16648: Welcome to Miller Time In Adland.

 

Advertising Age published a perspective from Pepper Miller that spotlights how the lack of true diversity at White advertising agencies often leads to culturally clueless campaigns.

 

The observations and opinions are not new—what’s more, Miller has repeatedly delivered the presentation for decades.

 

Perhaps it’s time to create an AI rant generated by AI. Adland certainly has established a systemic racism algorithm to facilitate the task.

 

Hell, it seems publications like Ad Age utilize AI to find contrived and clichéd images to illustrate all diversity-related content—as demonstrated by the editorial’s image depicted above.

 

Inclusive Marketing—Why The Demise Of Diversity Is Stifling Creative Innovation

 

The absence of diverse decision-makers has led to campaigns that fail to resonate with target audiences

 

By Pepper Miller

 

I’m stunned, frustrated and confused by the marketing industry’s rejection of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) initiatives. As a Black American consumer market researcher deeply ingrained in the ever-evolving realm of consumer culture, I’ve witnessed how the marketing industry prides itself on innovation, creativity and staying ahead of the curve. Yet, in a world where inclusion should be nonnegotiable, we find ourselves in an industry paralyzed by fear, where a lack of insights and creative stagnation stifles innovation.

 

Following George Floyd’s murder and the Black Lives Matter protests, those of us in Black consumer marketing thought we were about to have a breakthrough. We watched and listened to business leaders scramble to be in the “not me” camp when finger-pointing emerged toward diversity cop-outs. We saw ads in prominent media that included signatures of CEOs and chief marketing officers who promised to beef up diversity programs and invest in Black consumer research, marketing, Black-owned businesses and Black-owned media.

 

Yet today, it’s a different story.

 

The June 2023 Supreme Court ruling limiting the use of affirmative action in college admissions sparked a reactionary trend among many business leaders, which led to the firing of DEIB chiefs and the swift dismantling of DEIB initiatives.

 

Despite diverse communities’ growing influence and contributions to the U.S. economy and culture, this shift reflects a mindset akin to the fear of losing out (FOLO)—the belief that for one kind to thrive, the “other” must suffer. Walter Geer III, VML North America’s chief creative officer, puts this mindset into perspective.

 

“The biggest threat that we are facing in this industry … is essentially bias,” Geer said.

 

“When you look across the space … the majority of the time, when people think we’re asking for opportunity at the table, they think we’re trying to take something from them, when in fact, tables can be expanded,” Greer said. “There’s this fear that we want what’s theirs, and that’s not the case. It’s about a fair opportunity and a fair chance to sit at those tables and make those decisions.”

 

Geer is spot-on. The absence of diverse voices at decision-making tables has led to campaigns that miss the mark and fail to resonate with the audiences they aim to reach. It also perpetuates harmful stereotypes, reinforces biases and erases our experiences from our individual and collective narratives.

 

A glaring manifestation of this resistance is the superficial approach to inclusion, or “lazy tokenism.” There has been a noticeable uptick in campaigns featuring mixed-race couples against the stark absence of same-ethnic race and same-sex couples. Tone-deaf campaigns and culturally insensitive messaging add to the growing list of marketing blunders.

 

While confidentiality agreements prevent me from disclosing specific brand names, I can offer examples from my experience as a consultant where I identified similar issues. Before its revamp, one ad originally depicted aerial views and close shots of Black people working in the fields in Africa.

 

The popular swap-out method, where brands replace white actors with Black actors in the name of innovation, often backfires. For instance, a white whimsical character was swapped for a Black male. Still, the resulting commercial portrayed the Black man in a negative stereotype, unnoticed by the white account and creative team. They saw both characters as whimsical, ignoring that Black men are key influencers of coolness in America and beyond. Simply swapping actors without addressing deeper biases or systemic ones is merely a cosmetic change, not a substantive one.

 

Another example is how a luxury fashion magazine with good intentions alienated Black women globally. The magazine intended to highlight its first-ever cover with several African models. However, ineffective lighting significantly darkened the models’ medium-to-dark complexions. None of the models wore natural hairstyles; they were dressed in black and wore somber facial expressions. This depiction clashed with African culture, which celebrates natural hair, color and joy.

 

It’s no wonder that blunders and missteps continue. Behind the scenes, the statistics paint a grim picture of representation in market research and advertising. For decades, ethnic groups have been poorly represented in these industries, with minimal progress over the years.

 

A 2020 4A’s study among 165 agencies representing more than 40,000 employees, as reported by Forbes, found that employment stats of Black and African American employees make up just 5.8% of the industry, while 8.68% identify as Hispanic or Latinx, 10.7% as Asian/Asian American, 4.23% as “other” and 70.51% as white or Caucasian.

 

Similarly, bleak ethnic representation numbers among market research workers were reported by online recruitment service Zippia this past April:

 

• White, 67.6%

 

• Hispanic or Latino, 12.4%

 

• Asian, 9.6%

 

• Black or African American, 5.2%

 

• Unknown, 5.0%

 

Moreover, as certain political factions are erasing history and whitewashing the realities of America’s past, the marketing industry's silence is deafening.

 

By failing to understand history’s impact on our society and refusing to engage in meaningful dialogue about race, identity and representation, business leaders are complicit in shutting out diverse voices, perspectives and experiences rich with insights that can lead to strategies that reach broader audiences.

