Lesson #2: Mean What You Say

"What if, instead of spending all that time and money on deciding how to tell customers who we are, we spent more time and money on being who they want us to be?"

-Bernadette Jiwa, Marketing, A Love Story

Earlier in this series, I shared that Black women are as diverse in perspectives, personalities, and preferences as the shades of red lipstick in your largest Sephora. Despite those differences,?there are a few rules of engagement that most subscribe to when it comes to how brands should speak to us.?

Meaning what you say - and having the action in your business to back up your message - is one of them.

We live in an age of conscious consumerism where people are more intentional than ever about where they spend their dollars. The latest data shows that the average consumer makes a determination on the credibility and reality of a brand within exactly four seconds of viewing its website.

We're also in an age of choice overwhelm. In beauty, there are precisely one million options for the dream anti-aging eye cream you're seeking, two hundred billion bottles of the perfect cleanser made just for your skin, and now a pretty wide variety of foundations for every shade in every finish at just about every coverage level.

Consumers have options, as we all know.??

So how do you think Black women sift through the clutter and choose who to buy from?

When all functional boxes are checked, what makes this multibillion-dollar consumer segment spend without hesitation or even just to make a statement?

I'll tell you: A brand that lives up to its language.

The Diverse Intelligence Report by Nielsen found that Black women make up the majority of value-driven purchases in America.?A combination of strong community and family principles coupled with an instinct to protect those that they love leads many Black women to "support" brands that do more than sell products.

According to the study:

60% of Black women are more likely to purchase from brands that support a cause (or organization) they care about.

52% are more likely to buy from a brand that they know supports a charity.

43% expect the brands that they buy from to support social causes. (By the end of 2022, I predict this number to be significantly higher.)

Put simply, she views her purchases as a "vote" - one that is a direct reflection of who she is and what she personally stands for (and against).

While fulfilling her physical need is important, today's Black woman shops for beauty with meaning.

It makes sense that her sensitivity to the authenticity behind a brand's message is especially high in comparison to her non-Hispanic white counterparts. Before making a purchase decision, she'll most likely take one or ALL of the below steps:

• Cross-check your values against her own and those of her inner circle;
• Review your CEO's response during significant social moments;
• See who's on your board and what they believe in;
• Check your site and socials for consistent representation; and/or
• Verify that diversity isn't some trend to you.

Then, she'll decide if what you say is what you really stand for. And if she can confirm authenticity, her loyalty and advocacy toward your brand and the products you sell will be unmatched.

What This Means for Brands Looking to Craft Messages with Meaning:

It's important to understand that the function of any brand message is to translate a truth and intention that already exists. It is not to portray a fabricated identity that seems timely, trendy, or more socially appealing.

How your business operates, the driving philosophies behind your work, whom you employ (and why), where your ingredients are sourced, the impact you desire to make on your community, what you do with your profits, and every other business aspect must be taken into consideration before getting creative with copy.

Viewing the larger foundational picture of your brand can be both sobering and exciting. It's from this place of REALITY that your team can begin to craft a message that means something to you and to the people you wish to serve.

If the goal is to attract more Black women to your brand, here are three questions to ask yourself before writing your next line:

1. With what fundamental philosophy do we approach our day-to-day work?
2. What does our brand collectively care about (besides making money) that our customers also personally value?
3. What brand principles have we proven through consistent action?

I challenge you to pull out the sharpies this week and start reflecting on your answers with your team.

Remember, the only thing worse than a bad brand message is a good one that carries zero weight whatsoever.?

Mean what you say.

"Words to Black Women" is a lesson series dedicated to teaching beauty brands everywhere how to attract and convert the industry's fastest-growing, most loyal, and language-sensitive consumer segment -?through words.

Invite your beauty industry colleagues to subscribe and engage in the comment section.

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Amber Williams & Company?designs voice and messaging strategies for premium beauty brands looking to attract and convert today’s most diverse luxury consumers. Through Brand Intensive sessions for small businesses to full strategy and marketing team trainings for corporate clients, our signature approach helps businesses find the right words to authentically speak to the audiences they’ve always wanted to reach.

Our clients have been featured in Vogue, Elle, Allure, Cosmopolitan, Oprah Magazine, Fast Company, Forbes, and more. Amber Williams teaches brand voice and messaging to fellow entrepreneurs at the Tory Burch Foundation and the Female Founder Collective's 10th House.

You can learn more about our philosophy and services at?www.amberwilliams.co