Re: The commentary inspired by Alberto J. Ferrer’s latest perspective on forced stereotypes in minority advertising, which appeared under The Big Tent at AdAge.com (see Essay 4501).
Forgot to mention one additional culprit behind the rampant stereotyping in minority advertising: White adpeople—specifically, the folks running the White advertising agencies.
Sure, the preference is to label the White agencies as producers of “General Market” or “Mass Market” communications. But the overwhelming majority of the work ignores the complete and true audience, opting to predominately target Caucasian consumers instead.
If the self-proclaimed General Market/Mass Market agencies acknowledged the diverse cultures that make up the General Market/Mass Market, there might not be a need for segregated minority advertising. Of course, acknowledgement might be easier gained if there were employee diversity within the White agencies. Unfortunately, Madison Avenue has failed to make that happen for over 40 years. No reason to think change is coming soon.
The exclusive White agencies continue to churn out exclusively White messages. As a result, the minority shops must fill the voids, which often prompts all the players to overcompensate with overtly cultural—or stereotypical—imagery. (Plus, it doesn’t help when the minority shops are under-compensated in terms of budgets.)
Perhaps it’s time for clients to ask, “What’s Mass Market about it?” when presented with concepts from White agencies. Or better yet, the clients ought to be wondering why their White agencies are so White.
Brands are getting a pass on this whole thing. They have to share blame at some point for also perpetuating the problem by having multiple agencies.
ReplyDeletemultiple agencies are fine; it's the disrespect that clients and GM shops show ethnic agencies and ethnic consumers by forcing them to play the "what's ethnic about it?" game.
ReplyDeletei've worked at all sorts of agencies, both GM and ethnic. I've never had to convince a client or a GCD/VP for that matter that my work was innately
"White Woman-ish" or "White Male ish" or even "Gen X-er ish" or "Baby Boomer-sh," etc.
Ethnic agencies are the only shops that can't,under any circumstances sell their work unless white brand managers AND white General Market agencies are happily convinced that it's filled with "appropriate ethnic cues."
And who determines the appropriateness? People who are not black.