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
Brands fail to represent Black women in ads
Author WARC
How consumers are responding to brands' anti-racism stance
Author WARC
The five biggest takeaways from Lions Live
Author Stephen Whiteside
Ads must be accessible for people with disabilities
Author WARC
'Fight the Virus. Fight the Bias' tackles racism against Asian Americans
Author WARC
Matter: What now for brand purpose?
Author Anna Hamill
Respond2Racism punches back at Coronavirus-bred bigotry
Author Geoffrey Precourt
Brands and messaging
COVID Conversations: Jason White, CMO of cannabis brand Curaleaf
Author Jason White
How companies can Brand the Vote! (And why they should)
Author Drew Train and Davianne Harris
Lessons in brand activism and effectiveness from the North America SABRE Awards winners
Author Chiara Manco
Advertisers must tackle racist choices in casting
Author WARC
Facebook changes course on monitoring racial bias
Author WARC
What the New Statesman tells us about the brokenness of digital advertising
Author Sam Peña-Taylor
Black Lives Matter movement forces brands’ marketing review
Author WARC
Brands push social networks to act on harmful content
Author WARC
Brands need to fight back against racism: UN Exec Director
Author WARC
COVID-19 Conversations: Morgan Flatley, U.S. Chief Marketing and Digital Customer Experience Officer, McDonald’s
Author Cathy Taylor
McDonald’s ad strategy in support of Black Lives Matter
Author WARC
Ad industry needs accountability on diversity problems
Author WARC
P&G’s roadmap for tackling racial inequality in marketing
Author WARC
Brands and agencies step up BLM support
Author WARC
COVID-19 Conversations: Ukonwa Ojo, CMO, M.A.C Cosmetics
Author Anna Hamill
The Facebook ad boycott marks the end of the road for brand ‘safety’
Author Alex Brownsell
Patagonia latest brand to pull Facebook ads over anti-hate campaign
Author WARC
What will force Facebook’s hand?
Author Mike Teasdale
Structuring for diversity
Tapping community and diversity can be a brand’s superpower
Author Jay Richards and Cat Agotstinho
Being the change: How to provide Black creatives with advertising opportunities
Author Keiarra McLean
Changing your brand for the better: Six lessons on diversity and inclusion from Lions Live
Author Cathy Taylor
Now is the moment for brands to re-evaluate the importance of high quality media environments
Author Demi Abiola
How Publicis Groupe plans to increase diversity
Author WARC
Why diverse teams benefit agencies and brands
Author Geoffrey Precourt
Don’t break the talent pipeline
Author Ally Owen
True inclusivity means diverse perspectives
Author Kanika Bali
Culture and community: What's next for strategists?
Author Gerard Crichlow
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.
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
How Procter & Gamble takes a stand for racial equality while building brands
Author Geoffrey Precourt
How brands can effectively respond to Black Lives Matter
Author Mark Pinnes and Hiwot Wolde-Senbet
Trust, authenticity and meaningful diversity drive young marketers’ agenda
Author Anna Hamill
Procter & Gamble steps up to tackle systemic racism with marketing action
Author Stephen Whiteside
Four in five want brands to act in support of Black Lives Matter
Author Rob Clapp
NASCAR & Black Lives Matter study
Author Performance Research and Full Circle Research Co
Endeavor’s Bozoma Saint John seeks to make sure Black voices are heard in new places
Author Geoffrey Precourt
Burger King’s Machado focusing on walking the walk concerning equality
Author Geoffrey Precourt
Edelman Trust Barometer 2020: Brands and racial justice in America
Author Edelman
Johnson & Johnson group president: Marketers must stand up to confront racial injustice
Author Geoffrey Precourt
More on Black audiences and communities
Leading the way with inclusive marketing
Authors Melanie Chevalier and Kaan Tasan
Diversity, inclusion and building a positive culture in the marketing team
Author Jamie Hall
Using neuroscience to make the case for more diversity in advertising
Authors Chasson Gracie, Joshua Richards, Daniel Pozzebon, Kevin Keane and Jasmin Amin
Perceptions of progress: The state of women’s equality in the US – Advancing equality for Black, Hispanic and Latinx women
Authors Dentsu and SeeHer
Two-thirds of brands and agencies struggle with diversity and inclusion
Author Marte Aune
