Heather Stewart on GM's Commitment to Diverse Media

Bill Duggan Earlier in the year General Motors announced plans to dedicate 2 of your advertising budget to Blackowned media in 2021 4 by 2022 and 8 by 2025 Are you on track for those commitmentsHeather Stewart Yes We are very much on track to delivering and perhaps even exceeding the commitments for 2021 We are deep in the planning for 2022 and are thrilled with the new diverseowned media companies we have been introduced toDuggan What were key learnings from GM39s dedicated Upfront with diverse media owners in MayStewart We were impressed by the level of participation by the diverseowned media community the thoughtfulness of the responses to the RFI request and the robust discussions that have taken place throughout this process Biggest learning is that it is all about listening relationships and understanding each otherDuggan How do you distinguishprioritize between diverseowned media certified diverse media and media targeted to diverse audiences that is not diverseownedStewart We recognize diverseowned based on ownership percentage not certification We appreciate those who have been able to become certified As far as prioritization our plans are built around the consumer and all our planning starts first with an audienceled approachDuggan The conversation so far has focused on Blackowned media Are other ownership types also under consideration for additional investment eg Hispanic LGBTQ etcStewart Our focus has always been on diverseowned media inclusive of all underrepresented groupsDuggan A common challenge we hear at ANA for lack of investment in Blackowned media is the lack of available options Is that challenge legitimate Stewart With broadcast ratings erosion media fragmentation and audience signals under pressure I think that statement could be made of all media today We recognize fully that we need to do our part to help support the growth of a stronger diverseowned ecosystem including BlackownedDuggan GM39s action plan also includes establishing a Diverse Marketing Incubator Fund Please discuss the role and status of that And is there anamp160opportunity for others in the industry to also get behind the incubator initiative Stewart Currently the Incubator Fund work is in development under the leadership of Tarshena Armstrong General Motors Director of Diversity Marketing ampamp Development The incubator fund will dedicate 50 million over the next 10 years to support and scale the diverseowned media and marketing ecosystem This investment will support sustainable and longterm growth and is incremental to GM39s media spend The purpose is to make strategic investments in the fundamental enablers of a robust diverse ecosystem focused on fostering equitable representation within the industry We are always open to collaborating with other organizations that want to explore making a meaningful differenceDuggan In all the discussion around ethnic media there seems to be limited conversation about the creative messaging It39s not enough to simply place advertising in ethnic media also the messaging needs to be appropriate How is GM handling thatStewart We agree wholeheartedlyamp160Media and message needsamp160to be fully aligned for appropriate impact GM has a long history with several diversefocused agency partners to help us with the creative messaging and strategyDuggan What types of new positions have been added as a result of GM39s increased focus on diverse suppliersStewart GM has the aspiration to be the most inclusive company in the world This includes investing in our internal talent pipeline We have added positions within the marketing and media departments as well as the elevation of an executive role to continue our focus and dedication to this area In addition we have added robust agency support in this areaDuggan Beyond investment in media how else is GM supporting diverse suppliers ie supplier development plans Supplier development plans are growth andor improvement plans specific to a diverse supplier supporting a business and may include financial timeamp160andor mentoring investment by a companyStewart GM has long had a robust Supplier Diversity Program both for sourcing and within our Minority Dealer Development Program We are a member of Free the Works requiring all our marketing investment RFPs to include an underrepresented bidder GM is also a member of the quotBillion Dollar Roundtablequot that recognizes organizations that spend at least 1 billion with minority and womenowned businessDuggan Payment terms are a hot topic in the marketing industry How if at all will GM adjust payment terms for diverse suppliersStewart Recognizing the challenge with cash flow GM announced 30day payment terms for all of our diverseowned media partnersamp160Dentsu has since followed and we are proud of their leadership in joining usDuggan How will you measure the impact of your increase in spend with diverse suppliers amp160for both GM and the suppliersStewart We will create our own internal benchmarks and look to customized solutions based on the type of media and the goals and objectives we establish with our media partnersClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet

APPLY FOR JOBS | SUBMIT YOUR RESUME | REGISTER FOR FREE MEDIAVILLAGE CONTENT

Heather Stewart on GM's Commitment to Diverse Media

Author

Publish date

Channel

Bill Duggan

APPLY FOR JOBS | SUBMIT YOUR RESUME | REGISTER FOR FREE MEDIAVILLAGE CONTENT

Heather Stewart on GM's Commitment to Diverse Media

Enjoying This Commentary? There's More to Love

Bill Duggan

TAGS:

Cookies