As the biggest advertiser in the world, Procter & Gamble’s weight in ad circles is even bigger than the $6.75 billion that it spent on advertising and marketing last year. That is because a lot of other brands take their cues from P&G. So when the maker of such household brands as Tide, Pampers, Crest and Gillette said it is sticking with Black-owned media, that could help stations attract the interest of other major brands.
The pledge came during a recent meeting between Marc Pritchard, the Chief Brand Officer at P&G, and the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters. During that virtual get-together with nearly a dozen executives of Black-owned companies, Pritchard said that the audience those stations reach continues to be an important customer base for the consumer goods company.
Last month’s meeting was not open to the public, but NABOB said that during the session Pritchard also invited the trade group’s members to submit advertising proposals for a national campaign that promotes equality and justice. More than just traditional commercial time buys, P&G is hoping to support the creation of content that will promote those goals. NABOB said Pritchard also made it clear that it was looking at backing a wide range of ideas so as not to pit the minority broadcasters against one another.
During a speech at last month’s Cannes Lions Live event, Pritchard said he views P&G’s investment in Black enterprises as good for the Black community and for the larger economy. “We’re accelerating buying system changes to significantly increase investment in Black-owned or operated media companies, agencies and marketing suppliers,” said Pritchard. “We’re working directly with a variety of Black-owned or operated businesses and partners to make necessary interventions and ensure sustained economic investment.” He said that P&G is also conducting a “comprehensive review” to ensure its advertising and content accurately and respectfully portrays the Black community.
NABOB said after Pritchard gave that speech it learned that P&G had already begun to partner with several of the broadcast companies that it met with for immediate ad buys. It says P&G is also looking to make more long-term commitments.
“Marc’s expression of P&G’s commitment to promoting social change was very impressive,” said NABOB President Jim Winston. “He and P&G are clearly committed to making a difference. And their actions are speaking loudly of that commitment. We look forward to working with Marc and P&G on many projects in the future.”
NABOB said that among the proposals under consideration by P&G is the creation of an unwired NABOB Radio Network to help funnel ad dollars to smaller stations that are owned by African Americans.
It is not the first time that NABOB’s efforts have paid off for Black-owned stations looking to secure buys from P&G. Three years ago the group helped ensure broadcasters were part of an advertising campaign geared toward bringing greater awareness to racial bias in the U.S. The campaign was in support of “The Talk,” a poignant video that depicted what P&G said depicted “the inevitable conversations many Black parents have with their children about racial bias to prepare, protect and encourage them.” The two-minute video included snippets of mothers talking with their son or daughter in various situations across different decades.
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