I love this. You could pretty much put an afro on an ass and I'll post it. It is such an iconic reminder of Black Power and the Black Power movement.
I wonder how do we take power in the advertising industry. For me it was starting my own shop. I don't answer to the same old power structure but have to deal daily with the same influences. It's still very empowering. In the 60's & 70's we found our way to the beginnings of real power through ownership and activation of communities, organizations & individual efforts. During reconstruction we got busy with the vote and elections and made things happen. Until some Americans realized that we were taking office and making changes. (Watch out Obama) But advertising seems to still be holding on to ways of old.
What do we do? How do we get in? Do we really want in? Will getting into advertising a major numbers render us impotent? Like before segregation ended in the states (did it really), there were bastions of black businesses. After segregation... well, not so much.
When and if total integration happens in the industry what happens to Global Hue? What happens to UniWorld? If major advertising houses reach a number of say 12 to 15% African American staffing (and that is al it would take) across the board. Do we loose power? Are we needed, As African American Agencies?
You know the holding companies are going for all the dollars at that point. Can you blame them? Can we still seize power? Jesse Jackson Jr. says, I'm paraphrasing, "The problem with the black power movement was that after all the protesting and marching and a few civil rights were granted, they simply kept marching and protesting. They never seized the all elusive but necessary power!" We can't come out on the other side of this racial issue in advertising as marketing eunuchs.
I swear this started as a blog post about Afros & Assholes, Then I changes the title to 'The Proud, The Proper & The Powerless, Blacks in Advertising,' I don't know how I got here. https://sites.google.com/site/mayuradocs/PinIt.png
5 comments:
Was your post inspired by this upcoming ATL event?
Most General Market agencies(GM) don't even have 1 to 2% african American staffing. So worrying about them increasing their numbers to 12 to 15% African American staffing is never a possibility, their keeping those numbers low for a reason.
Here's the thing everyone should be afraid about, the entire ad business is in a downward spiral, most jobs that were lost are never coming back--ever!! Clients are cutting back all across the board. GM and clients could give a damn if their shops being multiculturally staffed. Their worried about their own survival.
So places like Global Hue and Uniworld shouldn't be afraid of losing employees to GM shops, but be ultimately be afraid of being cut out the business all together. Most GM agencies are telling clients we can do multicultural as well.
As far as protesting, its now or never. I guarantee you in a couple of years, most clients will consolidate their business under one shop and it won't be uniworld or globalhue. So the people at these agencies better come up with a strategy for their very existence.
Anon, great points.
A year ago having a black/mixed race president seemed a tremendous leap too, but it happened. Please forgive my faithfulness.
Now as far as the current advertising business model I believe it will out pace the music industry into obsolescence. I've said that many times, perhaps not loudly enough.
The other thing that I know is; this maybe a perfect opportunity for shops like GlobalHue and Uniworld to forcefully and aptly usurp business that bigger, older, perhaps less demographically attuned and culturally antiquated shops can't seem to adjust their thinking to. (See Globalhues new Jeep assignment.) I wouldn't be so sure it won't be a next presence (or model) shop that understands the breadth of America that these clients turn to. Your thinking seems to be a little stuck on a (forgive my words) "white power" structure framework. Almost as if business will change, the racial make-up of America will change but "General Market" shops as they are peopled today won't change. Change is the one thing we do know for sure.
The multi-cultural shops are perfectly positioned for the new day of advertising. They have the inside track. They know the clients, the products and the changing demographic as well as the psychographic of the US, which by the way will more readily reflect the world. Which is a great opportunity also, we can discuss later. They simply need the thinking and the visioneering to position themselves as the head and no longer the tail. If they have that now or in the near future these "multicultural shop can literally wreck shop and become the David of Goliath's demise. The question is do the multi-culti shops want to be the Google in the equation that puts them against the metaphorical Microsoft that is today's big shops or will they remain the 'netscape' they are right now.
Frankly I've been tired of protesting for years, gives me hives. I really think the dino-shops are the ones who should be afraid. They have the most to lose
Assignments and AOR are two totally different things.
Yes,They have the inside track. Yes,They know the clients, the products and the changing demographic as well as the psychographic of the US, which by the way will more readily reflect the world.
But are clients listening and do clients really care to stop throwing most of their money to the crispins, bbdo's, wiedens, and goodbys that for so long are revered in this industry? But don't reflect the changing demographic of america.
Would talented african american's rather work at a GM or a AA/multicultural shop. And are GM agencies willing to hire these people not just as interns but in prominent mid-high level roles at these agencies.
You cant have it both ways. A best case scenario would be to have uniworld and the burrells of the world start winning some AOR's and GM agencies start increasing their AA and minority hires.
I have faith that were getting there.
Tom you are so right.
AOR and assignments are as different as a little blood infusion and a heart transplant.
I can totally get with that best case scenario. But I'm also looking out for a new model. Maybe we'll get a 'reformed' model that leaves things pretty much the same with moderate changes like health care.
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