spot featuring Kevin Hart
racked up 1.2 million views on Instagram. Nike’s Instagram
timeline is full of Black representation. The brand has continued
to evolve with the community it serves and the community’s
brand loyalty reflects that commitment.
One of Oprah’s largest influencer success stories is her book
club. What started as a thought from a producer became one
of the most successful book-suggestion lists in the world. “No
one comes close to Oprah’s clout: Publishers estimate that her
power to sell a book is anywhere from 20 to 100 times that of
any other media personality,” a 2005 Bloomberg Businessweek
article wrote of Winfrey.27 Consumers trust Oprah’s brand and
that matters a great deal for the brand’s effectiveness. Another
example of her influence is the announcement of her investment
in Weight Watchers. Within 24 hours of unveiling a new ad
campaign featuring Oprah, Weight Watchers’ stocks rose over
17% and Oprah’s stock in the company increased $35 million
since she first disclosed her investment in October 2015.28
There are other brands following the model set forth by Oprah
and Nike, but the point is there could be more, especially
with the ever-present gaze of social media. Given the immense
buying power of Black consumers especially, there is plenty of
potential to tap into.
16 THE BLACK PAPER
BlkPaper-BB424-2.indd 16 5/15/17 11:34 AMHOW HAVE
BIG BRANDS
GOTTEN IT
WRONG? WRITTEN BY: DARREN MARTIN JR.
& JARED LOGGINS
While Black influencers have impacted consumers new Sienna minivan. The ad featured rapper Busta
across platforms, there is still a large misrepresenta- Rhymes and a White suburban family rapping in slang
tion and underutilization of Black culture (everything and culturally-specific vernacular. Toyota’s campaign
from how Black motherhood is depicted on television received criticism in a similar vein as the Burger King x
to Black models in advertising and Black professionals Mary J. Blige catastrophe. Kory Grow, a Rolling Stone
in the workplace). Big brand campaigns are either not writer said of the commercial, “As far as viral ads go,
representing their diverse consumer bases or they the clip harkens back to Burger King’s controversial
are playing into stereotypes and pathologies that 2012 Mary J. Blige clip, in which she sang about fried
ultimately rob them of profit and genuine consumer chicken wraps, spurring criticism for playing up racial
engagement. stereotypes.”31
In recent years, some poorly conceptualized and/or Busta Rhymes, a well-known rapper in the Black
executed marketing campaigns have resulted in community, also caught heat with headlines like
backlash against those brands. Burger King and “Busta Rhymes, say it isn’t so” (Hip Hop Wired) and
Toyota have both suffered setbacks as a result of their “Oh, Busta Rhymes, what have you done?” (Huffing-
failure to properly market to their diverse consumer ton Post).32 Toyota played to stereotypes and
bases. In the case of Burger King, a botched potentially turned off Black consumers. With proper
campaign starring Mary J. Blige featured the singer consultation from more diverse creatives, the team
playing into problematic stereotypes about Black could have immediately rethought their creative
people and fried chicken. Burger King’s intention direction and refocused the talent and energy
was to use the singer to help market their crispy necessary to make the commerical correct. Saatchi
chicken wraps, but it quickly devolved into a racially & Saatchi, a well-known advertising agency whose
insensitive ad that might have hurt their consumer staff is primarily White, is responsible for the Toyota
base in the long run. Following the commercial’s mistake, but in what ways have other companies been
release, many commentators noted how Burger King implicated?33
did not do justice to Blige as a much celebrated
artist in Black communities.29 The fumble matters The campaign not only provoked backlash, but it also
given the relationship between consumers and their presses on an important question for media
sensibilities. If big brands cannot ‘get it right’ in terms professionals: how can brands avoid these missteps?
