BHM, Rihanna, Supporting LGBTQ+ spaces, and more.
Hero Collective
Hero Collective is a 100% black-owned, creative and social marketing company focused on turning brands in to heroes.
Welcome back to Culture Hack, our newsletter authored by our very own Heroes: students of culture, creators, and boundary-pushing, shape-shifters hell-bent on changing the world. Our work is rooted in deep cultural understanding, based on our lived experiences, expertise, and relentless learning that we use to help brands find and leverage their “Cultural Superpower." As we reach the end of Black History Month, we are reflecting on how brands can think beyond the “month” or even “history” in supporting Black excellence and creativity. We also analyze Rihanna’s comeback and marketing genius during her Super Bowl halftime show performance, reflect on the current threat to LBGTQ spaces and how brands can truly support the community beyond viewing parties, and provide recommendations for preventing burnout as a remote worker.
Looking Beyond the Blackest Month of the Year
In recent years, more and more brands have been forced to look beyond their 28-day approach to Black History Month. As consumers have become skeptical of anything unauthentic or impersonal, brands must push their marketing to not only encompass the multidimensionality of the Black experience, but also not tokenize BHM as the only month that can recognize Black creators, innovators, and trailblazers. As the world becomes more familiar with the multi-faceted nature of the Black experience, marketing campaigns are beginning to move past the fundamental or one-dimensional understandings of Black communities.
Take for example Jack Daniel’s. The beverage brand is celebrating its third annual Black History Month storytelling campaign, Every Legacy Has a Beginning , which not only highlights Black-owned businesses on its social media but also creates a year-round website to view their longevity and success . This is a prime example of thinking “beyond the month.”
Secondary recommendations for Black History Month and beyond may include tapping into the new theme of Afrofuturism, a cultural aesthetic, philosophy of science, and history that explores the intersection of African Diaspora culture and technology. Marvel’s Black Panther showed us the fictional version of a Black society thriving in the future. Brands would be smart to highlight Black scientists/innovators or fashion designers on the cusp of the future, turning Black History Month on its head and becoming Black Futures Month.
The athleisure fashion line, Yitty by Lizzo understood the afro-futurism concept as it honored BHM. “Black history month celebrates the perseverance and survival of our culture. While we honor Black History Month by working with afro futuristic designers and by proudly being a Black-owned business, we also want to remind everyone that every month is Black History month. Every day we celebrate that, we are making better steps toward the future.” Understanding the momentum and gravity of the Black future is an idea more and more innovators are as they go “beyond the month”. Ivy Briana, Founder of Rolla Magic believes that “BHM means celebrating the depth and multiplicity of Blackness. Celebrating what your Blackness looks like, not what anyone tells you it looks like.” As the world continues to understand the many faces of Blackness, designers, innovators, and creators are also realizing they have due diligence to proudly show their authentic Blackness.?
However, the true key to Black History Month is to not only highlight Black trailblazers during BHM but rather follow through and track their stories. Too often BHM initiatives are highlighted but never sustained. Recognition of Black communities is not a trending cultural moment with a time limit, but rather they are a timeless integral core of society. The brand that can sustain and elevate the importance of this unique experience can win in the eyes of Black communities.?
How to Make a Comeback: Rihanna’s Super Bowl Performance?
After six years of waiting, the Navy was finally graced with Rihanna’s highly anticipated return to the stage, in this year’s Super Bowl halftime show performance.?
Like many times before, the superstar and businesswoman did not disappoint. Leading up to the performance, Rihanna’s Fenty brands certainly took advantage of the moment with Fenty Beauty releasing an exclusive collection of Super Bowl-themed products and Savage Fenty delivering custom pieces celebrating the event.?
From Apple’s marketing to Fenty Beauty and the Savage Fenty line, Rihanna certainly capitalized on the moment. According to Forbes, Google searches for Fenty Beauty increased by 883% . Not only did her performance bring awareness to her brand, but it reintroduced fans to her sound. Rihanna herself tweeted that she became the “#1 global artist ranking for the best-selling and most streamed artist on all digital platforms worldwide for the third consecutive day”.?
This comes as no surprise as her songs received a 390% boost in sales and 166.13 million on-demand streams following her performance. While Rihanna doesn’t earn a commission for her performance, the rewards and attention she receives for her brands had a massive impact.?
Outside of the half-time performance and in collaboration with Apple Music, Rihanna’s music catalog brought fans a new way to experience her sound with Apple’s spatial audio, sing-along with Apple Music Sing and Apple Music Radio. As a first-time sponsor of the Superbowl, Apple embraced Rihanna as the face of its campaign with an official trailer ,? a performance by NFL fans , and many more.?
Finally, let’s not forget the buzz on social media with influencers, celebrities, and fans analyzing the meaning behind the performance. From defending the music sensation to criticizing the performance, many agree Riri is back.?
However, the most important question remains: Should we be expecting an album soon? ??
More than just viewing parties: Can brands support queer spaces authentically?
