Black History Month – Evergreen marketing that matters

We may be fast approaching the end of Black History Month 2022…but it’s not over yet. And it’s exactly at this point that smart marketing should remind itself that it needs to be evergreen in honouring Black contribution to brands, advertising and design.

In an article for Sprout Social, Katherine Kim hits the nail on the head: “If brands are serious about celebrating the Black community, that commitment needs to extend into all aspects of the business and become part of the fabric of a brand’s culture.”

Wise words, but also something that marketing has been taking on board for some time now. There are, of course, the obvious Black superstars of the modelling industry who always give a major brand boost. Since Grace Johnson lit up the cover of Vogue in 1974, up to right now when we see Jourdan Dunn snatching the star spot on the Victoria’s Secret fashion runway, beauty has always bulldozed the flimsy walls of racism.

But, once the October focus is over, how else can marketing continue to inject the optimistic spirit of celebrating Black contributions to our world?

One of the most clued-up actions a brand could take would be to incorporate the Black History Month message into every month of the year. Effective change in society comes from constantly transferring the images we see on the street into campaigns. In the UK we’re proud of our mixed society, and it’s all around us. If these pictures aren’t included in a brand’s message, it’s just not representative of our everyday lives.

Saying that, what really matters is keeping the message genuine. This should be a no brainer – British culture is an eclectic mix of all the people who have made this country what it is. Every section of UK life has been positively influenced by the contribution of Black Brits, from the mathematicians Kathleen Adebola Okikiolu and Dr Nira Chamberlain (the World’s Most Interesting Scientist – it’s a real award!), to the splendicious new Doctor Who Ncuti Gatwa. Seriously, if Ncuti can’t liven up the UK’s premier science-fiction product, it’s a dead duck.

So, the big marketing take-home from 2022’s Black History Month, is to extend this powerful force for good into campaigns the year round. Marketing has a massive psychological impact, and so we need to be intelligent in how we wield it. May the force be with you!

If you have some innovative input about this discussion, then Hannah Lawry and her mustard MD team would love to talk. They’re waiting for your call, so click here for details.