2020 has been a year of remarkable change, awareness, and empathy. Sparked by global acts of civil unrest, many have become acutely aware of racial disparity. Despite what the news will tell you, there are those— who are not people of color —that have allied themselves with the Black Lives Matter movement and have marched in the streets with the oppressed.
But is that enough to address systemic racism? The answer is “no!”
Walking hand-in-hand is a great visual and even enacting laws to mandate equity and racial equality is good, but we know that you can’t paint rosy pictures and make it better. Nor can you legislate bigoted behavior that actually is the bedrock of the economy of the nation. What you can do … is create change within the corporate space and advance it with media.
Especially, as the National Geographic reports, more than half of Black-owned businesses in America will go under not only because of the typic stress imposed by racism, but the addition armegeddon of the 2020’s global COVID-19 pandemic.
The popular streaming company, Philo, understands that and wants to help.
This fall, Philo has launched a campaign to celebrate Black-owned businesses and organizations committed to social justice through the investment of $1M worth of ad impressions through their network of 60+ cable channels.
https://twitter.com/McDermottMG/status/1327643840166068224
They will do this by creating awareness campaigns and commercials around the selected companies to air throughout their daily programs. The company acknowledges that exposure can make the difference for the rise and success of any business, but specifically minority-owned or focused.
According to Reed Barker, Head of Advertising, Philo, “In light of the recent events, we decided to use our platform as a place for good. We opened up our ad inventory space to provide space for discussions about systemic injustice, raise awareness for social good organizations, and provide Black business owners with an opportunity to promote their businesses free-of-charge.”
The company’s decision to host these commercials for these important brands is a substantial act of investment, covering so many industries and fields.
Organizations that are staples in Black culture like the Urban League, the UNCF, and TMCF, the US Black Chambers have a history of moving the community forward through advocacy, economics, and education and are included.
Black Girls Rock and WEEN, groups committed to the celebration and empowerment of girls and women of African descent have also been tapped to sit at the table. The Innocence Project, Voting Rights Is Our Civil Rights, Color of Change, the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research, and the Know Your Rights organization are platforms that have dedicated their entire mission to social justice. They will also be featured through the Philo gift.
Other businesses, who need support to push their commerce, have been invited to participate in this extraordinary opportunity also such as BEVEL, a top male grooming company, MessInABottle, SIX/30, The Gathering Spot, the Shea Moisture Fund, Sacred Heart Collections and more.
Skin & beard routine courtesy of @bevel. pic.twitter.com/FjqeLM4QDy
— Michael Oloyede (@MichaelOloyede_) November 16, 2020
“Philo is truly TV for everyone, and we want our ad presence on the platform to be uplifting and include diverse representation,” Barker also noted.
This is why they also have a corporate marker called Philo’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) principles that have aligned with the following initiatives: A partnership with the National Urban League and The Gathering Spot to create a two-part “Power Lunch Series: How To Build Your Brand” and Working with programming partners and the Ad Council to air anti-racism PSAs across our platform.
As a brand itself, Philo has always worked from a position of marginal support as a vehicle to introduce inclusion to its business model. They started out working exclusively with the underserved college markets, embraced Black-owned networks like TV One, Cleo TV, and Aspire TV, and now available nationwide, offering 60+ top-rated television channels. For more on their commitment to shifting culture and systemic racism, click here: philo.com.