 

The marketing industry must go beyond lip service to genuinely embrace diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. It isn’t just a checkbox, but the catalyst for groundbreaking innovation, boundless creativity, and unparalleled profitability. The industry must move beyond fears and token gestures and commit to meaningful change that reflects humanity’s rich tapestry. Only then can we unlock strategic and creative potential and celebrate a genuinely inclusive marketing world.

13572: Total Market, Total Failure…?

Campaign published a perspective and sales pitch from Jeffrey L. Bowman, who is still trying to peddle what was once dubbed Cross-Cultural Marketing and later renamed Total Market. Pepper Miller delivered detailed dissections of the direction, and White advertising agencies ultimately hijacked the notion to seize total control of marketing budgets. Meanwhile, Bowman is selling a report on Total Market that will likely be totally ignored by the total industry.

Close the gap: The state of the ‘total market’ industry

By Jeffrey L. Bowman

If we do not get the total market topic right, businesses could lose the next 50 years of market share, writes author and founder of Reframe: The Brand.

We should have gotten it right by now, but we haven’t. We’ve had the data, the tools, the observation skills and the creativity to recognize a bad plan, and yet little has changed in almost 60 years.

That bad plan could be called “Separate But Equal Marketing,” and it was introduced in the 1950s and 1960s. It was inappropriate at the time and has been ineffective since then—and with good reason. McKinsey introduced the topic of “Total Market” in the mid-1960s. At the time corporations were not paying attention to the upward and mobile black consumer. Companies started creating ethnic marketing departments to target blacks and diversity compliance initiatives for their employees in the 1960s. The marketing and communications industry created two different ways of buying services known as “general market” to focus on the “mass” consumer audience and “ethnic marketing,” which later became “multicultural marketing,” to focus on blacks, Hispanics and Asian consumers. Over the last 50 years, nothing changed.

In 2010, the topic of general market and multicultural marketing was revisited at great length and reinvented through the innovation of total market. However the topic was more relevant and it was defined as a new way of buying services from suppliers whose offerings reflected the new America. The innovation, definition and approach were met with resistance and pushback from general market, ethnic and some industry associations. Why? This required structural changes for buying services within the $350 billion marketing and communications industry. As a result, we’re still pursuing a direction that proves inefficient and ineffective. But there is a clear and better way forward.

After five years of weathering the total market topic storm, my team and I sought to uncover why there is resistance to innovation and provide clarity on the topic, while committing resources to providing educational leadership. To identify industry best practices, we conducted over 50 interviews and observations with leading brands, agencies and collected data at conferences and through many hours of desk research. With our inaugural “State of the Total Market Industry Vertical Report,” our goal was to help others truly understand and apply the principles needed for their best employee and consumer outcomes.

If we do not get the total market topic right, businesses could lose the next 50 years of buying consumption. Why? Statistics show that the entire human race is going to flip generationally, racially, ethnically, religiously and in terms of gender, creating a new marketplace and workplace. Therefore we should stop using dated service models, and companies should have new ways of creating value in the new workplace and marketplace.

What’s wrong with the way things are now? Today, a business chooses to buy marketing and communications services based on a segregated model in which general market is separate from multicultural. If you are talent or a business owner within the marketing and communications industry, your ideas and services are likely chosen or purchased based on this model and often multicultural service providers get the short end of the stick even though the multicultural consumers have the highest growth demographically.

Based on our report findings, employees within major brands are two generations culturally removed from consumers. Most big companies culturally reflect a monocultural society or a homogeneity, whereas, culturally in America, there is the debate about moving away from multicultural society to either cross-cultural or poly-cultural society.

Because of the macro cultural and population shift, accept that this is just as much of an employee (workplace) outcome as a consumer (marketplace) outcome. In order for this to work, it has to start internally and then impact externally. You have to have the talent within the organization to fully comprehend and execute the total market approach for the new marketplace and the total market enterprise approach for the new workplace. This starts with education.

This is not a quick sales lift action. If you are attempting to use the total market approach for marketplace results, focus first on strategy, then execution. Many in advertising and marketing have tried using this approach without any strategic planning or outside help. There is now a graveyard of brands that rushed into this only to have discovered their organization was not mature enough. They’ve reverted back to the old and ineffective models. You don’t have too.

Expect some structural changes. For more than 60 years, brands and their service providers have allocated resources and funding under the model of “separate but equal,” meaning mass and multicultural audiences are equal. As multicultural audiences are increasingly the mass audience, this presents a fundamental opportunity about how to restructure budgets, partnerships and departments to accelerate growth within this new marketplace and workplace.

Be honest with yourself and your organization to drive structural change and transformation. Organizations first have to identify and accept where the gaps exist in understanding and acting within the new marketplace and workplace. This requires you to assess your organization.

We are committed to transforming the work and marketplace and are partnering with Campaign US to share our findings over the next several months. Our ambition is to make a difference for the future of the work and marketplace and redirect the industry towards a better way forward. Please join us and #CLOSETHEGAP.

—Jeffrey L. Bowman is an author, and president and CEO of Reframe: The [Brand] – A Business Acceleration Platform.

13356: Spotting A Shafting.

As a prequel to Pepper Miller’s Forbes perspective on the total bullshit of Total Market, here’s a prediction she made on the subject at Advertising Age in 2013. While Miller positions herself as specializing in consumer research, analysis and marketing strategy, the Ad Age piece shows she’s a trendspotter too. Then again, it’s relatively easy to spot the trend of minorities on Madison Avenue getting shafted like Richard Roundtree.

