The Update: Why diversity and representation are key to brand success

TAMON GEORGE: No longer do companies and organizations operate in a vacuum,

and they need to also identify their role in creating change in the industry.

SARAH CARBERRY: In this episode of The Update,

I talk with Tamon George, Co-Founder and CEO of Creative Theory Agency,

about why diversity and representation are the keys to brand success.

I think we should start with the basics,

really at the foundational level of what diversity means to you,

and why you think it's so important especially right now in marketing?

TAMON GEORGE: Diversity, in its simplest form, is really representation.

The world as we see it is incredibly nuanced—people, age, race, gender, identity—

and we ultimately think that marketing should really be more representative

and thoughtful about that.

And so, when we think about the next levels of diversity,

it's how do we give equal opportunity and show equity for all the nuance

that exist in the population that we market to.

SARAH CARBERRY: I think in light of recent calls for racial justice,

how do you think the definition of diversity has changed

or expanded for consumers and brands alike?

TAMON GEORGE: The definition of diversity I don't think has changed all that much.

I think there's lots of agencies and companies like ours

who have been doing this work for a number of years.

But, what we really are seeing a difference in is the urgency

and top-level support that a lot of these ideas

and initiatives are gaining right now, which is absolutely necessary.

I think consumers are forcing brands to evaluate

their position in systemic inequality, rightfully so.

SARAH CARBERRY: So Tamon, it's commonly understood

why diversity is so important for societal value,

but how does diversity drive business value?

TAMON GEORGE: I think a lot of what we're seeing today is

that diverse companies, and especially diverse agencies,

are better equipped to solve really complex business problems.

I think if you're not making really big decisions

with more representation at the table—age, race, gender, identity—

you’re often going to be missing out on really big pieces of ideas

that should have been there in the first place.

SARAH CARBERRY: Creative Theory has been one of those partners to Google

for a number of years.

Can you share some examples of insights that your team brought to Google,

how you were able to execute campaigns in a way

that was true and authentic to our brand?

TAMON GEORGE: Yeah. So most recently

we were able to work on the Black-owned business attribute.

And so we knew just from our general circle

that there is an increased demand for

how can people support Black-owned business in this exact moment.

So the real victory there was that Google was able to be incredibly helpful at a time

where we knew that searches for Black-owned business were growing exponentially.

And being able to kind of service that need was really essential.

SARAH CARBERRY: What do you say to brands who struggle

to find their multicultural voice in this moment,

or feel that they don't have anything to add?

They just don't have that value proposition.

What can they do?

TAMON GEORGE: The first thing is that you have to earn

the right to add to the conversation.

We see all the time, brands are hesitant or unsure how to kind of enter the conversation.

And, simply, it can often start with your internal employees.

But then there are very small external things that they can do,

such as partner with different organizations,

finding ways to support different missions that align with their business values as well.

And that is kind of your first introduction into really being a big part

of this antiracism movement.