GUESS?, Inc.’s Post

On today's #PutMeOnWednesdays feature, I will be highlighting the heartfelt campaign by 21Ninety that shows the power of integrating brands into Black spaces with thought-provoking storytelling. ✨ "Support is all around you." ✨ The campaign shows Chrissy King (IG: iamchrissyking), author of "The Body Liberation Project," going for a morning run while encouraging voice messages from her family members play in the background. The video ends with the Nike product and the text "Support Is All Around You." Not only is this message powerful in the sense that it encourages a sense of community and well-being, but it also ties into a key product benefit of the Nike InfinityRN 4 shoes' comfort. What was done well? ✨ The use of a public figure whose audience and previous work resonates with the overall message of the content. Not only does this represent Black women but is also body-positive. ✨ Allowing the storytelling to come first and the product promotion second. Brands who do this often are continuing to build their brand reputation and humanize themselves. ✨ Illustrating the strength of the Black family unit through meaningful connections, recognition, and support among loved ones. All in all, even though you may not buy the InfinityRN 4 shoes, this still may inspire you to send some words of encouragement to someone else. A job very well done! 👏🏾 #marketingcampaigns #marketingstrategy #DEI #influencermarketing Cc: Morgan DeBaun

I wish I was able to fully embody this way of thinking in the past. In business, do not every take thinks personal. Being emotional has never helped anyone further their business or goals along. Figure out the issue. Figure out how to improve yourself to overcome those hurdles. Move forward in a better position. I always say I am not problem driven. I am results driven. I dont like to harp on the problem. I like to dive into the solution. #problemsolver #problemsolved #resultsdriven #solutionsoriented

"Take note of it and take care of it." This is what Pharrell Williams shared with Maurice Kamara (@thepeoplegallery_). He didn't say "ignore people's concerns." He basically said: address it and keep going. As a coach and consultant, I am on the listening end of a lot of people's concerns and fears. People share their overwhelm with when they aren't sure how to handle a situation. I totally understand why. Emotional regulation and centering yourself aren't skills most people were taught. You need to develop these skills. It's a privilege I don't take lightly to help people learn how to move into a state of what I refer to as "neutrality:" - You see the situation - You listen to the feedback - You take it seriously  - You address it to the best of your ability and resources   - And you keep going Or as Pharell says "take note and take care of it." If you don't, every challenge that comes your way will "eat up unnecessary bandwidth that could be contributing to your momentum" (also from Pharrell). What is something that is eating up unnecessary bandwidth right now? What do you need to do to regulate your nervous system to graciously adapt to that change and keep going? Thanks Segun Ogunsheye for sharing it here!

Gymshark right point Wrong Season... Unpopular opinion, I know But hear me out… Gymshark introduces us to the Diffuse Sweat Headband. This campaign launched this February. Now, don’t get me wrong I love Gymshark. They incorporate people of colour into their brand effortlessly. However, this campaign rubbed me the wrong way. I felt this went live this month for the sole purpose of Black History Month. And no, it's not a good thing. Strategically publishing a campaign for the - Exposure  - Community it brings Feels lowkey like extortion. Be authentic; don’t wait until a black season to push out campaigns. There are 11 other months in the year 💗

Is the Mad Men era really over? I wanted to wait until after Cannes to share my thoughts about this article, and quite honestly, I couldn't think of a better day to share my perspective then on July 4th. How is that the most creative people on the planet who undoubtedly continue to shape global pop culture, left out of the most creative industry in the world. Think about it, Black and Brown consumers created rock and roll, hip hop, jazz, rhythm and blues, Hip Hop, DJ'ing, Streetwear, every meaningful move you watch everyday in sports that makes you say, "Wow, Did you see that!" We delight the world with our flavors, cuisines, and our uncanny way of taking what was considered scraps and turn them into the some of the most flavorful dishes on the planet, and that's just the pop cultural contributions. I can talk about all the creative contributions we've made in science, the arts, and academia, but I want you all to get back to your BBQ's. Let's just assume that most people will agree that the world would be drastically different and not as interesting if it was not for our contributions. So the question I have to ask, is how are the most creative people on the planet not winning more awards at Cannes, or not ECD's, or CCO's for big ad agencies or running 100 million dollar creative consultancies that are driving growth for multi billion dollar brands. The answer is simple answer, one that we continue to run away from because it forces us to determine if we are culpable and guilty of being bias and the perpetuaters of prejudice. And by the way, this goes for both Black people as much as it does for White who are in the key positions to create the necessary paradigm shifts. Ultimately, the responsibility will have to happen at the brand level if we want this to change. Brands must open up the aperture on how we are seen and utilized. We are not just talent or an accessory to your typical understanding of what creative talent is or what you need it to be, sound like, look like to make you feel comfortable. Someone recently asked me what makes a good client, and I told them "Courage"! If this industry is going to change we need more of that! Happy Independence Day!! #equality #courage #diversity #inclusivity #creativity #advertising

