Adweek published a promotional perspective, hyping the opportunities presented to advertisers by Black tentpole events. The author opened by stating the following:
For years—especially in the last four—we’ve watched brands expand marketing efforts holistically and prioritize voices of color through organic and paid media placements.
Um, advertisers have been shrinking multicultural marketing efforts and deprioritizing voices of color in recent years. In short, especially when it comes to reaching Black audiences, brands and White advertising agencies are actively seeking to fold the tent.
Why Black Culture-Focused Tentpole Events Should Be on Your Brand's Radar
At events like Essence Festival, CurlyCon, and CultureCon, there are still brands missing
By Shannae Ingleton-Smith
For years—especially in the last four—we’ve watched brands expand marketing efforts holistically and prioritize voices of color through organic and paid media placements. However, a continuously overlooked medium for major brands and advertisers is Black culture-focused tentpole events.
As a regular attendee at such events as Essence Festival, CurlyCon, or CultureCon, to name a few, I have noticed so many major brands missing. Maybe there’s a gap in knowledge on just how valuable these events can be and the power they harness.
Understanding your access
Although most major brands are beginning to prioritize voices of color in their marketing efforts, they are still missing the mark when reaching Black consumers where they are. There’s plenty of research that supports this, like a recent McKinsey & Company report predicting the expected expansion of Black consumer spend in the next decade, while also noting that attention to the audience of Black consumers is still underdeveloped.
Black-centric tentpole events are singular moments in time where brands have unfettered access to the community. Activating at these events is a prime opportunity for brands to establish relationships and earn trust within the community through direct, one-on-one interaction. These events can also be the perfect platform for allowing consumers to sample products, and for brands to obtain valuable feedback to bring to their senior leadership for thoughtful discussions.
We all know events like Coachella, New York Fashion Week, and Art Basel are the first to be added to the marketing plan and budgets for the fiscal year. Although events like these are great opportunities to connect with clients and consumers, there is also value in more diverse spaces. By being present at Black-centric tentpole events, you are more likely to increase brand awareness and loyalty as the Black consumer now has an understanding or sample of the product to try at home, and if they love it, they’re going to preach about it to the masses.
Content, content, content
Tentpole events within the Black community—think the NAACP Image Awards or AfroTech—have an incredibly engaged online following, especially by those unable attend in person. People are watching their favorite creator’s content from these events like it’s a primetime television show, and they’re refreshing their feeds repeatedly to see what their favorite creators are up to at these events. So, even if the consumers can’t attend themselves, they get to engage with the event through the creator’s lens.
This kind of content tends to perform incredibly well in viewership and engagement. Since there aren’t many high-profile events during the calendar year that are both star-studded and centered around the Black community, engagement around them is highly increased. There’s a small but mighty group of impactful events that are beloved and well-attended by key Black tastemakers, thought leaders, influencers, and changemakers, and they’re in an “actively sharing mode,” which is a rare feat in the influencer marketing world.
How to show up
If your brand is going to be on the ground activating at these events, be sure to show up in the right way. A great example of this is Shea Moisture, who hosted Camp Shea at Essence Festival this year. The brand’s activation underlined that camping is not just about “sleeping outside” or “roughing it,” but building a community through life-changing experiences. Hosting an activation for people to create once-in-a-lifetime experiences was invaluable to the brand, and as a result, creators delivered tenfold with content. This is just one example, but it speaks to how Shea Moisture has solidified its “big player” brand status.
If you activate at an event of this magnitude, it shows the community, and your competitors, that you’re a major player, and that you’re a brand influencers want to partner with. If you’re able to build out an activation at an event on this level, remember to create a space that people can come to and enjoy. Be clever, be aesthetically pleasing, be engaging, and create something that content creators are going to want to share with their followers.
If you’re still on the fence
I’ll leave you with this last piece of advice: NielsenIQ shared that in 2023, Black consumer dollars spent within the beauty industry alone surpassed the entire U.S. market at large. If you’re in the hair care, beauty, or skin care category and cater to Black women, you want to be where those women are and tap into those spending dollars. Black women in particular are the driving force behind so many successful products, brands, and, most importantly, trends. Because they tend to stand behind brands consistently that they believe in, make it a priority to be in front of these decision-makers whenever you can.
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