of properly representing the popular culture figures
Black consumers desire, it will only hinder their On rare occasions, advertising to the Black
bottom line. On another level, the Burger King community is done well by brands and agencies, but
misstep was a personnel issue: not having top or mid- these rare occasions are the blueprint to the future
level execs to say, “I know this culture. I know Mary. and they warrant examination. Apple is a brand that
This isn’t her and it won’t go over well with Black gets multicultural marketing. In their “The Human
people.” Instead, it was approved and put to market Family” commercial, for example, they employ
at the expense of the artist and company. It was user-generated content and a spoken word poem
later pulled due to “a licensing issue” though many by the late Maya Angelou. The statement was clear,
attribute the decision to the ad’s racist overtones, “we are more more alike my friends, than we are
a further example of the out-of-place strategy and unalike.”34 It was intriguing and powerful because it
Burger King’s creative teams not considering the placed the image of the audience in the audience’s
larger cultural implications.30 Burger King isn’t the only own hands. They were the storytellers of their culture
brand to poorly represent Black consumers. through the images they took and that gave them
agency, which in turn translated to authenticity in the
In 2015, Toyota re-released a creative ad dubiously advertisement. It is a strategy that any company inter-
titled “Swagger Wagon” as a project promoting its ested in growing their consumer base should adopt.
THE BLACK PAPER 17
BlkPaper-BB424-2.indd 17 5/15/17 11:34 AM“The contributions that
African-Americans
have made in the cultural
arena – from music and
dance to clothing and
slang – have had a major
impact on advertising.
Although advertising
continues to borrow from
African-American culture,
ad executives have not
expressed
the same
enthusiasm
about working
with Black
creative
people.”
- Charlie Rice
18 THE BLACK PAPER
BlkPaper-BB424-2.indd 18 5/15/17 11:34 AMBLACK
AMERICANS IN
ADVERTISING
A HISTORICAL LOOK AT
THE STRUGGLE FOR INTEGRATION
AND REPRESENTATION
FROM THE 1960S TO TODAY
WRITTEN BY: BIANA BAKMAN
Mad Men is often used as a pop culture touchstone to describe
the advertising industry in its heyday. Surely the real-life industry
has changed and evolved a great deal in the 50+ years since the
fictionalized 1960s that the show depicts. However, looking at
the state of the media and advertising industry through the lens
of diversity – namely integration of Black executives – we are still
fighting the same battles that were fought in the 1960s. What’s more
is that the arguments being made then and now are astonishingly
similar with continued passivity from those at the top and minimal
improvement in employment numbers.
One particularly illustrative example of the state of the media
industry today is the Tumblr “Too Many Guys, One Girl.” The
blog utilizes photos of agency teams on stage posing with their
newly acquired industry awards to show the gender disparity seen
industry-wide. One can’t help but notice that not only are most of
those represented men, but they are by-and-large White men.
This decades long battle for integration of the industry is covered in
great detail by Jason Chambers in his book, “Madison Avenue and
the Color Line: African Americans in the Advertising Industry.”35 It is
also covered through the lens of Black women’s experiences in Judy
Foster Davis’ book, “Pioneering African-American Women in the Source: Tumblr/Too Many Guys, One Girl
Advertising Business: Biographies of MAD Black WOMEN.”36 Of all
the years the advertising industry has sluggishly acknowledged the
need for diversity – while debating about it in the same breath – a
few critical episodes stand out.
“Regardless of whether in mainstream or Black-owned agencies,
African Americans have historically been underrepresented
in the advertising business. Yet, as will be shown, that has
not been the result of a lack of desire on their part. Instead,
it has often been the result of a hostile industry where talent
supposedly trumps other factors, including race, but it rarely
has. Instead, African Americans have had to (and desired to)
fight for their positions in the industry.” - Jason Chambers in his
book “Madison Avenue and the Color Line: African Americans
in the Advertising Industry”r Line: African Americans in the Source: Tumblr/Too Many Guys, One Girl
THE BLACK PAPER 19
BlkPaper-BB424-2.indd 19 5/15/17 11:34 AM1940s
The National Negro Congress partnered with the Biow
advertising agency on a study examining the status of
Blacks’ employment in advertising. Chambers explains the
study’s results:
“The finding that there were few Blacks featured in
advertising surprised few, but the study went further.
Specifically, Biow ‘concluded the low number of Blacks in
1950s
advertisements was due to agencies’ reliance on ‘snob
appeal.’ … ‘This [snob appeal] has been such a potent
factor in sales that the agencies have extended its use
to their own mahogany-paneled precincts and to their
selection of genteel, White [employees].’”37 Two Black men broke through the color barrier in
advertising being among the first to be hired in executive
The first Black-owned advertising agency, Vomack level positions in general market advertising agencies.