‘Total Market’ Gets Lots of Buzz, but Multicultural Agencies Will Suffer Badly

The Model Has Little Room for Agencies Whose Expertise Is Much Needed

By Pepper Miller

Advertising has a new darling concept for everyone to toss around to show how much they get the need to reach an ever expanding and varied target audience. I’m talking about “Total Market,” which was being touted at the ANA Multicultural Conference this year as the solution for addressing the growth of Hispanics and Asians in the U.S. population, and cashing in on the undeniable influence that African Americans exert as trend setters.

I didn’t attend the conference. I was enjoying a badly needed vacation during the same time. But I am very skeptical. The underlying premise is that ethnic agencies are largely unneeded, that the current multicultural marketing model—where general-market and ethnic agencies work in tandem to engage the total population—is not working.

This is true. It’s not working. But the model was never given a fair shot at success. Ethnic agencies have operated on minuscule budgets compared to general-market agencies. And they have had to spend much of their energy providing rationales over and over to the many marketers who didn’t fully understand and embrace segments culturally different from the mainstream.

Now the Total Market approach is being embraced by general-market agencies that for years have used the traditional “one-size-fits-most” approach, ignoring the shifts in U.S. population and focusing on being cost-efficient, rather than trying to understand and investing in different cultures that make up the whole. And they are still inviting few ethnic agencies to the table early or often to strategize about a new campaign. Instead, the ethnic agencies are given the general-market strategy to adapt to their respective targets, small “assignments” versus a significant piece of business, and continue to lose media-buying responsibilities.

I’m not opposed to general-market agencies, but my hard questions for marketers are: Why aren’t you giving diversity agencies a chance to lead? Why are you insisting that diversity agencies teach the general-market agencies how to appeal to ethnic segments and then giving the assignments to general-market agencies?

I’m not buying the “ethnic-agencies-don’t-have-staff” excuse. Staffing comes with budget. I’m concerned that Total Market supporters are naive about how fair, balanced and inclusive the model will be for diversity agencies, and particularly black-run agencies. I’ve been working in this business since the late 80s and have never seen the black media spend get more than 2% of the national total. And now under the Total Market model ethnic budgets are going to blow up?

The Total Market approach will require an internal cultural shift for more diversity in-house. General-market agencies have been paying lip service to this issue for years without creating any actionable strategies. With Total Market that’s going to change?

During a telephone interview, Reginald Osborne, a senior-level ad executive at Walton Isaacson who has also worked at general-market and ethnic ad agencies, and on the client side, told me this: “They don’t have people like me sitting at the table, so it’s no wonder we continue to hear comments like: ‘I don’t see color when I look at you .... How can you influence the thought process or be effective about diversity if you don’t understand how people are different and similar?”

Too often we hear general-market agencies and Total Market supporters embracing the attitude that “culture is not related to ethnicity.” With the first black U.S. president and the greater acceptance of racial differences by many of our children, the assumption is that we are living in a post-racial society. But a post- racial society will be measured by the sixth or seventh black president, not the first.

Marketers are also clueless about Black Twitter and its predominantly black followers. Black youth are creating phenomenal numbers of digital platforms in cyberspace for people who look like them, and like most blacks, many black Millennials say that society and marketers don’t “get” black culture.

Insights like these are the benefits of working with ethnic agencies and internal multicultural teams. Will the Total Market approach conduct deep dives and tell stories like these? It’s not happening now; how can we be sure, it will happen in the future?

The elimination of the internal multicultural ethnic teams and ethnic agencies gives marketers and general-market agencies permission to do what do they’ve always done. The best model is an improved working relationship between general-market and diversity agencies, where ethnic agencies are treated as equals and budgets allocated appropriately.

We have a system that’s not perfect. Determining how to make it work, as opposed to throwing it away, is an option, too.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Pepper Miller is the founder and president of The Hunter-Miller Group, Chicago. She is author of “Black Still Matters” and co-author of “What’s Black About It?”

13352: Pepper-Spraying Total Market.

Pepper Miller provided a perspective on Total Market that was published at Forbes. Miller might be too polite in her exposition, despite openly stating, “The truth about Total Market strategy is the elephant in the room: It’s not working.” Actually, it is working. For the ruling White majority, that is. Total Market involves White advertising agencies—with the Total Support of White holding companies—seizing Total Control of the Total Marketing Budget, snatching even the crumbs from minority peers, ultimately resulting in the Total Destruction of multicultural shops. It’s Total Bullshit.

The Promise And Reality Of ‘Total Market’ And How CMOs Need To Address It

By Pepper Miller

Total Market strategy is defined by the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies as “a marketing approach followed by corporations with their trusted internal and external partners which proactively integrates diverse segment considerations. This is done from inception, through the entire strategic process and execution, with the goal of enhancing value and growth effectiveness. In marketing communications this could lead to either one fully integrated cross-cultural approach, individual segment approaches, or both in many cases, but always aligned under one overarching strategy.”

Proponents of the approach promised a new, innovative and inclusive approach for reaching The New America. However, despite articles, white papers and presentations, many marketers are still confused about what Total Market strategy is. The truth about Total Market strategy is the elephant in the room: It’s not working.

In reality, it’s business as usual, with multicultural segments being addressed via casting and work that is often stereotypical. And many marketers are now realizing that multicultural market share and customer-satisfaction gains made when ethnic agencies were used are evaporating.

The shift of large percentages of ethnic ad business to general-market agencies within the past decade was swift, shocking and devastating. As general-market agencies reap the business of multicultural business, ethnic consumer patterns and opinions indicate that results have been less than stellar. Also, current staff is untrained, and minority talent on both the agency and client side remains sparse.

