Black Lives Matter: Education, insight and action for marketers
About this series
This on-going series aims to educate brand marketers on diversity and activism, in light of the recent progressive steps made with the Black Lives Matter movement.
The series looks at brands taking steps to tackle systemic racism, embracing diversity and re-evaluating their brand purpose, with examples from case studies focusing on Black audiences and communities and brand activism content.
Explore the different sections within this series below:
The WARC Guide to brand activism in the Black Lives Matter era
A summary of new thinking and best practice on brand activism in the Black Lives Matter era, from the WARC Guide.
News and opinion picks
Marketers have the power to alter the entire trajectory of a global conversation
- COVID-19 has forced humanity to face its racist past
- Diversity isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s a must have
- The ad industry needs to reflect a world that is 70% non-white
- Diversity improves the bottom line
Research
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Brands fail to represent Black women in ads
Author WARC
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How consumers are responding to brands' anti-racism stance
Author WARC
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The five biggest takeaways from Lions Live
Author Stephen Whiteside
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Ads must be accessible for people with disabilities
Author WARC
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'Fight the Virus. Fight the Bias' tackles racism against Asian Americans
Author WARC
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COVID-19, recession, Black Lives Matter: What now for brand purpose?
Author Anna Hamill
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Respond2Racism punches back at Coronavirus-bred bigotry
Author Geoffrey Precourt
Brands and messaging
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COVID Conversations: Jason White, CMO of cannabis brand Curaleaf
Author Jason White
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How companies can Brand the Vote! (And why they should)
Authors Drew Train and Davianne Harris
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Lessons in brand activism and effectiveness from the North America SABRE Awards winners
Author Chiara Manco
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Advertisers must tackle racist choices in casting
Author WARC
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Facebook changes course on monitoring racial bias
Author WARC
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What the New Statesman tells us about the brokenness of digital advertising
Author Sam Peña-Taylor
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Black Lives Matter movement forces brands’ marketing review
Author WARC
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Brands push social networks to act on harmful content
Author WARC
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Brands need to fight back against racism: UN Exec Director
Author WARC
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Author Cathy Taylor
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McDonald’s ad strategy in support of Black Lives Matter
Author WARC
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Ad industry needs accountability on diversity problems
Author WARC
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P&G’s roadmap for tackling racial inequality in marketing
Author WARC
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Brands and agencies step up BLM support
Author WARC
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COVID-19 Conversations: Ukonwa Ojo, CMO, M.A.C Cosmetics
Author Anna Hamill
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The Facebook ad boycott marks the end of the road for brand ‘safety’
Author Alex Brownsell
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Patagonia latest brand to pull Facebook ads over anti-hate campaign
Author WARC
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What will force Facebook’s hand?
Author Mike Teasdale
Structuring for diversity
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Changing your brand for the better: Six lessons on diversity and inclusion from Lions Live
Author Cathy Taylor
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Now is the moment for brands to re-evaluate the importance of high quality media environments
Author Demi Abiola
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How Publicis Groupe plans to increase diversity
Author WARC
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Why diverse teams benefit agencies and brands
Author Geoffrey Precourt
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Don’t break the talent pipeline
Author Ally Owen
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True inclusivity means diverse perspectives
Author Kanika Bali
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Culture and community: What's next for strategists?
Author Gerard Crichlow
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ANA/AIMM call on marketers to tackle industry bias and embrace diversity
Author Stephen Whiteside
The WARC Guide to brand activism in the Black Lives Matter era
A summary of new thinking and best practice on brand activism in the Black Lives Matter era, from the WARC Guide.
- Why it matters
- What consumers want brands to do
- Inside out – Doing work internally first
- Internal work inspires external work
Black Lives Matter specific coverage
McDonald’s breaks with history to march boldly in support of Black Lives Matter movements
McDonald’s became a high-profile supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement with commercials that spread authentic, powerful messages.