Advertising, was founded in Inwood, New York. Followed In 1952, Clarence Holte joined the advertising agency
then in 1943 by David Sullivan in New York City and Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn as an ethnic marketing
Fusche, Young & Powell in Detroit.38 specialist.39 Then in 1955, Young & Rubicam hired musician
Roy Eaton as a copywriter and jingle composer.40
1960s
Coinciding with the civil rights NAACP
movement in America, there were ‘‘Most advertising executives regard
several organizations putting pressure themselves as enlightened, thinking After a series of meetings in 1963 with
on the advertising industry to increase people who are above such primitive representatives from radio and television
employment of Black Americans in the attitudes. For them prejudice is a stations, advertising agencies, and the
industry, as well as to improve Black psychological, emotional factor that Four A’s, the NAACP presented a five-
representation in the advertisements leads to irrational acts. On the other point program that put the onus on the
themselves. hand, however, the same unprejudiced Four A’s to monitor its implementation:
executives enforce a covert policy of
URBAN LEAGUE discrimination in employment, because “1) Recognition of ‘the simple truth’ that
it is the custom in the advertising 20,000,000 American citizens are Negro
The Urban League conducted a three- industry.’’ - an Urban League member consumers, and therefore ads in basic
year study of the hiring practices of what as quoted in “Madison Avenue and the media must reflect the fact that Negroes
were then the ten largest New York- Color Line” are represented in every walk of life. 2)
based advertising firms. They released Sponsorship of TV and radio programs
the results in 1963 and concluded CONGRESS OF RACIAL EQUALITY and commercials that eliminate all racial
that just 25 Blacks were in “creative or (CORE) TV IMAGE CAMPAIGN barriers and permit the unrestricted
executive positions.” An abysmal number use of Negro performers. 3) Ad agency
considering that there were 20,000 people CORE took a slightly different approach employment based upon merit, with
employed in advertising in New York City. by focusing on Black integration into Negroes participating in on-the-job
television commercials as a way to training and/or apprenticeship programs.
The Urban League worked with the drive the larger culture toward greater 4) Use of Negro models in national and
American Association of Advertising acceptance. local campaigns for general media,
Agencies (also known as Four A’s or not only for Negro appeal media. 5)
4A’s) and later directly with advertising ‘‘You put Negroes on TV to educate Formation of a Four A’s committee to
agencies to encourage hiring more the White man that the Negro is part help implement this program and resolve
Black professionals. Unsurprisingly they of America.’’ - Leonard Evans, Black present and future problems.”
encountered overt … Advertising Executive
To their credit, the Four A’s created an
‘‘I have yet to meet a competent By appealing to major consumer brands ad that ran in The New York Times, then
copywriter or account executive who is – including Lever Brothers (which would subsequently forty other newspapers, with
a Negro. There just aren’t any. I don’t later become Unilever), Colgate, and the headline of ‘‘An Invitation to All Bright
feel there would be any discrimination Procter & Gamble to start – CORE was Young Men and Women to Consider
on the executive or creative ends. able to garner commitments from the Advertising as a Career” featuring a
It’s just a complete lack of available advertising agencies for more inclusion of previously unfathomable integrated
talent.’’ - Edward Stern, owner of an Black actors in their commercials. group of young people, a Black man and
agency staffing firm woman among them. But did that have an
… and covert racism. impact on employment figures?
20 THE BLACK PAPER
BlkPaper-BB424-2.indd 20 5/15/17 11:34 AM‘‘The NAACP and other
civil rights organizations
are prepared to mobilize
the Negro’s considerable
purchasing power in
the fight for jobs and
freedom.’’ – Roy Wilkins,
executive secretary of the
NAACP
‘‘As far as I’m concerned,
big business will have
to take the stand that
they should help lead
the country, even in TV
1970s
commercials. Sure they
may find themselves The NYCCHR continued to monitor the companies’
portraying social scenes Source: Newspapers.com employment statistics through an annual survey in
with Negroes in commercials that are not quite normal, hopes that their voluntary commitments would begat
but they should take a chance and do so.’’ – Carol change. But when by 1973 no changes had been made
Taylor, president of Negro Women on the March through voluntary efforts, NYCCHR issued complaints of
discrimination against three agencies that then entered
‘‘In the circumstances, it is small wonder not that the into conciliation agreements with the council.
