Marketing Color

Who makes advertisements? Is it companies?Is it celebrities? Is advertisements made by popular demand? An advertisement is a piece of marketing that companies or industries show to invite people to buy their products or to voice a message. Companies owned and operated by white people are usually companies that aren’t expected to use black people on their advertisements. There is actually a myth that black owned and operated businesses gain more money when people don’t know that they are black businesses. There is a demand for diversity in business and advertisements because people are growing more aware of what race means.

Only 19% of ads that people see in their daily lives show minority groups. The world is mostly made of minority groups yet they are only shown less than a quarter of the time. People want to see themselves. Why is at that white people see more of themselves yet their is less of them? Queen Latifah a rapper, brand ambassador and actress is one artists trying to bring diversity to advertisements In 2006, Covergirl asked Queen Latifah to be a brand ambassador for Covergirl. Queen Latifah took Covergirls offer and started their first ever  line of makeup exclusively for minority groups called, Queen Collection. Queen Latifah isn’t the only celebrity realizing that white companies need to change their advertising techniques. Marketing Week, did a piece on new research coming out about companies not having minority groups in their ads. The statistic were so crazy that Marketing Week also did different videos and showed their audience the reproductions of the lack of minority groups in advertisement.

The Chicago Tribune did a cut throat piece on black owned businesses and their hidden secret, their owned by black people with all white employees. Of course black owned businesses never lied, if asked if they were the owner they told people the truth. Most black owned businesses see the difference between themselves talking to their white counterparts and white people seeing someone of the same race as them. Racisms isn’t just something people acknowledge and move on from. Racism is hindering black owned businesses. Research done by the Chicago Tribune saw that 55% of black people with household incomes more than $50,000 wanted more black owned businesses. In the study they also found that white people saw black owned businesses as selling products only for black people. Assistant Professor from Chicago State University says doesn’t see any advantage. There isn’t any advantage because as Parker (who is the former operator of a website that promoted black-owned businesses) put it, eventually black CEOs come out as the CEO’s.

People claim their nationality, ethnicity or race all the time. More than ever knowing who someones is demands on things such as their race. People buy things from big and small companies all the time. It would be nice to see minority groups in this advertisements done by big white companies. It would also be good to know if the store you are buying from is black owned. Knowing who you are reflects how you act, so why not know that the stories you love also like you.  Businesses and advertisements aren’t any different because they both want maximum profit off of their customers. Diversity in business and advertising would benefit companies with money. Showing of black owned or black commercials are good. Diversity is great.

Works Cited

1. Jackson, Cheryl V. “When Building Your Business Means Hiding That It's Black-Owned.” Chicagotribune.com, 17 Apr. 2017, www.chicagotribune.com/bluesky/originals/ct-black-entrepreneurs-downplay-ownership-bsi-20160414-story.html.

2. Rogers, Charlotte, et al. “Just 19% of People in Ads Are from Minority Groups.” Marketing Week, 30 Jan. 2017, www.marketingweek.com/2016/12/06/lloyds-diversity-report/.

3. Martyswant. “Queen Latifah on the Importance of Showcasing Women of Color in Advertising.” – Adweek, Adweek, 26 Apr. 2017, www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/queen-latifah-on-the-importance-of-showcasing-women-of-color-in-advertising/.