{"id":27928,"date":"2021-11-26T14:19:44","date_gmt":"2021-11-26T14:19:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thepicpedia.com\/blog\/adobe\/being-a-black-digital-marketer-in-2021\/"},"modified":"2021-11-26T14:19:45","modified_gmt":"2021-11-26T14:19:45","slug":"being-a-black-digital-marketer-in-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thepicpedia.com\/blog\/adobe\/being-a-black-digital-marketer-in-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Being a Black digital marketer in 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Last summer\u2019s global wave of protests against racial inequality spurred many companies to re-examine whether they are properly addressing diversity and inclusion \u2014 both within their organizations and beyond their four walls. The digital marketing industry is looking in the mirror, participating in the national discussion about equity and inclusion, including debates about whether Black professionals can find career growth opportunities in their industry.<\/p>\n

Inclusion is a necessary step in addressing racial equity, and makes for a better, more productive work environment. Companies with a more diverse workforce repeatedly see improvements in employee engagement, according to a study of inclusiveness by consulting firm Deloitte. Diverse teams also help businesses solve problems faster because they bring together a greater variety of personal perspectives and experiences, Harvard Business Review found in a study.<\/p>\n

Yet, there are very few Black people working in digital marketing. In fact, according to the \u201cDiversity Report for the Advertising\/Marketing Industry,\u201d released last year by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), Black people comprise only 7 percent of the employees working in ANA member companies\u2019 marketing departments.<\/p>\n

Ty Heath, director of market engagement at The B2B Institute at LinkedIn explained that saying there is a \u201cshortage\u201d of Black people in digital marketing is the incorrect framing of the issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince there are so many wonderful people of color who are talented creators in marketing and other fields, saying there is a shortage of Black talent out there really does a disservice,\u201d she said. \u201cInstead, companies need to go out and find Black talent. They need to change the way they naturally recruit and intentionally invest in Black people and people of color.\u201d<\/p>\n

The only one in the room<\/h3>\n

Many Black digital marketers talk regularly about \u201cbeing the only Black person in the room\u201d and how uncomfortable that can feel.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving worked in various offices in my decades-long career, I can\u2019t think of a time when I wasn\u2019t either the only Black person in the office or one of a very small handful,\u201d said Kelly Coleman, executive director of e-commerce at Tarte Cosmetics, where she builds and maintains innovative and effective customer experiences across all of Tarte\u2019s digital properties.<\/p>\n

But, when Coleman walks into a room and feels people may be looking at her warily, \u201cI summon an inner strength that was built from a really strong family support system, and it just fuels me to work to be 10 times better and prove them wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adrian Chang, senior director of web strategy and digital marketing at software development firm Informatica has also experienced unconscious bias in the workplace. Unconscious bias refers to social stereotypes that individuals form from their backgrounds, personal interactions, societal stereotypes, and cultural context about certain groups of people without conscious awareness.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve found that when I walk into a room people are already making judgements about me and about how I may react to things,\u201d said Chang. \u201cI\u2019m used to it at this point. I just make sure I am prepared for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Black employees may feel they carry the onus of being more exceptional to overcome prejudice, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always felt little bit of that burden myself,\u201d said Wil Reynolds, the Black founder and CEO of Philadelphia-based a digital marketing agency Seer Interactive,. \u201cIf I am one of the first Black people to get my foot in the door of a company, and I don\u2019t crush it, I am giving them ammo to not hire Black people again.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the flip side, however, Reynolds said, \u201cIf I crush it, people try to find another guy like me.\u201d<\/p>\n

The digital marketing community has a lot of work to do to tip the scales in the direction of a more diverse workforce.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe journey starts with an internal conversation about the uncomfortable topics companies often avoid,\u201d said LinkedIn\u2019s Heath. \u201cConsider bringing in outside voices to support your team\u2019s development and start incorporating your values into the fabric of the brand and your actions.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Heath admitted that these conversations are often uncomfortable, imperfect, and messy, they are a good thing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no transformation without conversation \u2014 conversation with our customers, colleagues, and the examination of our own thoughts and biases,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Hire Black talent<\/h3>\n

One way to get more Black people into the digital marketing space is to hire more Black digital marketers. While there may not be a lot of black digital marketers working at companies today, there is no lack of Black talent out there.<\/p>\n

To do this, companies should ensure they have a diverse candidate pool for each role being filled, and make sure that diverse candidates are interviewed for all open roles. To find Black talent, companies can search for candidates in Hire Black Marketers, a directory of Black marketers looking for new roles, speaking and consulting opportunities. The goal of the list is to diversify the marketing industry by increasing the number of black marketers employed by businesses and ad agencies.<\/p>\n

Companies can also post jobs on the following sites:<\/p>\n

Black Marketers Association of America: An organization that connects Black marketing professionals who specialize in skills such as content marketing, search engine optimization or social media management with marketing jobs.
\nAfrican-American Marketing Association: A membership organization whose mission is to foster the growth and professional development of African-American marketers, creatives, and entrepreneurs.
\nCouncil of Urban Professionals: CUP\u2019s mission is to inspire, elevate, and empower the next generation of diverse business and civic leaders.<\/p>\n