‘pressures outside’ have been put on the industry of
advertising and marketing, but, rather that it was so “In the 1970s the NAACP legal defense and
late in coming on the one hand, while being as gentle educational fund asks the Federal Communications
as it is on the other hand.” – David Sullivan, a Black Commission to take action against discriminatory
advertising veteran wrote in a 1964 open letter to Four advertising, charging that African-Americans have
A’s president John Crichton41 few major roles in TV commercials. Also in the ‘70s,
numerous consumer packaged-goods companies –
NEW YORK CITY COMMISSION including Schering-Plough Corp.’s Pharmaco division,
ON HUMAN RIGHTS Clairol and Faberge – put more money toward minority
consumers, but on-camera progress occurs in fits and
The New York City Commission on Human Rights starts.” – AdvertisingAge “Integration hits Madison
(NYCCHR) picked up the mantle in March 1968 and held Avenue” piece in “75 Years of Ideas” series43
the “Public Hearing on the Employment Practices of the
Broadcasting and Advertising Industries and the Image Simultaneously, there was a spate of Black-owned
Projection of Members of Minority Groups in Television agencies that were created throughout the 1970s and into
and Radio,” which lasted 10 days. the ‘80s, many of which focused specifically on reaching
the Black consumer. These included Lockhart & Pettus,
Among the principal findings of the hearings was this Matlock Advertising and Public Relations, Mingo-Jones
conclusion: Advertising, Carol H Williams Advertising Agency, and
Burrell McBain (now Burrell Communications), among
“Advertising agencies in the New York area had others.44
consistently failed to employ Blacks, Puerto Ricans, and
other minority group members overall, and especially in “Black people are not dark-skinned White people.”
professional and executive positions. This low minority – Tom Burrell, founder of Burrell Communications45
employment rate represented a state of de facto
segregation strongly suggesting discrimination.”42
1980s
There was a breakthrough in representation of Blacks in
advertising in the ‘80s thanks to the star power of Michael
Jackson. In 1983, Jackson signed a record-breaking and
now legendary celebrity endorsement deal with Pepsi
for $5 million. The company later signed another deal
with Jackson in 1987 for $10 million that incorporated
sponsorship of his world tour.46
THE BLACK PAPER 21
BlkPaper-BB424-2.indd 21 5/15/17 11:34 AM1990s
Black representation in mainstream advertisements
increased throughout the ‘90s. In 1992 Lana Ogilvie
became the first Black CoverGirl, making her the first
Black woman to represent a non-ethnic cosmetics line.
She paved the way for other Black CoverGirls in that era
including model Tyra Banks and singer Brandy.47
Black male model Tyson Beckford signed an exclusive,
2000s
one-year contract with Ralph Lauren worth $550,000.48
The Benetton Group addressed race relations head-on
with their still legendary “United Colors of Benetton” ad
campaign. The Italian retailer spent $8 million per year
advertising in American magazines and on billboards. Fast Not much had changed by 2000, where the top 20 Black-
forward to the present, the Benetton Group has grown owned advertising agencies in total accounted for only
to more than 5,000 stores worldwide with 2015 annual 0.5% of total industry revenues.52 Meanwhile employment
revenues of 1.5 billion euros, which shows that investing in of minorities at mainstream agencies stagnated to such a
diversity is good business.49 degree that once again the New York City Commission on
Human Rights conducted a two-year investigation into the
“‘The contributions that African-Americans have made hiring, retention, and promotion of minorities within New
in the cultural arena – from music and dance to clothing York’s top agencies. In June 2006, NYCCHR subpoenaed
and slang – have had a major impact on advertising,’ 16 top executives who were to testify during hearings that
says Charlie Rice, associate creative director with the coincided with that year’s Advertising Week. The hearings
Black-owned Caroline Jones Advertising Inc. in New were canceled upon the agencies signing agreements
York. ‘Although advertising continues to borrow from with NYCCHR “to boost minority representation in their
African-American culture, ad executives have not creative and managerial positions.”53
expressed the same enthusiasm about working with
Black creative people.’” – quoted from article entitled “The ad industry – historically lacking diversity – is
“Are Advertising Agencies Serious About Hiring responsible for marketing products to millions of
African-Americans?” in March 1993 issue of Black African-American and Hispanic consumers. Yet, the
Enterprise50 individuals responsible for this marketing – the creative
directors – generally do not come from the minority
Progress on Black employment in the industry remained communities.” – NYCCHR Commissioner Patricia L.