“We don’t have the talent that understands the multicultural audience. The right talent is an investment proposition,” says Esther Franklin, executive VP, head of Americas Experience Strategy at Publicis Media.

Co-CEO Cory Isaacson of Walton Isaacson avoids that Total Market trap by making inclusion a priority. “I’m this white guy (partner and Co-CEO Aaron Walton is Black) who strongly believes in the diversity of thought and culture because it provides the most powerful solutions for our clients. It’s part of our mission and values. It’s the right thing to do and the way to win.”

Carlos Santiago, CEO of Santiago Solutions Group, also reminds us that some corporations’ decisions to dismantle internal multicultural resources only further intensifies the need for ethnic talent: “The dissolution of multicultural centers of excellence puts more responsibility on already strapped brand managers,” he said. “There’s no one to call to ask for help, except general-market agency partners who lack ethnic talent and who are not cultural experts.”

Additionally, given that technologies have changed the way people interact with brands, marketing is required to do more with less. The only mandate is “efficiency,” with few concerns about being “effective.” Many marketers who continue to believe that ethnic audiences effectively can be reached with general-market media alone use this erroneous practice. This approach often ignores obstacles that prevent effective ethnic engagement, for example, low brand awareness, pricing issues, and the need for relevant content and programming. TMP requires a media overhaul where new standards and measurements are established.

“There is a major, industry-wide issue around analytics, media and ROI…. Current industry media measurements need to evolve because there is no consideration for culture, relevance and influence,” says Lizette Williams, multicultural marketing leader, North America, at Kimberly-Clark.

Kirsten Atkinson, VP of media and branded integration for Walton Isaacson, adds, “The future of effective measurement is the ability to quantify unduplicated reach against audiences across channels and establishing a standard metric and/or industry benchmark for ‘relevance’ and ‘resonance’ of communication efforts.”

And while Hispanic budgets see slight increases, budgets for the Black segment were decimated, especially following the 2008 election of President Barack Obama and the belief among marketers of a new, post-racial society. Further, during the economic downturn, minority segments disappeared from many marketers’ radars. As a result, CPG, automotive, QSR, financial services industries and large non-profits are not effectively engaging these consumers. Worse, many are now losing customers –especially Black customers — who at one time, for many, over-indexed on their brands.

At the realization of losing ethnic segments or not moving the needle, fixing the problem is often associated with denial and fear, but fear of change is the most conspicuous.

Jeffery Bowman, a pioneer and controversial player in Total Market, promotes change management through his business Reframe the Brand. “My business model is focused on a change-management outcome, not a marketing outcome. We’re losing the multicultural conversation and need to make the business case [for it],” says Bowman.

Accountability too is an important factor for change. Susan Cavanaugh, Procter & Gamble’s media innovation and ethnic communication planning brand manager, says that all parties, especially brands, should be accountable for Total Market success. “Brands need to engage more, but we don’t want to enable brands with mandates. They don’t work. So, we encourage brands to share their multicultural strategies and key performance indicators. We are providing research that empowers them because [Total Market] is not easy…. You have to push people to be more inclusive and teach them how to be culturally relevant.”

In the end, Total Marketing is neither good nor evil. It is not a diversity initiative. It is a concept of how marketing could work. It should be inclusive, and CMOs should keep minority-focused agencies and media in the mix to continue to address the specific needs of these segments.

10897: PepperFM.

From WVON…

WVON’s Urban Business Roundtable Author and Researcher Pepper Miller Becomes Host of WVON’s Urban Business Roundtable

Beginning January 9, 2013, Pepper Miller, president of The Hunter-Miller Group, a leading edge market research and strategic planning firm, will begin as host of the Urban Business Roundtable, WVON’s exclusive business feature. The Urban Business Roundtable (UBR) is a first-of-its kind, locally produced half-hour business program that airs three times weekly. UBR uses news, information and trends relevant to Black business from a local, national and global perspective, as well as advice from key subject matter experts to help Black businesses navigate, survive and thrive today and in the future.

Miller has spent her career helping fortune 500 companies effectively and positively market their products to African-Americans, and is an outspoken advocate about the value and cultural capital that Black Americans and Black media bring to the marketplace. In fact, her two books, What’s Black About It? (2005) and Black (Still) Matters in Marketing (2012) are said to be two of the most important books on Black cultural marketing insights.

In addition to hosting the program, Miller and key business experts will host a series of strategically designed workshops, webinars, and town hall events to enhance the overall success of UBR’s mission.

Miller succeeds Alfred Edmond, Jr., Managing Editor of blackenterprise.com as host of UBR. The program airs Wednesdays at 8:30am, with encore presentations on Thursdays at 6:30pm and Saturdays at 9:30am. UBR is sponsored exclusively by Ariel Investments and produced by Ameera Craig.

10878: Talented Ten For 2012.

Pepper Miller STILL matters.

Harry Webber’s Obama SuperPac is superb.

Christopher Boulton is Rebranding Diversity.

Steve Stoute breaks barriers with beer.

Mark Robinson provides classic color commentary.

Jimmy Smith expands Amusement Park.

Tiffany Edwards club hops for change.

Lowell Thompson is write on.

Lincoln Stephens propels The Marcus Graham Project.

commonground deserves an uncommon honor.

10530: Another Speaker Of Note For October.