- The brand broke with a long tradition of remaining apolitical
- It crafted ads that made its own stance clear
- It made space for members of the Black community to tell their stories
- It made sure to be supporting the communities that are most in need
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How Procter & Gamble takes a stand for racial equality while building brands
Authors Geoffrey Precourt
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How brands can effectively respond to Black Lives Matter
Authors Mark Pinnes and Hiwot Wolde-Senbet
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Trust, authenticity and meaningful diversity drive young marketers’ agenda
Author Anna Hamill
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Procter & Gamble steps up to tackle systemic racism with marketing action
Author Stephen Whiteside
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Four in five want brands to act in support of Black Lives Matter
Author Rob Clapp
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NASCAR & Black Lives Matter study
Author Performance Research and Full Circle Research Co
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Endeavor’s Bozoma Saint John seeks to make sure Black voices are heard in new places
Author Geoffrey Precourt
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Burger King’s Machado focusing on walking the walk concerning equality
Author Geoffrey Precourt
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Edelman Trust Barometer 2020: Brands and racial justice in America
Author Edelman
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Johnson & Johnson group president: Marketers must stand up to confront racial injustice
Authors Geoffrey Precourt
More on Black audiences and communities
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Diversity, inclusion and building a positive culture in the marketing team
Author Jamie Hall
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Using neuroscience to make the case for more diversity in advertising
Authors Chasson Gracie, Joshua Richards, Daniel Pozzebon, Kevin Keane and Jasmin Amin
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Authors Dentsu and SeeHer
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Two-thirds of brands and agencies struggle with diversity and inclusion
Author Marte Aune
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ANA Growth Agenda’s four pillars provide support to bring diversity and inclusion to advertising
Author Geoffrey Precourt
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Algorithmic fairness must be at the heart of the tech we design
Author Henrik Nordmark
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How Levi Strauss & Co is facing up to its diversity problem
Author Sam Peña-Taylor
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How Visa is helping tackle racial injustice with marketing, transparency and powerful conversations
Author Stephen Whiteside
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Half of Americans have boycotted a brand, rises to 67% of high income consumers
Author Rob Clapp
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A matter of principle: Reassessing your strategy in today’s environment
Author VAB
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AI, data, and ethical marketing
Author Charla Griffy-Brown
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Author Joseph Suriya
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Justice and brand accountability
Authors Jude Cohen, Jonathan Daly, Kathleen Diamantakis, Charlotte Tansill and Kai D. Wright
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Bevel grooming products stand up to specific needs of Black male consumers
Author Geoffrey Precourt
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Author David Lansanah
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How consumers are responding as brands drop racist logos and characters
Author Stephen Whiteside
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Advertisers are failing in portrayals of Black women ‒ and need to embrace intersectionality
Author Stephen Whiteside
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UWG’s advice for brands and agencies that are seeking to address racial injustice
Author Geoffrey Precourt
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Before you shoot: Let's pledge to stop anti-Black ad casting
Author We Are Pi
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A three-step framework to address racist casting in advertising
Author Stephen Whiteside
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How Tide cleans up with multicultural consumers
Author Stephen Whiteside
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How Ford found an audience of female African-American pick-up truck enthusiasts
Author Geoffrey Precourt
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Author Anne Field
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Inclusiveness is key to spurring diverse talent
Author Marie Griffin
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Diversity in advertising is common, but here’s how to make it actually have impact
Author Lindsay Wade
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How Denny’s fights a negative “diner” stereotype with multicultural initiatives
Author Geoffrey Precourt
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Authors Morgan E. Ellithorpe, Michael Hennessy, and Amy Bleakley
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Sequent Partners find faults in coverage, accuracy of multicultural-marketing data
Author Geoffrey Precourt
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P&G’s Pritchard calls on brands to prioritize diversity and inclusion in a crisis
Author Stephen Whiteside
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How Procter & Gamble identified (and filled) the “gaps” in its multicultural advertising
Author Geoffrey Precourt
Cases focusing on Black audiences and communities
World Afro Day: The most visible invisible problem
World Afro Day, a platform for celebrating afro hair, culture and identity, ignited a cultural conversation around afro hair in the workplace around the world.
As the problem was often an unconscious one, it delivered facts about the issue via social, DOOH, press and programmatic to raise awareness and do so in way that would not shame those who didn't want to wear their hair naturally.
Awards show APG, 2019
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Courageous Conversation Global Foundation (CCGF): Not A Gun
Awards show ARF David Ogilvy Awards
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Black Lives Matter: 'Unsafety Check' (US)
Awards show WARC Rankings, Creative 100
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Awards show SABRE Awards, North America, 2018
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Be The Match: Inspiring the African American community to step up and save lives
Awards show SABRE Awards, In2, 2016
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Pantene Gold Series Launch Initiative
Awards show SABRE Awards, In2, 2018
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Awards show Cannes Creative Lions, Creative Effectiveness Lions, 2017
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Give Blood: #Represent – Empowering a generation to take on a worrying inequality
Awards show Account Planning Group (UK), 2017
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Black & Abroad: Go Back To Africa
Awards show WARC Rankings, Creative 100, 2020
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Talking the Talk: P&G Blackish Integration
Awards show North American Effies, 2019
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Awards show SABRE Awards, North America, 2020
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The Groveland Four: Righting a historical injustice
Awards show SABRE Awards, North America, 2020
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Toyota: Toyota RAV4 Adventure Grade: Alleviating Fear Through Community
Awards show Jay Chiat Strategic Excellence Awards, 2018
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Awards show SABRE Awards, IN2, North America, 2020
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Lloyds Bank: Reflecting Modern Britain – Ethnicity in Advertising
Awards show MRS Awards, 2019
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Susan G. Komen: Know Your Girls
Awards show ARF Ogilvy Awards, 2019
Brand activism content
Rising to the moment: A roadmap for brands amid social unrest
This report from Kantar US encapsulates data over time regarding social unrest and Black Lives Matter.