slow. In 1992, Blacks filled only 5.2% of all positions in Gatling54
advertising, marketing and, public relations agencies,
even though they accounted for 10.1% of the total U.S. Around the same time, the New York City Council’s Civil
workforce. Additionally, an examination of the estimated Rights Committee, led by Council Member Larry Seabrook,
27 Black-owned advertising agencies showed that they was pursuing its own hearings on the issue. Although most
were billing just 1% of the industry total.51 agencies did not show up to the City Council’s hearings
– they had after all just signed agreements with NYCCHR
– the City Council was able to strike a fairly significant
MADISON AVENUE PROJECT deal with Omnicom to create the “Diversity Development
KEY FINDINGS Advisory Committee,” an initiative to which Omnicom
committed $1.25 million, and an advertising, marketing
• Black college graduates working in advertising skills and media industry readiness curriculum at Medgar
earn 80 cents for every dollar earned by their Evers College, which Omnicom would fund in the amount
equally-qualified White counterparts. of $1 million. Things seemed to be looking up, particularly
• In 2008 the percentage of Black advertising if you were Larry Seabrook or Omnicom’s PR department.55
managers and professionals was 5.3, but should
have been 9.6 based on demographic data, Then in 2008 the NAACP, along with the law firm of Mehri
representing a difference of 7,200 executive- & Skalet, launched the ‘Madison Avenue Project’ that
level jobs. began by releasing the report, “Research Perspectives
• About 16% of large advertising firms employ On Race and Employment in the Advertising Industry.”
no Black managers or professionals, a rate 60% The report states that “as employment discrimination has
higher than in the overall labor market. sharply diminished across the American labor market over
recent decades, systemic barriers to equal opportunity
• Black managers and professionals in the industry in this $31 billion a year industry have remained largely
are only one-tenth as likely as their White
intact. Racial discrimination is 38% worse in the advertising
counterparts to earn $100,000 a year.
industry than in the overall U.S. labor market, and that
• Blacks are only 62% as likely as their White ‘discrimination divide’ between advertising and other U.S.
counterparts to work in the powerful ‘creative’ industries is more than twice as large today as it was 30
and ‘client contact’ functions in advertising years ago.”
agencies.
• Eliminating the industry’s current Black-White
employment gap would require tripling its Black
managers and professionals.
22 THE BLACK PAPER
BlkPaper-BB424-2.indd 22 5/15/17 11:34 AMThey followed up with a series of letters appealing
directly to the top advertisers in America starting
with Procter & Gamble – then later AT&T, Verizon
Communications, General Motors Corp., Time Warner,
Ford Motor Company, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson &
Johnson, Walt Disney Co., Unilever, Sprint Nextel Corp., 2010s
General Electric Co., Toyota Motor Corp., Chrysler,
Sony Corp., L’Oreal, Sears Holding Company, Kraft Several years into this new decade, it seems the industry is
Foods, Bank of America, Nissan Motor Co., Macy’s, being dragged toward progress while some senior executives
Anheuser Busch InBev, Honda Motor Co., Viacom, and are kicking and screaming. Whether or not it is a result of the
Berkshire – imploring these companies “to identify a NAACP’s campaign, it seems that the approach of appealing
senior executive to serve as a point of contact on the to the advertisers is working as more and more brands are
issue of racial bias in the advertising industry and to calling for diversity in the agencies that work for them.
meet promptly with the NAACP.”56
In the latter half of 2016, General Mills, HP Inc., and Verizon
each publicly called for more diversity in the agencies they
work with. In their creative review General Mills required that
the agencies pitching to them had at least 50% women and
20% people of color in their creative departments. HP Inc. and
Verizon sent out letters to their existing agencies asking them
to present plans for how they would increase the number of
women and minorities in executive roles.57 Will these demands
from top brands finally force the industry toward inclusion
or will these initiatives simply be more lip service and empty
promises? It’s too soon to tell.