To expand on posts 10527 and 10528, it must also be noted that Pepper Miller will speak at the 2012 ANA Multicultural Marketing & Diversity Conference being held October 28-30 in Miami Beach, Florida (a few weeks after the annual Masters of Marketing shindig). In addition, the conference will feature a debate on cross-cultural versus multicultural marketing. Hey, maybe the ANA can even stage a wrestling match between Tanner Colby and Sanford Moore.

10527: ABAA + ANA = Lots Of A-Holes.

At The Big Tent, Pepper Miller presented a column on the #InTheBlack campaign. The allegedly revolutionary initiative combines the collective efforts of over two dozen Black media firms and advertising agencies to hype the wonders of targeting Black consumers. But the most surprising part of Miller’s piece involved a reference to a 2009 incident:

In 2009, a small group of black agencies formed The Association of Black Owned Advertising Agencies. Eugene Morris and Howard Buford, president and vice president respectively, of the association, wrote an open letter in [The Big Tent] to announce their organization and “request a meeting with senior leadership of the ANA in order to open a substantive dialogue about how to bring black-owned agencies into the mainstream.” We’ve not heard from them since.*

The last line of Miller’s paragraph was crossed out and tagged with an asterisk when Advertising Age editors revealed the ANA and ABAA had exchanged emails after the perspective/plea was published. While the original communication was an open letter, the Internet intercourse appears to be a private and closed conversation. Sources indicated the two parties exchanged pleasantries—which clearly didn’t help Morris, as his agency is seriously struggling to stay afloat.

MultiCultClassics has already questioned why the ABAA bothered reaching out to the ANA in the first place. Hell, the client group has publicly admitted its members dedicate insufficient funding, inadequate commitment and inferior performance measurement resources to multicultural marketing. In fact, according to the ANA, the majority of advertisers do not engage minority shops at all. Rather, ANA officials prefer to fund ADCOLOR® while they build armies of diversity defenders who ultimately go AWOL—or shoot bizarre videos of themselves. Confronting Black advertising executives will always be trumped by chores such as defending Big Tobacco or self-regulation for online advertising.

ANA cardholders call themselves Masters of Marketing. They seem to enjoy playing the role of master with multicultural marketing too.

To bring this post full circle, if the #InTheBlack campaign hopes to succeed, it will have to attack entities like the ANA. GlobalHue CEO and Chairman Don Coleman said, “It’s getting to the point of ridiculousness in terms of the budget allocated to the African-American audience.” Forget showing the obligatory pie charts displaying Black consumer spending power. Rather, expose the lack of spending ANA members have done with the segment—and the paltry budgetary pie crumbs they’ve served to Black ad agencies.

10474: Why Pepper Miller STILL Matters.

Black STILL Matters In Marketing by Pepper Miller provides personality, professionalism and passion from a premier expert in the field. When it comes to Black consumers and Black culture, Miller knows her stuff. More importantly, Miller knows presenting the data is not enough—so she also shares her personal experiences, beliefs and biases to bring things to life and drive home the positions. She’s a researcher, planner, preacher and adwoman all rolled up in one.

Black STILL Matters is a companion to What’s Black About It? co-written by Miller and the late Herb Kemp in 2005. Yet the new book adds greater depth to the evolving discussion on multicultural marketing. Miller masterfully manages to deliver her manifesto in a fresh style, integrating the latest facts, figures and feelings on the issues.

As if to underscore that Blacks are not a monolithic group, Miller invited other thought leaders to join the conversation, including Prime Access President and CEO Howard Buford, adman J.P. James, Lattimer Communications President and CEO Sarah Lattimer, adman Reginald Osborne and CultureLab Founder and CEO Kevin Walker. Plus, Miller incorporated perspectives from Jim Glover, Derek Walker, Craig Brimm and more. Black STILL Matters covers a compelling collection of voices and viewpoints for the cause.

That Miller must STILL make a case for engaging Black consumers shows the advertising industry has a long way to go.

Alas, there are STILL culturally clueless characters who should be required to read Miller’s book—like Tanner Colby, Dan Wieden, Jeff Goodby, Alex Bogusky, Sir John Hegarty, Donny Deutsch, Jerry Stoner, Luke Sullivan, Lee Clow, John Seifert, Mike Hughes, Rick Boyko, Laurence Boschetto, Bob Scarpelli, Howard Draft, Sir Martin Sorrell, Michael Roth, John Wren and Maurice Levy.

Advertisers obviously STILL need to hear Miller’s arguments.

Cross-cultural consortiums and con artists will STILL pick up insight, information and instruction.

Chief Diversity Officers STILL seeking ammunition for their initiatives can find assistance from Miller’s content.

Even Black advertising agencies can STILL benefit from reviewing the book.

In short, the message in Black STILL Matters In Marketing is STILL important and imperative. And Pepper Miller deserves a fitting tribute for her bold efforts.

10390: Mad Man Has Great Crossover Appeal.

MultiCultClassics read Mad Man by Jim Glover over eight months ago, yet never got around to posting a review. Apologies extended to Mr. Glover. At the same time, it was challenging to think of a unique critique, as Pepper Miller had already published a thorough and thoughtful perspective—prompting provocative comments from professionals including Derek Walker—and Harry Webber also offered a compelling viewpoint on the book. Anyway, that’s the lame excuse for any fuzziness or rambling that may follow here.

