Today’s viewpoint is by MABR student Alyssa Hinojosa.
Since the Black Lives Matter movement, I have seen how our media culture has been altered significantly. How light has been shed on issues that have been long overlooked or ignored by mainstream society. What has been interesting to watch is the reaction of brands since this movement. In media, news, and production, brands have been taking a stand and using their voice. Some correctly and with good direction, and others with ignorance and personal benefits behind their marketing.
From the media I have consumed and researched, there are a lot of brands who have a great amount of exposure across the world that have not taken the time to educate themselves or learn about the true message of the BLM movement. Its interpretation to a Mexican American woman (me): a little sprinkle of black people here and a little sprinkle of brown people there, make our brand seem like we are taking action on the issue, box checked.
I was talking to a friend who works at a small business in Southern California and we were talking about brands representation in their ads. She retold a story to me about how her marketing team was planning their marketing guide and someone said “We don’t have enough colored people represented in the graphics. Can we change the skin colors of some of the people in the photos?” I was beyond shocked. She explained how they never had mentioned the color of people’s skins in previous marketing guides, never talked about current climate (BLM movement), and never redid policy on a new inclusionary marketing strategy.
So, I have a request before brands speak about race or change their representation strategy of people in their ads, can you please do it genuinely?! Put your money where your mouth is, invest in local communities, get educated, and redesign policy within before speaking on the topic. It’s really hard to buy that you guys (brands) are sincere and authentic in your advertisements if you all of a sudden start incorporate a range of people only after you’ve been exposed about your practices of exclusionary representation!