- 83% of Americans see cultural diversity as one of the country’s strengths
- But brands lag in learning about, and addressing, the needs and aspirations of diverse consumers
- Brands need to bridge the opportunity gap
- They must also avoid the tendency to appropriate traditions
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What the rise in social activism means for brands
Authors Heather Dansie and Lisa Cowie
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How companies can Brand the Vote! (And why they should)
Authors Drew Train and Davianne Harris
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What we know about activist campaigns
Author WARC
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Five considerations for building activist brands
Author Stephen Whiteside
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Political movements in an election year – and what it means for brands
Author Amanda Ginzburg
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What we know about brand purpose
Author WARC
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How Airbnb mixes brand-building and politics
Author Stephen Whiteside
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Beyond brand purpose: The Body Shop embraces activism
Author Anna Hamill
WARC Commitments to Racial Equality
Our Organisation
We are committed to being an anti-racist and inclusive organisation.
Our Team
We are committed to recruiting and developing talent from Black and diverse backgrounds.
Our Content
We are committed to building a network of contributors, content and insights from Black and other diverse communities, to be amplified on WARC platforms.
Our Product
We are committed to an ongoing review of the structure, language and tagging of our product, to accurately represent Black and diverse communities.
Our Market Influence
We are committed to educating and nurturing the marketers of tomorrow from Black and diverse backgrounds.
HBCU Initiative
In partnership with the ANA Educational Foundation (AEF), the 4A’s Foundation and the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF), WARC and Cannes Lions have teamed up to bring industry knowledge to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). With the help of the HBCU Business Dean’s Roundtable, this initiative will ensure that future Black – and other under-represented groups of marketers – have the best content available to them on creative and marketing effectiveness.
Students from 100+ HBCUs across the US will have access to world-class content from the WARC and Cannes Lions’ The Work platforms, providing them with the tools and insights to help further their education in marketing. This commitment by WARC and Cannes Lions, worth over $1m per annum, is given free of charge.
To learn more about this initiative or if you are an HBCU and would like to sign up, please reach out to us at americas@warc.com.
WARC and Cannes Lions are committed to advancing and expanding diversity in marketing.
“This partnership will provide HBCU’s with practical educational tools to assist in enhancing our marketing programs. Our curriculum today requires business case studies and other current marketplace resources for student success. It is my hope that this initiative and others will help improve the access of our students to marketing careers across the industry.”
Van B. Sapp, Dean, Saint Augustine’s University School of Business, Management, and Technology and President, HBCU Business Dean’s Roundtable
Black Cultural Archives
The Black Cultural Archives (BCA) is the home of Black British History and its mission is to collect, preserve and celebrate the histories of people of African and Caribbean descent in the UK and to inspire and give strength to individuals, communities and society.
Mainstream voices have dominated marketing and advertising spaces, there is a need for minority audiences, customers and consumers to be spoken to and reached in an authentic and credible way.
In partnership with the BCA & in collaboration with Niche On Demand WARC’s aim is to:
- Help businesses make their marketing more effective by embedding inclusion as a way of life.
- Connect Black audiences to brands that want to engage in authentic and meaningful ways.
- Provide access to world class insights, data and innovation to enable you to effectively market and engage authentically.
- Showcase the pioneers in black British marketing, their influence and contributions.
Hidden Figures: A look at Black British marketing and design
Mainstream voices have dominated marketing and advertising spaces, and there is a need for audiences, customers and consumers to be spoken to and reached in an authentic and credible way.
In partnership with the Black Cultural Archives (BCA) and Niche on Demand (NoD), this video series explores the pioneers in Black British marketing, their influence and contributions.
Each interview draws on key themes such as lessons learnt from being one of the first black owned strategic marketing consultancies in the UK, the influence of black creatives and marketers on Brand Activism, and building on the next generation of black marketers/researchers.
Kevin Morosky, Creative Director, Havas Media Group and Co founder POCC
Launched 15th Oct- The current state of diversity, equity and inclusion in advertising – what do brands need to do next?
- Personal experiences of progressing in advertising: Barriers faced and actionable steps.
- The future of Black marketers and advertisers of tomorrow
Dr Glen Yearwood, Owner, Soul Marketing
Launched 22nd Oct- The importance of storytelling to success
- Recommendations for the aspiring Black creatives and marketers of the future
- What should brand do now in order to have true representation
Binki Taylor, Founding Partner, The Brixton Project, and Kunle Olulode, Director, Voice4Change – in memoriam of Jon Daniel
Launched 29th Oct- The importance of brand activism
- The power of personality and openness in creating a change environment
- Jon Daniel pivotal creative campaigns
