Hero Media: From the Vineyard with Culture

It is hard to believe that it’s only been three months since I took the helm as President, Digital Innovation at Hero Media. In my role, I oversee Hero Media’s various lines of business, with an emphasis on driving partnerships and growth for our first party platforms and proprietary ad tech solutions, agency relationships, content conceptualization and programming. More recently, I took this mission and vision to Martha’s Vineyard for the 21st annual Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival. Although it was definitely not my first time at the festival,?this year was extra special, as I represented Hero Media while supporting friends, colleagues and brands making huge moves for the culture.

As a next-generation Black-owned media and ad-tech company where culture meets performance, we believe in empowering the next generation of diverse-owned publishers and creators. We put this into action as soon as I joined, with the Heroes of Media Awards dinner in Cannes this past June, honoring industry greats like Eden Bridgeman Sklenar, Eric Austin, and Halle Berry.?

More recently, I took this mission and vision to Martha’s Vineyard for the 21st annual Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival. Although it was definitely not my first time at the festival,? this year was extra special, as I represented Hero Media while supporting friends, colleagues brands making huge moves for the culture.

Cartier joined in to sponsor the C-Suite Women’s Luncheon for the Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival with Google and The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., which I had the privilege of attending! Big players in the media and film industry opened their doors, from Amazon Prime Video’s All-Access House to Lionsgate and Google TV’s Creative Connect event. I also joined Andreessen Horowitz’s Cultural Leadership Fund for a wonderful dinner alongside fellow Black leaders across various industries.?

I’ve spent summers at Martha’s Vineyard for over 10 years. To see the impact of the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival continue to grow and create opportunities for the community is inspiring. It is a sign that the future of media is truly NOW and I am so excited to be at Hero Media, where culture meets performance in a time when The Culture is showing up to perform in media.

LATEST NEWS

Two weeks ago, Uptown Ventures Group headed back to Martha’s Vineyard for the 11th year to present its 2nd Annual Uptown Vineyard at UPTOWN HOUSE — a curated week-long series of panels, seminars and events. Uptown Vineyard is the premier curated event series exclusively for the affluent African-American market — from Monday, August 14th to Friday, August 18th.

READ MORE HERE.

HERO MEDIA IN THE NEWS

Earlier this summer, Halle Berry attended the Hero Media Gala together with Van Hunt (where Berry was getting honored) at the Martinez Hotel in Cannes, France. While Berry's hair wasn't as voluminous as her most recent Instagram selfie, it was curly, though the coils were more defined than they were in her Afro style. Berry received the?Heroes of Media Vanguard Award, which is an accolade for an individual "not afraid to take risks in the advancement of media ventures that put diversity at the forefront."

READ MORE HERE.

HERO MEDIA BITES

Black Media Is Being Hurt by Agency Blocklists -- How Group Black and DoubleVerify Plan to Fix It

As advertisers continue efforts to increase spend with Black-owned media, some have found out that brand safety policies around blocklists have hindered progress.

READ MORE HERE.

Snoop Dogg Is Not Happy With How Black Creators Are Compensated By Streaming Giants —'It’s Not Cool To Just Keep Stealing Our Culture'

And he has a point. A 2021 study released by PR agency MSL revealed a significant pay gap between white and Black creators, 35%, and nearly half of Black influencers shared that they believe their race contributed to a lower offer.

READ MORE HERE.

Why DTC Chest Binder Brand For Them Is Acquiring LGBTQ+ Publication Autostraddle

Direct-to-consumer brand For Them, which sells gender-affirming chest binder compression tops, acquired LGBTQ+ publication Autostraddle in a move meant to deepen its ties to the?LGBTQ+ community.

READ MORE HERE