It’s hard not to feel the dissonance of Ru Paul’s Drag Race being in its 15th season on MTV while at least 14 States are passing laws banning drag shows. Beyoncé’s queer-inspired Renaissance dominating the charts and awards circuits while Pride flags are being set alight in the heart of Soho . Queer and trans identities are increasingly mainstream and increasingly marginalized.
So with this increasing bifurcation, what does it mean for a brand to engage and support LGBTQ audiences in 2023?
For as much as LGBTQ inclusion in advertising can often be considered pinkwashing or a commercialization of Pride, seizing a moment instead of seizing opportunities to power a movement, it’s worth noting there are many parts of the world where it results in death threats and families having to flee their homes . Acknowledging the platform of advertising to show authentic, intersectional representations of LGBTQ audiences is certainly a start.?
But in a world where 1/3 of Gen Z see their online selves as their most authentic self-expression, community queerness and its spaces have never felt so important. Supporting them is one of the most authentic ways a brand can show up for consumers. The LGBTQ rights movement began in a gay bar after all.?
In many neighborhoods and cities across the country, the gay bar may be the only public LGBTQ anything, and their numbers are in terminal decline across the United States, especially lesbian bars and bars serving queer people of color.
The ‘Drag Race effect’ has shown the power of these spaces in building community, invigorating local drag and the local bar scene through viewing parties. Without appropriating or exploiting queer culture for the sake of rainbow-washing, brands have an incredible opportunity to support and give back to these spaces that are quite literally under attack and make them a cultural focal point for the next generations.
Match tips… donate to prizes… amplify the people and their stories… center the spaces and their heritage. Stand for keeping these spaces quite literally safe and inclusive.
领英推荐
And with that, I hope to see you all for RPDR Season 15 at your friendly neighborhood queer bar...
- Ed Hunt
Preventing burnout while working from home
In a post-pandemic world, many people continue to work remotely. As a result, we’ve continued to blend a space once deemed as a sanctuary, with the hustle and bustle of work. With these two spaces now intertwined as one, your once humble abode is on the clock 24/7. It’s the space where people live, work, and may continue to play even after a long workday.?
With the lack of separation between two worlds, and the ability to have an “always on mentality” since work takes place at home—in a living room, home office or kitchen table—the feeling of burnout may creep into the picture for remote workers. The feeling of being overwhelmed, and overworked without the ability to take a beat, or retreat into a peaceful place.?
To prevent burnout, Ebony recommends the following tips from Black mental health experts :
Seek Out Community?
Pre-pandemic, people had the ability to build interoffice friendships with colleagues through daily in-office interactions. Relationship development with colleagues takes place through on-screen interactions now. With this, it’s recommended to seek out opportunities to connect with people in real-life to build a network for professional development, mentoring and emotional support.?
If your budget and lifestyle permits, members clubs like WeWork , Soho House or Industrious have options to work remotely beyond home while tapping into a broader network of professionals to build real-life connections.
Practice visualization and meditation?
Create a routine—whether daily, weekly or on the weekends—which includes visualization , meditation , journaling , and breathwork . This time will be dedicated solely to you in a place where you deem most tranquil. It will allow you to connect with the day, yourself, thoughts, and prayers. It is uninterrupted to feed into yourself.?
Create boundaries
It’s okay to set boundaries at work while working from home. "Boundaries are limits intentionally put in place to protect your peace," according to Jasmine Cobb, a licensed counselor and owner of Visual Healing Therapeutic Services, PLLC . "Set aside some time to disconnect and refill your cup in other ways outside of work hours so that you can reconnect when you feel recharged," explains Cobb. Your personal peace, joy and happiness are most important to show up every day as your most authentic self and team contributor in the remote workplace.?
Take regular breaks from screens and get outside
In a work from home environment, the always on is real. Throughout the day, it’s recommended to take regular breaks for a few minutes from the screen to stretch your legs, give your eyes a break, get fresh air, and clear your mind. Vanessa Williams, LCSW , a licensed therapist, recommends taking a mindful walk. "Mindful walking is simply the practice of bringing your mind's awareness to your surroundings. Movement helps bring your mind's attention to your body and is a good source of stress relief," Williams shares.?
Find support
It’s okay to seek help when you feel burnt out. Maybe you are already employing some of the tips presented and you need more support. Speaking to a therapist or trained counseling professional is okay. Hurdle , Doctor On Demand , or BetterHelp are great options for counseling anytime you need on demand.?
Piece references an article from Ebony originally published in December 2022 by LeAura Luciano
The Washington Post reported this week that Meta is preparing to lay off thousands , despite Mark Zuckerberg previously stating there would be no more job cuts.
Zuckerberg isn’t the only social media executive going back on previous statements. The Verge reported last week that Elon Musk’s Twitter also laid off even more employees , after previously stating job cuts were over.
The European Commission is the latest government body to ban TikTok on staff devices.
In the world of Google, longtime YouTube CEO, Susan Wojcicki, announced she will step down .
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