ELEVATING DIVERSE VOICES IN MEDIA

 
 

SITUATION

Group Black was founded to transform the face of media ownership and investment by driving Black-media ownership at pace while providing these same businesses with the capital they need to scale.

With a desire to elevate their positioning within the industry, Group Black not only to create buzz around their C-suite and work but also attract agency and corporate partners to join in on their mission of investing more ad dollars to Black-owned media.


ACTION

I developed a communications strategy that utilized a three-pronged approach leveraging timely cultural moments, media’s editorial calendars (e.g. lists, awards and special issues) and Group Black’s presence at industry events to create a news engine for the company. Beginning with the company’s presence at Cannes Lions, I identified on-the-ground opportunities for the executive team to connect with priority media at the creative festival to share more on their mission and upcoming announcements.

Following Cannes, I outlined opportunities for CEO and co-founder Travis Montaque and newly announced Chief Strategy Officer Bonin Bough to continue conversations with journalists and other conference organizers to discuss the media landscape in relation to diverse storytelling. Angles and events leveraged included Black Business Month, Black Women’s Equal Pay Day, Brandweek, Advertising Week, SxSW and CES.


RESULTS

The thought leadership platform put Group Black’s mission front and center across industry stages and priority media. Results include: 

  • Secured coverage for CEO and co-founder Travis Montaque in leading trade outlets Adweek and Ad Age in addition to business media Bloomberg and Yahoo! Finance garnering more than 3 billion in media impressions.  

  • Recognition for Montaque as Media Executive of the Year for Adweek Hot 1o0 (2022) while Group Black was honored by Fast Company as a Most Innovative Company in Media (2023).

  • Co-facilitated a panel discussion with The Female Quotient during 2022 Advertising Week in The Equality Lounge featuring their women-owned media brands to spotlight disparities within media while connecting with industry leaders, investors and stakeholders.

The increased coverage and presence on industry stages helped in their mission to attract talent, new corporate and agency partners while being considered a driving force to create more equity within media.