It’s important to first recognize that Jim Glover has done what only a handful of adpeople have accomplished in history: specifically, the man has thrived in multicultural/minority advertising agencies and general-market/White advertising agencies. Plus, Glover arguably realized greater success in the White shops (not to downplay the minority efforts). This is an achievement that probably no one can fully appreciate unless you’ve done it too, but the feat is definitely worth noting. While the notion of cross-cultural communications has suddenly become a new idea, Glover has always generated authentic messages that play across multiple audiences. Mad Man is a fresh example of Glover’s mastery of crossover appeal, as the book has the power to resonate with different audiences in different styles for different reasons.

On the most basic level, Mad Man can be categorized in the action/suspense genre, as lead character Randall Joseph winds through a complex maze of mystery, mishaps and adventure. The story features plenty of twists, turns, treachery, sex, schemes, guns, explosions and car chases. So for the casual and/or culturally clueless reader, the book will provide decent entertainment value.

Mad Man serves as social commentary on a number of levels. It’s a rant against toxic workplaces and asshole supervisors, which will certainly please enthusiasts of vehicles like Agency Spy, Horrible Bosses or even Glassdoor. Why, everyone enjoys fantasizing about exacting revenge on moronic managers. Glover’s piece reflects elements from works such as Knock the Hustle by Hadji Williams and The Spook Who Sat By The Door by Sam Greenlee too. Mad Man also probes the inequities and insults faced by minorities in the predominately White advertising industry. Hence, anyone concerned with the dearth of diversity on Madison Avenue will experience intellectual stimulation throughout the roughly 300 pages.

On extra levels, Mad Man is a generational account. AMC series Mad Men spotlights Madison Avenue in the 1960s, and Mad Man stars adpeople who ignited the 1970s and 1980s. Yes, the characters and situations are set in modern times, but there are underlying currents on aging in a business often deemed a young person’s game. Additionally, the book promotes factual and fictional components like a cross between Madison Avenue and the Color Line by Jason Chambers and Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow. (Okay, maybe the Turow comparison is not perfect, but it’s hard to name contemporary fictional works centered on the ad field.)

Mad Man straddles the fence of rumors and gossip as well. The book jacket positions it as “The Exciting New Thriller That Madison Avenue Doesn’t Want You To Read.” Certain agency bigwigs may not want the story perused either. People familiar with the Chicago advertising community will have little trouble identifying the real honchos who influenced the fabrication of key figures in the tale. Can’t imagine the book will help Glover land future gigs at Leo Burnett or DDB, provided he ever wants to return to his previous employers.

In some respects, Mad Man appears to be a form of therapy for the author, exploring and exposing a range of feelings covering family, career, self-worth, dignity and human existence. The advertising business introduces a unique series of trials and tribulations that constantly test one’s spirit. From the opening scene of an associate’s suicide to the afterword that reveals personal inspirations, Mad Man allows Randall Joseph and Jim Glover to contemplate the meaning of life as an adman.

It’s hard to guess what’s next for Jim Glover. Will he continue to invent campaigns, join the copywriters who became authors or land somewhere else entirely? For now, Mad Man is another terrific milestone in a great career—and a special book that will delight a variety of readers in myriad ways.

9979: Stove Top’s Plymouth Crock.

In What’s Black About It? by Pepper Miller and Herb Kemp, the authors spotlighted a case study involving Stove Top. To target Black consumers, the brand tapped research showing the audience preferred using cornbread over loaf bread, and referred to the side dish as dressing versus stuffing (see excerpt above). This marketing insight came to mind while viewing the new Stove Top campaign by The Martin Agency—a White shop in Richmond, Virginia—featuring annoyed Pilgrims to position the product as being great for occasions beyond Thanksgiving. Can’t help but wonder how the characters and concept cross over to Black consumers. Or Latinos. Or Native Americans.

Maybe Stove Top will produce a targeted commercial featuring Malcolm X proclaiming, “We didn’t land on Plymouth Rock. The rock was landed on us.”

9003: Webber On Glover On Madison Avenue.

At The Big Tent, Pepper Miller reviewed Mad Man by Jim Glover—which inspired the following commentary from Harry Webber.

What is an Advertising Man?

What does it take to fill 30 seconds with a message no one will forget? Is there a special skill required? Must one undergo years and years of arduous, specialized training to practice such a well-paying skill, or is it a matter of luck? Madison Avenue Gods like Ed McCabe were high school dropouts, and you can count the number of Rhodes Scholars in any One Show book on one hand.

Advertising isn’t something you learn. Advertising is something you are. A unique combination of life experiences and memories blended with random knowledge and theatrical flair. That’s what it takes to make the kind of advertising that fills container fleets and rolls train trucks day and night. Right now, an Ad Woman is wracking her fertile brain to get over your issues of electric cars leaving you stranded in Watts, or the South Bronx or Side or Bay or Philly. If that Ad Lady cracks that code, factories will thunder into overtime. Supply chains will energize overnight. That is how important the practice of Advertising is to our economy.

Jim Glover woke up one morning and decided exactly how to put McDonald’s in the breakfast business. Billions of Egg McMuffins later, Jim has enough time on his hands to write a book. How is that possible? Why doesn’t some Quick Service Goliath have 300 people executing Jim Glover’s vision for their restaurants? How could he have five minutes to think about something as trivial as skin pigmentation, let alone sit down and write a whole damn book about it?

Doesn’t anybody else see the tragedy of such a turn of events? The highest levels of McDonald’s wanted Jim Glover to run their business. The agency, not so much.

Jim Glover is an Ad Man. He is not a novelist. But because he is an Ad Man, he needed a product to sell. So he wrote one. And now Jim Glover’s wide circle of friends are coming out, one by one, to support his brand.

