Justin Bridges’ Post

1. Invest in Black talent year-round, not just during Black History Month. 2. Invest in Black-owned media year-round, not just during Black History Month. 3. Hire Black-owned production houses year-round, not just for Black History Month campaigns. 4. Work with Black photographers for all campaigns, not just black History Month campaigns or campaigns that feature Black talent. Artists create art. period. 5. Partner with Black content creators and influencers year-round, not just during Black History month. 6. Commission Black artists (illustrators, graphic designers, muralists, etc.) year-round, not just during Black History Month. 7. Partner with Black-owned experiential agencies for your activations year-round, not just during Black History month. 8. Hire Black social media managers, social strategists, influencer strategists, marketing managers, creative directors, art directors, year-round, not just to check off a box. If you let them cook without all of the hyper-politics, you'll quickly see their genius throughout your work. 9. Black talent is skilled in general market work, too. Not just multicultural initiatives. My point here is that Black talent and business owners are fully capable of working beyond the box of "diversity & inclusion". Black talent pushes THE CULTURE forward today, tomorrow and in the future. If you haven't deployed these truths by now, then you're behind the times and will continue racing to catch up with the speed of culture. Do I need stats to back this up? What did I miss? P.S. Happy #Blackhistorymonth! Now back to celebrating all of this Black brilliance. 😎

Thank you Adrienne L. Lucas, J.D. for writing the TRUTH and including Bold Culture by Streamlined in your profound list of change agents. The fight lives on always. "Many companies are quick to offer Black talent internships and entry-level roles, but what happens next? There is an almost impenetrable ceiling for Black talent looking to enter more senior ranks. Only 6% of managers and 4% of corporate executives are Black, according to She Runs It’s #Inclusive100 study on diversity and inclusion in marketing, media, and adtech."

Is your brand struggling to make the business case to reach Black Americans? Get this: recent government data shows that Black Americans are employed at a higher rate than White Americans.  (You can find that data at the St Louis Federal Reserve research site.) The first time this ever happened was only a few months ago. Plus wages for Black Americans have never been higher as a percentage of the wages for White Americans. But this isn’t a post about racial progress or lack thereof. It’s a post about reality. The reality for brands is that the population of White Americans is aging out of the workforce, will likely see declining incomes, and is shrinking. Multicultural Americans are now providing the growth in expenditure that brands depend on. In fact, post-pandemic, Black Americans are in head-to-head competition with Asian Americans for the fastest rebound in employment. And they have the fastest rebound in wage growth. And yet, when you talk to some of the great brands out there, it seems they don’t have a plan to reach this high-growth market. Let’s make it clear: since the depth of the pandemic, the Black segment has achieved the fastest growth in employment and wage growth. What is your brand’s strategy to grow your fair share of Black consumers? Just because Black History Month is half over does not mean it's too late to start. And reaching Black consumers has positive impacts on every other segment - consumers of every demographic want your brand to better activate Black consumers. And we can prove it. Contact us to find out what top brands do to activate the mainstream BECAUSE of how they reach Black consumers. And learn more from top brands like Fidelity Investments, Stellantis, and SiriusXM through this replay of our Black History Month panel discussion with Nakia Tull, Nicole Buchanan, and Kim Adams House.

Just last week Collage Group's Chief Insights Officer, David Evans, stated in a blog, "...since the depth of the pandemic, the Black segment has achieved the fastest growth in employment and wage growth." Yet, when I talk to brands they are often times still having to make the case for investing in Black consumers. Given the cultural influence, population growth, spending power and expenditure growth the case is clear. And the reality is, if you tap into and leverage the right insights to authentically resonate with Black people, if done right you can create a halo effect driving cultural fluency across all segments. If you are interested in learning more about diverse segments, the Black segment specifally and/or how to effectively be culturally fluent in your messaging and advertising DM me!