Fundamentally, we have Meanwhile, some senior executives are learning the hard way
to pull back the curtain that overt intolerance will no longer be tolerated. In March
2016, Gustavo Martinez resigned from his position as chief
on this discussion and as executive at J. Walter Thompson (JWT) after Erin Johnson,
the company’s chief communications officer, filed a lawsuit
an industry use confabs complaining of his racist and sexist comments and behavior.
After a leave of absence Johnson returned to work at JWT,
like this to share our best meanwhile Martinez continues to work on other projects within
the WPP holding company and the lawsuit is still ongoing. This
thinking and best ideas.
is a story that shook the industry and is still developing as the
lawsuit proceeds.58
Only by bringing this to Following controversial statements made in an interview with
Business Insider – essentially denying the existence of any
the forefront and having ongoing gender issues in the industry while also claiming
that women had no “vertical ambition” – Kevin Roberts, then
these discussions can we Saatchi & Saatchi executive chairman and Publicis Groupe
head coach, was put on a leave of absence and soon after
remedy this [problem]. resigned from his position.59
You can’t pretend that These latest events represent both the hope and the despair
of the ongoing battle for inclusion within the industry. On
it doesn’t exist. That the one hand, it is astonishing that these top executives not
only held these beliefs in the first place, but also that they felt
doesn’t solve anything.” comfortable enough publicly expressing them. It exemplifies
just how out of touch those at the top of the ladder can
be, even with the values their own companies espouse. On
the other hand, it is heartening that once these issues are
Wendy Clark, DDB North American brought to light, the backlash from the public is so great that
CEO, in her speech at the 2016 4A’s the companies are forced to take action. One can hope that
with pressure from brands on one side and pressure from the
Transformation Conference60 public on the other, mainstream advertising agencies may
finally be forced into real, tangible action of forming a diverse
and inclusive workforce.
THE BLACK PAPER 23
BlkPaper-BB424-2.indd 23 5/15/17 11:34 AMOUTREACH
TAKE AN HONEST LOOK AT YOUR CURRENT
MARKET SHARE. YOU CAN IMPACT YOUR
AUDIENCE WITH A FRESH AND RELEVANT
STRATEGY. STRATEGIC THINKING IS THE
BRIDGE TO RELEVANCE.
24
IMPROVING
THE BLACK PAPER
BlkPaper-BB424-2.indd 24 5/15/17 11:34 AMIMPROVING
BRAND
OUTREACH
WRITTEN BY: STEPHEN FELDMAN
Size matters. We all know it. The Fortune 500 are giants and want to keep
growing. According to the Economist cover story “In Retreat - Global
Companies in the Era of Protectionism,” globalization and international
trade have been key drivers of competition for more than two decades,
but growth is slowing.61 So, where will the brand growth come from? How
about our own backyard? According to Nielsen, the multicultural market
in America represents $3.4 trillion of buying power as of 2014. The Black
American community’s buying power is forecasted to be $1.4 trillion by
2020.62 Make no mistake, inclusion is good business.
Right now, in the U.S., we have mountains of data that empower you to
know and communicate effectively with your existing and potential
customers. One example of how Fortune 500 businesses can directly
impact brand growth is through social media: Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, and Pinterest, are only four of the biggest out of nearly 300
social channels. It’s a game changer: enabling two-way communication
with customers. The era of business-to-consumer and consumer-to-busi-
ness (B2C to C2B) is here. The multicultural audience is the largest user
and influencer of this ‘C2B’ communication tool and it offers opportunity
for brands to connect and expand their markets to make more money.
Here’s how you can take advantage of multicultural growth in 2017:
INVOLVE BLACK AND MULTICULTURAL TALENT EARLY ON
Management and ad agencies need to recognize that more talent
is available than ever before. These new and diverse voices attract a
devoted following (some in the millions of followers) because they bring
a unique voice or type of creativity. By sticking to old formulas and
established ‘stars,’ they miss entire audiences and most importantly, the
opportunity to add new customers. A good starting point is to bring on
college students. They can help shape or provide an authentic voice to
reach these new consumers and they understand and are avid users of
social media.