The success of this book will be a detriment to the Advertising Industry on two levels. First and foremost, “Mad Man” will expose to a wider audience Madison Avenue’s Dirty Little Secret. That can’t be good. The rapid rise of Cause-Related Marketing is a strong indication that the fortunes of global brands relies on what they do (or don’t do), as well as what they claim. Second, popularity will mean profit for Jim Glover, and his brand will be compelled to write another book, or a movie. Or something else that takes him farther and farther away from being an Ad Man.

What is an Advertising Man? An extremely rare and endangered species. And each one that leaves lessens the sustainability of the business model in these competitive times. Yet, we make hiring decisions based upon “Compatibility” and “Chemistry.” There will be no Michael Jacksons in Advertising. There will be no Michael Jordans on Madison Avenue. There will only be Vanilla Ice.

8428: Cross-Cultural Recap.

Advertising Age published a lengthy examination of the recent “Cross-Cultural” hoopla. The story essentially rehashes perspectives delivered in 2010—it’s the Reader’s Digest version of the Ad Age ANA Multicultural Conference report, Pepper Miller’s response, MultiCultClassic’s rebuttal and Ken Muench’s manifesto. Check out the original sources for deeper viewpoints and comments.

8306: 10 X 2010.

MultiCultClassics reminisces, regurgitates and reexamines 10 topics from 2010.

Cyrus Mehri sightings throughout the year.
In January, Jim Edwards at BNET interviewed Cyrus Mehri and discussed the state of legal affairs on Madison Avenue. In February, Mehri announced he was filing charges against advertising agencies with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In May, the civil rights lawyer released a report showing zero minority creative directors worked on commercials for the Super Bowl. The report and subsequent press conference drew a few responses from industry bigwigs, which prompted a rebuttal and color commentary from MultiCultClassics. In September, Mehri teamed up with Janelle M. Carter to offer a perspective that labeled the lack of diversity a great moral issue and business issue. Yet it’s difficult to tell if the majority of adpeople really consider all of this to be a serious issue. Can’t help but wonder if the standard Madison Avenue executive knows Cyrus Mehri from Miley Cyrus.

Two books to turn the page on rampant exclusivity.
White adman John Hunt wrote “The Art Of The Idea”—with plenty of ideas to inspire inclusive environments. The 4As kicked off a proposed series of diversity-related books with “Diversity: How To Do It Right” by Adonis Hoffman. Can’t help but wonder if most Madison Avenue executives will read a subpoena from Cyrus Mehri before perusing these published pieces.

A game-changing promotion that no one wants to play.
MultiCultClassics invented The Cultural Competence Contest, which was unveiled at Transformation 2010, the 4As combined Leadership and Media Conference. Can’t help but wonder if anyone will have the courage to become a contestant.

Advertisers and agencies go on the offensive defensive.
While advertisers typically are almost too quick to pull messages that elicit outrage, two companies stood their ground when accused of insensitivity. Pine-Sol pooh-poohed Pepper Miller’s post, proudly praising its plump spokesperson and “Powerful Difference” propaganda. Meanwhile, MetroPCS and probable employees at The Richards Group complained over Bill Imada’s post, proclaiming that the “Chad and Ranjit” campaign was hatched by an art director of Indian descent. Can’t help but wonder if the Pine-Sol and MetroPCS morons will ever realize that the best defense is no offense—no cultural offense, that is.

Same old, same old from Old White Guys.
Ex-CP+B honcho Alex Bogusky went on the air with former partner Shelton Scott and Lincoln Stephens of The Marcus Graham Project, earning a Delayed WTF from MultiCultClassics. Luke “Hey Whipple, Squeeze This” Sullivan went on the air with Lincoln Stephens and crew, also earning a Delayed WTF from MultiCultClassics. Can’t help but wonder if there are any enlightened White leaders in our ranks.

AOR actually means Anglos Of Record.
What do you call it when minority advertising agencies are prohibited from participating in pitches for Cadillac, H&R Block, Denny’s, MetLife, Transitions Optical, Red Lobster, U.S. Army, California Lottery, Arby’s, Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s, Harley-Davidson, El Pollo Loco, Steak & Shake and more? MultiCultClassics calls it Corporate Cultural Collusion. Can’t help but wonder when clients will be called out for the unfair practices.

U.S. Census unintentionally reveals the changes ahead.
The U.S. Census advertising campaign featured a multicultural marketing coalition designed to celebrate racial harmony and billing equality. The corporate kumbaya was short-lived. Lead agency Draftfcb was criticized for being too White, and its President-CEO Laurence Boschetto was bashed for being a bullshit artist. Black agency GlobalHue was zapped for being too shady. Although the overall effort was panned by adpeople with taste, Mediaweek showered accolades and awards in the “Best Multicultural Campaign” and “Best Branded Content” categories of the publication’s Media Plan of the Year competition. Can’t help but wonder how folks manage to accept trophies with a straight face in such instances.

Hip Hop delivers instant cred and crud.
Madison Avenue displays questionable affection for Blacks, but the industry sure loves Hip Hop. The rap range runs from gangsta to garbage. For every Kia Hamsters and Mtn Dew Code Red Jay Electronica there is a Toyota Swagger Wagon and Bounty Hip-Hop Holiday. But Duncan Hines takes the cake—or cupcake—for its Hip Hop Cupcakes. At first, MultiCultClassics believed the public overreacted by seeing Blackface minstrels in the infamous video. However, after studying director Josh Binder’s film library—which includes an obscene Heinz ketchup character ejaculating his tomato seed onto his girlfriend, as well as demeaning stereotypes involving Asians, women and rednecks—Hip Hop Cupcakes appears to be a reasoned, racist recipe. Can’t help but wonder what Duncan Hines will do with its brownie mix.