ANA Growth Agenda’s four pillars provide support to bring diversity and inclusion to advertising
Author Geoffrey Precourt
Algorithmic fairness must be at the heart of the tech we design
Author Henrik Nordmark
How Levi Strauss & Co is facing up to its diversity problem
Author Sam Peña-Taylor
How Visa is helping tackle racial injustice with marketing, transparency and powerful conversations
Author Stephen Whiteside
Half of Americans have boycotted a brand, rises to 67% of high income consumers
Author Rob Clapp
A matter of principle: Reassessing your strategy in today’s environment
Author VAB
AI, data, and ethical marketing
Author Charla Griffy-Brown
The importance of ethical AI
Author Joseph Suriya
Justice and brand accountability
Author Jude Cohen, Jonathan Daly, Kathleen Diamantakis, Charlotte Tansill and Kai D. Wright
Bevel grooming products stand up to specific needs of Black male consumers
Author Geoffrey Precourt
Resilient brands don’t react to a crisis, they respond to it: A perspective on racism and the call for equality
Author David Lansanah
How consumers are responding as brands drop racist logos and characters
Author Stephen Whiteside
Advertisers are failing in portrayals of Black women ‒ and need to embrace intersectionality
Author Stephen Whiteside
UWG’s advice for brands and agencies that are seeking to address racial injustice
Author Geoffrey Precourt
Before you shoot: Let's pledge to stop anti-Black ad casting
Author We Are Pi
A three-step framework to address racist casting in advertising
Author Stephen Whiteside
How Tide cleans up with multicultural consumers
Author Stephen Whiteside
How Ford found an audience of female African-American pick-up truck enthusiasts
Author Geoffrey Precourt
Missed opportunity: Brands would be wise to open their arms to the African-American millennial market
Author Anne Field
Inclusiveness is key to spurring diverse talent
Author Marie Griffin
Diversity in advertising is common, but here’s how to make it actually have impact
Author Lindsay Wade
How Denny’s fights a negative “diner” stereotype with multicultural initiatives
Author Geoffrey Precourt
Adolescent Perceptions of Black-Oriented Media – “The Day Beyoncé Turned Black”: Can Black-Oriented Films and TV Programs Be Marketed More Broadly?
Authors Morgan E. Ellithorpe, Michael Hennessy, and Amy Bleakley
Sequent Partners find faults in coverage, accuracy of multicultural-marketing data
Author Geoffrey Precourt
P&G’s Pritchard calls on brands to prioritize diversity and inclusion in a crisis
Author Stephen Whiteside
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
Courageous Conversation Global Foundation (CCGF): Not A Gun
Awards show ARF David Ogilvy Awards
Black Lives Matter: 'Unsafety Check' (US)
Awards show WARC Rankings, Creative 100
P&G The Talk
Awards show SABRE Awards, North America, 2018
Be The Match: Inspiring the African American community to step up and save lives
Awards show SABRE Awards, In2, 2016
Pantene Gold Series Launch Initiative
Awards show SABRE Awards, In2, 2018
Hennessy: Wild Rabbit
Awards show Cannes Creative Lions, Creative Effectiveness Lions, 2017
Give Blood: #Represent – Empowering a generation to take on a worrying inequality
Awards show Account Planning Group (UK), 2017
Black & Abroad: Go Back To Africa
Awards show WARC Rankings, Creative 100, 2020
Talking the Talk: P&G Blackish Integration
Awards show North American Effies, 2019
Dove: The CROWN Act
Awards show SABRE Awards, North America, 2020
The Groveland Four: Righting a historical injustice
Awards show SABRE Awards, North America, 2020
Toyota: Toyota RAV4 Adventure Grade: Alleviating Fear Through Community
Awards show Jay Chiat Strategic Excellence Awards, 2018
Ancestry: Railroad Ties
Awards show SABRE Awards, IN2, North America, 2020
Lloyds Bank: Reflecting Modern Britain – Ethnicity in Advertising
Awards show MRS Awards, 2019
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
What the rise in social activism means for brands
Authors Heather Dansie and Lisa Cowie
How companies can Brand the Vote! (And why they should)
Authors Drew Train and Davianne Harris
What we know about activist campaigns
Author WARC
Five considerations for building activist brands
Author Stephen Whiteside
Political movements in an election year – and what it means for brands
Author Amanda Ginzburg
What we know about brand purpose
Author WARC
How Airbnb mixes brand-building and politics
Author Stephen Whiteside
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
