How To Celebrate Black History Month, Every Month
As Black History Month draws to a close, some brands will be patting themselves on the back and putting away their passion and enthusiasm for supporting the black community for another year. We hate to break it to you. But if you only think about your business’ role in advancing racial equality during this allotted month, it probably doesn’t cut it.
By integrating racial equity into the core of your business operations, you can effect incremental improvements on a daily basis. Consequently, when Black History Month approaches, you'll have authentic achievements and commendable actions to share, instead of resorting to hollow messaging and occasional contributions.
In this blog post, we will highlight the essence of Black History Month, explore methods for integrating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) practices into your business, and emphasise the notion that the significance of Black history should be acknowledged year-round.
What is Black History Month all about?
Black History Month is a special time to honour and acknowledge Black history and culture. It's also a chance to recognise ongoing unfairness. Some companies also use this time to show how they're striving to promote equality in their industry and make a positive difference.
If your company only talks about racial equality during this one month, does it genuinely show your commitment, or does it seem like you're just trying to look good without making a real impact? This is why we want to write this post, to help you in understanding the current state of inequality and how you can make a REAL difference within how you operate your business.
Empty Messaging Vs Meaningful Action
Consumer behaviour is increasingly value-led.
Your customers are not stupid, they will be able to tell when a brand mixes it up just in time for October, VS when a brand upholds genuine diversity all-year-round and genuinely advocates for a cause.
Diversity in marketing is not a passing fad - it’s an essential component to build trust and effectively represent your audience. It’s also a way to strengthen your brand, from the inside out. Brands must move beyond empty messaging. A nod of acknowledgement is nice, sure. But commitment to pursuing racial equality must extend into all areas of business - both internally and externally.
The Racial Pay Gap in Marketing
The 2023 Career and Salary Survey conducted by Marketing Week found that marketers from ethnic minorities are paid on average 10.3% less than their white counterparts. And this applies to influencers too - another survey (MSL 2021) found a 35% racial pay gap between White and Black influencers.
Will a few social media posts change these statistics? We doubt it.
Researchers noted that in periods of seasonal attention to racial inequality, Black macro-influencer are on average paid more than their White counterparts for posts associated with campaigns advocating equality (Northeastern University, D’Amore Mckim School of Business, 2023).
Of course, this is a good thing. Any show of solidarity is a big deal. However, researchers have found that changes in compensation during Black History Month for influencers of colour are not reflected all year round: ‘the reverse Black-White pay gap is temporary and emerging only during IPARI [periods of Increased Public Attention to Racial Inequality].’
This is why it’s so important to pursue equality in your organisation consistently - not as a one off.
The Role of Marketers in Promoting DEI
For marketers, it's a great chance to make diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) a part of everything they do. This includes finding content, hiring creative people, and giving credit to those who inspire. Marketers shape a brand's image and can work to promote fairness at every step. To fight against systemic racism, we need to take consistent, purposeful actions, both as individuals and as groups.
Creating good habits is crucial. Always think about fairness in everything you do. And remember, it's not just about you and your company. Share the spotlight with other creative individuals, businesses, and initiatives on your brand's platform. Share information and data to discuss diversity issues in your industry, and be transparent about your efforts.
The order of these actions matters. Your social media posts shouldn't suddenly tell people you're against oppression. Your brand's values and commitment to DEI should be clear from the beginning, woven into everything you do. Then, your social media and marketing campaigns should reflect these values.
At Wholehearted we pride ourselves on working to provide equal opportunities for all. Choose the agencies and companies you work with wisely to prioritise diversity and inclusion. Be transparent about what you’re doing to ensure a more fair and equitable hiring process.
So, you’ve hired a more diverse workforce. Next? Pay them fairly.
Review how much your organisation pays staff, freelancers, models and influencers. Is it equal? If not, why not? Reporting on the ethnic pay gap is a crucial step towards lessening pay disparity. Did you know that reporting on racial pay disparities is currently not mandatory? By talking about this issue we can all pursue real change. Read more about the ethnicity pay gap and what you can do to correct it here.
Prioritise education in your organisation.
To fix the problem, you need everyone to understand the problem. Ask these questions: Where are the gaps in our organisation’s understanding of racial inequality in the UK? What education could we provide to improve our service for both employees and consumers? The more you know, the more empowered you are to find creative solutions that align with your brand values.
Ensure your brand imagery reflects the diversity you’re shouting about.
If your photos get more diverse around October and then go straight back to usual, your audience will see through it. Consider a brand audit to assess how diverse your creative assets really are, and where improvements can be made.
Outline your commitments clearly, and make them measurable.
You don’t want to be labelled disingenuous. Make a list of tangible plans, with targets to hit and clear time frames.
So how do brands celebrate Black History Month properly?
The answer is simple. Celebrating Black History Month is easy if you are committed to upholding and enhancing racial equality all year round. Treat every month like Black History Month. That way, October can be used to shout about your consistent action and tangible results.
At Wholehearted, racial diversity is a part of our brand culture. From our recruitment process, to sourcing influencers for marketing campaigns, speaking up about important issues and supporting charities - giving back to the Black community is built into our every action.
Feel like you missed the opportunity to celebrate Black History Month properly? Don’t scrap the topic until next October. You’ve got the next year to build a consistent commitment - that you can then proudly shout about in Black History Month 2024.
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