As we honor Black History Month, let's pay tribute to the remarkable individuals who have left an indelible mark on the advertising landscape. Their creativity, resilience, and visionary leadership have reshaped the industry, inspiring generations to come. 🎨💼 Despite the strides made, diversity in advertising remains a work in progress, with only 8% of advertising professionals being Black. At FFB Collaboration, we're committed to fostering inclusivity and diversity, recognizing the invaluable contributions of Black creatives by being a minority owned marketing agency. Tom Burrell: Revolutionized the depiction of Black people in advertising and pioneered targeted advertising. Carol H. Williams: Coined iconic taglines and became the first Black woman inducted into the Advertising Hall of Fame. Byron Lewis: Founded one of the first advertising agencies focusing on Black audiences and advocated for political engagement. Vince Cullers: Established the first Black-owned advertising agency, creating opportunities for Black creatives. Caroline R. Jones: Broke barriers as the first Black female executive at a prominent agency and founded multiple agencies, leaving a lasting impact on the industry. Tiffany R. Warren: Founded ADCOLOR, promoting diversity and inclusion in advertising, and continues to lead DEI efforts in the industry. Jimmy Smith: Innovator in advertising, blending culture with creativity and redefining the industry through branded entertainment. Valerie Graves: Led creative efforts on major accounts and championed authenticity in advertising, connecting with diverse audiences. Moss Hyles Kendrix: Co-founder of the first journalism society for African Americans and visionary in crafting messaging for Black consumers. Their contributions have not only shaped advertising but also challenged perceptions and inspired meaningful change. Let's honor their legacy by continuing to champion diversity and inclusion in the advertising industry. #BlackHistoryMonth #DiversityInAdvertising #Creatives 🚀🎉

What is the State of DEI in the Creative Industry? Uncertain. 🤔 Black History Month may be 'over,' but the importance of this dialogue is not. There’s a new headline damning the future of DEI every day. ‘DEI is Dead,’ ‘Layoffs Target DEI,’ and ‘Lawsuit Threats Lead to Pullback on DEI initiatives.’ The DEI workplace statistics make it clear that Black agency leaders are a rarity and that Black talent typically departs agencies within two years. But what about the people behind those headlines and numbers? In my near decade-long tenure working as a Diversity & Inclusion practitioner, I have listened to the experiences of Black people in higher education, law, and advertising. Their backgrounds were unique, but the commonality was a feeling of being overlooked, underpaid, and dispensable in the workplace. While this is a significant issue in all industries, we must have more people-centered conversations regarding DEI in advertising. Read the full story on PRINT: https://lnkd.in/eBn8CWd7 Words: Adrienne L. Lucas, J.D. Imagery: courtesy WAATBP Conference and The One Club for Creativity, photographed by Derrick Larane of pocstock ⁠ -----⁠ #print #printmag #printmagazine #printisnotdead #creative #identity #inspiration #linkinbio #creativenews #pocstock #DEI #diversity #equity #inclusion #creativeindustry #important

Black representation in the marketing industry rose to 7.2% in 2023, an improvement from 6.6% in 2021, yet still falls behind the US population's 12.1%. This Black History Month, let's reflect on the impact – over 70% of Black consumers don't feel brands incorporate diversity well in their advertising. That means, advertising dollars are missing the mark, not to mention the cultural implications. Discover the effects of inclusive marketing for varying demographic sectors in this article from PR Daily. https://bit.ly/3HZ4VfW (Stats from Ad Age, 2023) #WBENC #CreativeAgency #AdAgency #BlackHistoryMonth #BHM

How can we as an industry be more thoughtful and innovative about how we approach diversity and responsible media this Black History Month? Read more from Amanda Forrester, OpenX VP of Marketing, on our blog about focusing on outcomes and making measurable impact by directing funds toward organizations that ensure equality of opportunity like the The Creative Ladder through Givsly Impact PMPs: https://bit.ly/42IGoFz

It's not always simple to authentically engage #Black consumers! To help turn insight into impact, we hosted a panel discussion with leading brands to learn how they connect with, engage, and celebrate Black Americans. Shared in celebration of #BlackHistoryMonth, our panel addressed a variety of topics, shedding light on the evolution of the consumer landscape, steps taken to authentically resonate with Black Consumers, executions that have been effective in driving authentic engagement, and personal stories from their own careers. We were joined by esteemed panelists: • Nakia Tull, Vice President & Customer Inclusion Leader, Fidelity Investments • Nicole Buchanan, Senior Director, Head of Cultural Strategy & Multicultural Sales, SiriusXM Media • Kim Adams House, Head of Licensing, Merchandising, and Multicultural Marketing, Stellantis Discover top-level insights from our research and a video replay of our panel, available now! #marketing #mrx #diversity #inclusion #diversityandinclusion #marketresearch #marketingandadvertising #consumerinsights

Don't be this guy. 🖤 During Black History Month, brands often take the opportunity to honor the contributions and achievements of Black people. Unfortunately...many brands make a faux pas when trying to promote their business on social media. ❤️ A recent survey of 1,300 Black Americans revealed that 73% of respondents believe large corporations lack good intentions when running Black History Month promotions. 💛 32% of respondents said the same about businesses primarily running on social media platforms. 💚 Ensure that your social media strategy reinforces your company’s values and avoids potential pitfalls by adding these 5 essential tasks to your to-do list. 👇🏽 https://lnkd.in/eEvsSNAj