Another great way to find Black marketing talent is by joining Black-focused networking groups and associations. One such networking group is TransformHER, a LinkedIn group for professional women of color in technology. It is designed for members to build stronger relationships and leverage resources to advance.<\/p>\n

LinkedIn\u2019s Heath, who heads up TransformHER, said the group is also open to allies, or members of the community who are not Black but take proactive action to support Black marketers and technologists.<\/p>\n

\u201cAllies help create the pipeline,\u201d Heath said. \u201cOnce allies join in and become part of our community, they get to know our members, which leads to people being top of mind when hiring decisions are being made.\u201d<\/p>\n

Companies can also recruit from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), which are colleges with strong roots in black community. These colleges are also extending and amplifying their digital marketing course offerings thanks to the Grow with Google HBCU Career Readiness Program. Launched last year, the program provides funding, digital skills workshops and custom jobseeker content to help students and alumni gain the tools and training needed to secure a job with digital skills and excel in the workplace.<\/p>\n

Adobe, in collaboration with leaders of its Black Employee Network (BEN) and a team of Black employees, is also focusing on increasing its investment in developing a robust talent pipeline. Hiring and recruiting more Black employees is one of five key focus areas Adobe has identified for long-term impact.<\/p>\n

In fact, Comparably, which publishes lists of the top companies to work for based on company culture and workplace benefits, named Adobe the \u201cBest Company for Diversity in 2020,\u201d as well as \u201cBest Company Culture 2020,\u201d \u201cBest CEOs for Diversity 2020,\u201d and \u201cBest Company for Diversity 2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Create a culture for Black talent to thrive<\/h3>\n

Once Black people are hired, it is important for companies to create cultures where they can succeed and grow.<\/p>\n

\u201cCompanies shouldn\u2019t just hire Black talent for the sake of hiring Black talent,\u201d Heath said. \u201cThere has to be a path forward. In many companies, while there may be people of color hired at lower levels, when you move up the ladder the number of people of color begins to taper off.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed, according to the ANA\u2019s aforementioned Diversity Report for the Advertising\/Marketing Industry, ethnic diversity remains poor from the senior level on down, especially for Blacks. Among the 40 ANA board of directors and other member companies at the senior level, Blacks comprise just 5 percent of the senior level, while approximately 13 percent of the total population.<\/p>\n

LinkedIn is working to address the representation gap among its own workforce, Heath said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve introduced a new commitment to double the number of Black and Latino leaders, managers, and senior individual contributors on our U.S. team over the next five years,\u201d she said. \u201cBy focusing on increasing and maintaining diversity in senior positions and the leadership pipeline, we\u2019re centering attention on roles with the most responsibility and decision-making authority, while also enhancing development pathways for underrepresented talent at all levels.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople need to put their money where their mouths are,\u201d Tarte Cosmetics\u2019 Coleman said. \u201cHire Black people and put them in leadership positions. Focus on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Informatica\u2019s Chang said that the companies that encourage developing Black leaders end up being better companies in the long run.<\/p>\n

\u201cCompanies that have corporate cultures that encourage diversity \u2014 and all types of diversity, including diversity of thought \u2014 are the ones that will succeed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Amplify Black talent<\/h3>\n

Another way to get more Black digital marketers in the industry it to amplify current Black employees. After all, representation is key: When Black people who are looking for jobs in digital marketing see people who look like them, working successfully in digital marketing jobs, it can be exciting and encouraging.<\/p>\n

Bozoma Saint John, the CMO of Netflix, and Travis McPhail, the platform engineering lead for Google Maps, are two examples of Black technology and marketing thought leaders who have become icons for the next generation of digital marketers. They regularly speak at virtual and live events, post on social media channels and are featured in industry publications.<\/p>\n

\u201cRepresentation is really important,\u201c said Coleman. \u201cYoung people need to see that people who look like them are at these organizations and have a path forward.\u201d Coleman said she has also gone back to her alma mater, Howard University, several times to speak to students about her career, specifically for this reason.<\/p>\n

Black digital marketers can raise their professional profiles by posting information about themselves on the following websites:<\/p>\n

B-Digital<\/strong>: A U.K.-based digital marketing platform that highlights Black talent within the global digital marketing community. Its goal is to showcase Black digital marketing talent as well as inspire new Black digital marketing talent.
\n#BlackAndBrilliant<\/strong>: A professional network designed to advance Black professionals across the globe. The group started as a hashtag to highlight Black professionals and leaders and correct the idea that the lack of Black representation in leadership roles is caused by a lack of Black talent.<\/p>\n

While there is more work to be done to make the digital marketing community increasingly diverse and representative of our larger community, the encouraging news is there are many resources available today for companies to build more diverse teams. And having a more diverse teams can lead to faster problem solving, increased profits, better employee engagement and a better company reputation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Source : Adobe<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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