The UnAgency

The 2010 Diversity in Advertising

12-Steps to Success Program

While we all know why more diversity is needed in marketing and advertising, there seems to be some question as to how to achieve it. Today we will answer the questions with concrete, actionable steps.

Step 1:Bring a Cablinasian* mentality to EVERY project and campaign. Bring team members of different cultural backgrounds to the table or call on your ethnic agency partners to consult, even if they are not working on all aspects of the work.*Note: This is one of the few places this concept works.

Step 2:Have non-ethnic staffers attend diversity events (ie National Black MBA Association) as speakers or company representatives.

Step 3:Cause Marketing with a cultural twist. Have campaigns connect to a cause that is important to diverse target audiences.

Step 4:Never again cast ethnically ambiguous.

Step 5:Think outside of the inner city. Diverse people live in and carry on very suburban lives. Connect brand stories to this reality and capture the aspirations of the inner city as well as give suburbanites a reason to spend on a brand that speaks to them.

Minority Alumni Network (MAN)Minority Alumni Network (MAN)

NDAA Board DiscussionNDAA Board DiscussionSpring Meeting 2009Spring Meeting 2009

Step 6:

Discover the multicultural/minority alumni of the top colleges/universities. These groups are leading the buying power in their communities.

Step 7:Think beyond “what you think you know.” Invest in the psychographic and demographic information necessary. The best brand connections are in the details.

Step 8:Lead marketing efforts with a diverse brand story instead of following with one.

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Step 9: Show up locally. Grassroots and community events combined with other advertising goes a long way to demonstrate brand commitment.

Step 10:When online, remember it’s about expanding your SOI (sphere of influence) rather than ROI. So engage. Don’t sell. Ask. Don’t tell.

Step 11: Tell a new diverse story in detail. Broad strokes are a guaranteed miss.Jacks of all trades, master none!

Step 12:The MadAve Callabos

10 Brands connecting to 40 diverse lives. The stories

told from start to finish.

Not quite like this.But the concept is the same. A little bit of this and a little bit of that coming together…

twstheunagency.comRochelle Valsaint

rochelle@twstheunagencytwitter:@mcmtownhallFB: TWS -The UnAgency

The UnAgency