Another way is to invite young (even high school aged), diverse influenc-
ers and content creators to open houses to give them an understanding
of the different paths they could pursue in the media field. They already
exemplify an aptitude for the skills needed. Agencies reaching out to
influencers to involve them in campaigns is becoming common, and this
is an opportunity to get their input early on, thus, avoiding potential
missteps.
A third approach is to reach within their own companies to find brand
G
advocates who are very familiar with their own brand, their own strategy,
and their own current messaging. Companies may be surprised at the
wealth of knowledge and potential insights residing within the company.
THE BLACK PAPER 25
BlkPaper-BB424-2.indd 25 5/15/17 11:34 AMA fourth approach is now becoming an accepted DEVISE A NEW STRATEGY OR APPROACH
practice: using actual real-time data from social
channels to test your hypotheses about your prod- Take an honest look at your current market share.
ucts, services, and trends. It is all about trying one You can impact your audience with a fresh and
thing, seeing the results or lack of results, then trying relevant strategy. Strategic thinking is the bridge to
another. By combining youthful insights and using relevance. How are you describing your customers
statistical analysis and search optimization tech- and the ones that your competition is courting? Find
niques, there is a better use of resources leading to your strengths and weaknesses with an audit of your
higher revenues and profits. existing ads. How are your ads representing or not
representing Black consumers? Benetton’s iconic
INCREASE BUDGET AND INVESTMENT United Colors of Benetton multicultural ads started
running in the early 1980s. That’s 35 years ago. Are
Has your ad budget and ad targeting kept pace you in danger of falling behind or becoming irrele-
with the changing demographics of the U.S.? New vant?
customer growth can be achieved with an increase or
You or your agency can meet and ask your staff
a more diverse allocation of the existing ad budget.
through surveys or focus groups specific questions to
Everyone knows that ‘digital’ is gaining a bigger
uncover any gaps between how your company thinks
share of ad spend, but the deeper commitment to a
your messaging is being communicated and what
broader customer base (think multicultural) can only
current customers say. Then compare the results to
improve earnings of companies. New social media
feedback from potential customers and possibly
tools are just one part of a larger strategy to increase
to the nuanced ways that multicultural audiences
customer growth and company earnings. A central
prefer to communicate. This may prove insightful. In
idea is that getting more Black and multicultural
addition, outside agencies can be useful in helping
consumers in the sales funnel will lead to results.
understand and navigate how demographics are
changing and how to reach these audiences. For
REACH OUT AND FIND LOCAL TALENT
example, Black consumers use social media exten-
sively. How do you increase sales to Black consumers
Find a wealth of talent online when you explore the
using these new marketing channels? A fresh look
ecosystem of customers living, breathing, and buying
at your content might be required. What images
products and services as a result of the influence felt
are you currently using in your ads? What is your
through social media. By interacting with these new
messaging? Is the intent behind your messaging and
or up-and-coming talents, companies can absorb
how it is perceived in alignment?
and learn about their potential new customers and
audiences.
INTERNAL ASSESSMENT OF THE BRANDS
The new business model of many-to-many is here. APPROACH / MULTICULTURAL MARKETING
Broadcast media and the one-to-many distribution
business model is still important, but is rapidly Your internal marketing team working with your
becoming outdated and experiencing a tectonic ad partners can create a company specific audit
shift. Customers can provide direct feedback to program and issue a private report card. The aim is
companies and to other customers through online to gather information and insights from those who
reviews, for example, allowing them to improve their know your company’s ethos and mission best, your
products or services. Black consumers are among the own team. While big data and focus groups can
highest users of social media. This is not something reveal much externally about customers, no one is in
to fear. More consumer information and interaction a better position to help you than your own
provides significant upside profit potential. The employees. Forward thinking agencies can be
downside is to be left behind and with a slew of poor change agents and have unique tools to allow
reviews. How does that happen? By not listening management to understand where they have been,
to your customers. And, by not doing a good job where they are, and where to go to increase
portraying your audience in your ads. customers, revenues, and profits.
26 THE BLACK PAPER
BlkPaper-BB424-2.indd 26 5/15/17 11:34 AMYou can also read