This afternoon, my leader led my favorite team building activity I’ve ever been a part of. My leader Paige Nunn came into our team meeting with succulents she had planted in mugs to give as gifts. The unique, fun part was that she had picked out a different mug that reminded her of each person on her team – something they are known for or have a passion for. The team had to go around and guess which mug belonged to which teammate. It was fun to think about our teammates’ interests and to try to pair them with their correct mug. I share this activity because of how much it touched me. I was gifted a mug with a Bible verse on it. My faith is a big part of who I am, and it meant everything to me that this piece of me was known, valued, and recognized by my leader. And, that I also had a seat at a table where my faith was accepted. This exercise led me to reflect on the power of diversity and inclusion. As we all sat with our mugs handpicked by our leader, it was amazing to look around at how we were all celebrated for what makes us 'us.' One had "I love tofu" written on it, another had the Cheetos logo, and another had "Sneaker Head" with a Nike shoe printed on it. No mug was the same; the selection was very diverse, but everyone was recognized and included for exactly who they are. It was touching to know that our leader knew and appreciated all of us well enough to gift us a mug that spoke to our individual personalities and interests. This post is to remind you to take the time to get to know others and cultivate an inclusive environment – where differences are celebrated and everyone is valued for exactly who they are. #diversity #inclusion #customerexperience #exemplaryleadership #engagement #employeeengagement #EX #CX #DEI

Former and current Adidas employees say that despite a public narrative of Black empowerment, Black professionals within the corporation are rarely able to penetrate the top strata of leadership—or to feel comfortable when they do. They describe a cascade of slights and microaggressions at the 74-year-old athleticwear giant that have marginalized their perspectives. As one former Adidas executive who is Black put it: “Internally, there was a cap on how far you could go.” Adidas is far from the only company that has been criticized for leadership ranks dominated by white men. But the brand’s showcasing of Black culture and bodies in its marketing—including most notably its ill-fated alliance with the rapper, producer, and designer Ye (formerly known as Kanye West)—have often shoved its corporate diversity struggles into the spotlight. Lately, former and current Black leaders at the company tell Fortune, things have gotten worse: Since the beginning of 2023, 10 Black and brown executives at the VP level and above have been pushed out or quit, Fortune has learned. At least eight other Black executives in key roles in the U.S. have also departed since 2020. Among the 12 former and current Adidas managers and executives Fortune spoke to, some say the loss of so many high level people of color has been significant, and a visible blow to diversity efforts at the company. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eNpGCYWN

This resonated so much with me! 🙌🏽 I filed my LLC for Chroma Creators on 2/23/23 (my angel number 🙏🏽) and launched on 2/23/24… but what many people don’t know is the brand and idea took nearly 2 years in the making. One of the reasons why the Branding is so strong is because I spent a lot of time being intentional about the look, the feel, the brand Strategy, the messaging…. all of the things to get it RIGHT. ✅ Sometimes it is better to just get started, but in this case, because I am very passionate about the work the agency will be doing to build black equity and to help brands reach black audiences in an authentic way, it was really important that we took our time to ensure that what we put out was high-quality, and really communicated the value that we could bring to our clients. Even though this idea took much longer than I anticipated, I am extremely proud of the hard work my team put in to create the final product. One of the quotes I saw recently was “the quickest way to get to your destination is slowly.” 🐢 It goes without saying that greatness takes time. So if you’re working on something big, just remember that! It’s better to be intentional and take your time and put something out that makes a statement then to rush just to get something out that might have mistakes or doesn’t put your best foot forward. 😉 You only have 1 chance to make a first impression.

Extract from Black and Great. The Essential Workplace Toolkit by Rene Germain "Personal Branding when Black As an observation I made upon starting work is that many of my non-Black colleagues already had a preconception of me, just because I was Black... Crafting a personal brand is a way for us to create and control our own narratives... Crafting your Personal Brand Three things you should ask yourself are: 1. How do my colleagues and peers currently perceived me and why? The question is a great way to understand if your personal brand in the present reflects what you want to, and if it doesn't, this highlights what you need to work on... 2. How do I want to be perceived by my colleagues and peers? Your personal brand should be unique and authentic to you. It shouldn't feel forced but a natural culmination of all things you already are and aspire to be... 3. What do I need to do to get there? To bring your personal brand to life in your career, you need to do the things you want to be known for, and more importantly you need to be seen doing them consistently, otherwise you will lose credibility...

I am a strong believer in the power of diverse teams and the varying views of the same issue they bring through their experience lens. Having successfully built a diverse team before, there is one thing I know I—-building and maintaining diverse teams take a conscious and continuing effort. Like any strategy or initiative it’s takes planning, strong focus on implemetation and critical measures of success. In other words, it’s hard work. Not because qualified diversee candidates are hard to find, rather the issue is while you may want to build a diverse team, it may not be the focus of your employer, resistance overt or subtle may exist in your teams and qualified candidates may not be willing to take a risk on your employer no matter how much they like you. Over the last few years DEI officers and DEI policies appeared to be the tool we needed to bring real progress within reach. Unfortunately, in many cases, the mere existence of DEI policies, offices and officers has become the measure of success rather than the work these were intended to do. Rather than real work and progress, DEI has become, in many companies, a check the box effort—DEI Policy…Check, DEI Officer…Check—but measurable progress? Little to none, or in the case of Adidas, the featured company in this repost, negative progress.