The Onion published a story that is extraordinarily accurate and sadly sobering as well—Report: Advertisers Threatening To Pull Money Now The Only Remaining Way To Effect Any Change.
One persistent question related to the notion is, “Why don’t advertisers demand that their White advertising agencies become more diverse?” After all, most advertisers display a total commitment to diversity, at least in the career sections of their websites. Imagine if an advertiser mandated inclusiveness and imposed a deadline for compliance. Would change not occur swiftly? The truth is, for an advertiser to publicly commit to diversity while professionally conspiring with exclusive agencies demonstrates hypocrisy of the highest order.
Advertisers apparently attempt to compensate for the hypocritical actions with patronizing gestures like diversity vendor programs—which include hiring and handing crumbs to minority advertising agencies. Or sponsoring ADCOLOR®.
History has shown that fairness and equality do not happen via self-regulation. There needs to be a push—and often a deliberately staged revolution. Perhaps advertisers must be “inspired” to execute their authority. Can consumers be roused and organized to initiate inspiration? So far, no one has effectively pursued the angle. Even Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton have avoided it, probably due to their personal partnerships with advertisers.
Guess everyone prefers to ignore the issue and read The Onion.
Report: Advertisers Threatening To Pull Money Now The Only Remaining Way To Effect Any Change
WASHINGTON—Confirming that civic engagement, democratic elections, and other large-scale efforts had effectively ceased to have any influence, a report published Thursday from the Pew Research Center determined that advertisers threatening to pull out of a sponsorship deal is now the sole remaining means of bringing about change in the United States. “Whereas in the past, one could rally support around a cause and demand sweeping reforms at the local, state, or national level, the only scenario in which that could ever occur today would involve an organization finding itself at risk of losing some or all of its ad revenue and consequently making swift concessions to its sponsors,” said researcher Alan Kellerman, adding that the only recent instances of considerable change taking place in the country have come directly as a result of major brands publicly expressing their disappointment with their media partner’s conduct and warning that they could nullify a six-, seven-, or eight-figure deal effective immediately. “However, provided that a company such as PepsiCo, Chevrolet, or Burger King believes its brand image is being damaged through an advertising partnership, there is simply no limit to the comprehensive, sweeping changes that could almost instantaneously take place.” While noting that advertisers alone possess the power to inspire progress, the report went on to confirm that such companies rarely
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