Essay (Lucky) Thirteen

Solving the problems of racism and diversity in the advertising industry demands radical tactics.

First, let’s check out three tactics that suck.

Self-regulation sucks. The industry is mired in mergers, which means the only important color is green. Or it’s cool to be in the black, whether you’re employing blacks or not. Principles, initiatives, guidelines, mission statements and recommended practices have turned out to be hype. And adfolks know hype doesn’t sell.

Using the legal system really sucks—despite anything OJ or Robert Blake might tell you. Lawsuits require too much time, money and emotional turmoil. Adfolks know the frustrations of coping with lawyers when you’re just seeking to get ad copy approval. It becomes infinitely worse when you’re seeking to get justice.

Turning to the government sucks bigtime. The War on Terror is the top priority, and everything else is on the back burner. Unless you can package your diversity concepts with the exact whereabouts of Osama bin Laden, you won’t find a captive audience in this arena.

So how do we kick-start the revolution?

Organized protests are a tactic that shows promise. This tactic has been unsuccessful to date, which kinda sucks. Yet a few calculated adjustments may get the party going.

Most organized protests are too old school. Picket lines are like pick-up lines—they get quick attention but rarely end with a score. These protests are usually masterminded by local politicians, community leaders and media personalities. While their efforts deserve respect and appreciation, it’s odd that outsiders should lead the demonstrations solo. Then again, insiders risk career suicide when they go public. But maybe these two forces can hook up in other ways.

Additionally, protesting at advertising agencies gets you nowhere. Protesting at advertisers’ headquarters is equally bad, as most of these corporations are equally guilty of shady employment practices.

It’s time to bring new and improved methods to organized protests.

For starters, group gatherings are no longer necessary. The possibility of a 10-second sound bite on the evening news is not worth the hassle. Besides, we’re all too busy to attend these congregations. So let’s use the Internet, phones and regular mail to spread the word and execute goals. Technology makes it simple to organize without physically joining together.

As previously mentioned, protesting at advertising agencies and advertisers’ headquarters is a waste of time. But the ultimate objective remains getting advertising agencies to change. And this will only happen when the advertiser bosses tell the advertising agencies to change. Thus, the game must be brought to the advertisers—with some different moves.

The truth is, most folks don’t give a rat’s ass about advertising agencies’ diversity problems. The majority of folks barely know advertising agencies exist. But they will care to discover the advertisers they support are partnering with advertising agencies averse to diversity. For the advertisers, it becomes guilt by association.

Hence, the first step is announcing the truth to the consumer public. The local politicians, community leaders and media personalities who struggled dealing directly with advertising agencies and advertisers should have no trouble communicating to the consumer public. Insiders can assist through personal connections, staying virtually anonymous. Take the grapevine online, fellow citizens.

The next step is encouraging folks to write, call and email their displeasure to advertisers. For a list of advertisers, check the multicultural section of the American Advertising Federation’s website (AAF.org). The advertisers listed here claim they want change, but the lack of progress demonstrates a little insincerity. If anything, they need to seriously increase their involvement.

Everyone must play a role in this bold adventure. Share this information with your family, friends and neighbors. Once the grandmas and aunties are enlisted, we’ll be on our way to the revolution. Let the buzz and viral marketing begin!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Free Bonus! Here’s a sample letter to copy:

Dear (insert advertiser name),

I have supported your brand for many years. I have given you my trust and rewarded you with my patronage.

I recently learned the advertising agency you employ has a dreadful record regarding diversity in its workforce. This disturbs me greatly, as I thought you were a fair and socially-responsible company associating with like-minded companies.

Please work with your advertising agency to immediately correct this unacceptable situation. Otherwise, I will take my business elsewhere—plus, I’ll encourage my family and friends to do the same.

Your valued customer,

(insert personal signature)