General Motors drives in crazy cultural directions.
Don’t believe the hype that General Motors has turned itself around. After dumping its Black advertising agency on Cadillac and giving full responsibility to a White agency, the automaker dumped the White agency for another White agency. Then GM dumped the White Marketing VP who admitted she planned to assign additional multicultural projects to White agencies, replacing her with a new White Marketing VP—who wound up dumping White agencies for other White agencies without competitive reviews. The White Marketing VP later hired Spike DDB for Chevrolet and rehired Carol H. Williams for Cadillac before getting promoted to Global Marketing Czar. Oh, GM also appointed a new Diversity VP, who happens to be Black. To complete the bizarro ride, the American Advertising Federation declared the 62nd Annual Advertising Hall of Fame® will honor inductee—you guessed it—General Motors. Can’t help but wonder if the automaker signed a pact with Satan.

Shifty Segregation®—new and improved for 2010 and beyond.
Shifty Segregation® covers a lot of ground on Madison Avenue. It occurs when clients and White agencies conspire to consolidate accounts. It prevents measures patterned after the Rooney Rule from succeeding. It excuses companies who elect to sever professional ties with minorities altogether. Shifty Segregation® is often disguised as “cross-cultural”—which may lead to mandates, manic depression, manifestos and manure sniffing. Can’t help but wonder how long people will continue to tolerate it.

8153: Adding Spice to Pepper Miller’s Post.

At The Big Tent, Pepper Miller responded to the Advertising Age report from the ANA Multicultural Conference on the cry for White and minority agencies to get along. Miller covered the topic well, negating the need for MultiCultClassics to comment extensively on the matter. So here are a few quick shots:

• Clients are so full of shit it’s downright offensive. The few clients who engage minority agencies are doing so for professional or political reasons—that is, it’s either a business decision or a tactic to satisfy corporate supplier diversity initiatives. And if it’s the latter, clients must realize corporate supplier diversity initiatives will never be satisfied by only employing White agencies where exclusivity persists. In fact, partnering solely with White agencies displays total hypocrisy when considering the diversity pledges on nearly every major advertiser’s website. Besides, how can “cross-cultural marketing” be delivered by agencies where candidates with culture are crossed out during the initial hiring process? It would be great if these corporate maneuvers led to increased diversity at White agencies. It would also be great if pigs could fly. Place your bets on flying pigs appearing before the existence of an inclusive Madison Avenue.

• White agencies are so full of shit it borders on criminal. Plus, clients are guilty of conspiring with them to hold back minorities. When multicultural work is up for grabs, White agencies are free to compete for it. When general market work is up for grabs, minority agencies aren’t invited to pitch. It’s ludicrous to say, “…bring your best stuff to the table and it will work out for you,” when minority agencies aren’t allowed to come near the table. Clients should either level the playing field—equal resources, equal budgets, equal access to strategies and information—or shut the fuck up.

• The ANA is so full of shit it’s almost comedic. This latest controversy was sparked by discussions that occurred at the ANA Multicultural Conference. What is Bob Liodice’s position here? The man went on record by publishing 10 Industry Challenges Successful Marketers Have Overcome that included:

Multicultural marketing
Multicultural marketing exploded in the 1980s as the need to create more tailored advertisements based on cultural differences became increasingly essential. This growing emphasis, combined with media proliferation, has challenged marketers to align their brands closely with varied cultures. The next step in marketing’s evolution is to shed the arrogance of the “general market.” Marketers must avoid simply translating English ads into other languages and create campaigns targeted specifically for certain ethnic markets. They must also be acutely aware of cultural sensitivities that may be pertinent to their campaigns, embracing the many facets of multicultural marketing from start to finish.

Liodice’s Theory of Evolution doesn’t exactly match the revolution highlighted in the Advertising Age report.

7489: Why Black Agencies Must Avoid Pine-Sol.

During the recent Pine-Sol fiasco, a few commenters suggested that the brand connect with a Black advertising firm in the hopes of avoiding the continued cultural cluelessness.

This is probably not a good idea for any self-respecting Black agency. Minority shops are already handcuffed by conservative clients seeking warm-and-fuzzy advertising, which often leads to clichéd commercials. Imagine being tasked with reversing the embarrassing swill Pine-Sol has been pouring on the public since 1993. It would be too politically charged—a no-win scenario.

If anything, this should be an opportunity for Clorox to demand that its White agency assign diverse staffing on the account. Let the client demonstrate their ability to make a powerful difference. Now that’s the power of Pine-Sol, baby!

7485: Pine-Sol Hits The Stereotype Lottery.

While searching for another Pine-Sol spot, this gem emerged. Woo!

7483: The Pine-Sol Fiasco Goes International.

MultiCultClassics Post 7480 presented a comment addressing Jim Edwards at BNET, responding to the Pine-Sol-inspired volley between the advertising writer and Pepper Miller. Turns out that the commenter is Doug Eaves, Academic Dean at Gregg International College in Tokyo, Japan. Eaves followed up his original musings with a six-part comment left at Post 7476. Check it out. And you have to wonder how Eaves might respond to the Pine-Sol spot that used silly imagery featuring the Asian Zen master.