How Dentsu Is Using Audio to Promote Diversity

Following last spring and summer39s protests for racial equality dentsu39s chief product officer Douglas Ray said his agency39s committed to taking action In the advertising industry media agencies can influence where and how brands spend their dollars including marketing to diverse audiences or spending on minorityowned publishers But Ray said that simply wasn39t enoughquotWe needed to go above and beyond thatquot he said quotThere was an opportunity to do morequot Ray wanted to forge a new pathquotInstead of just using our influence to direct advertising dollars to black and minorityowned businesses how could we bring consumers into this and do good for themquot Ray asked quotHow could we create systemic change in the marketplace through storytelling and influence the stories and not just the dollarsquotThe answer he said was an original audio series with stories about Black Americans told by Black Americans then distributed on minorityowned AMFM stationsMore Than That with Gia Peppers is an ambitious and unprecedented effort between stakeholders committed to a common cause On each episode Peppers a seasoned entertainment journalist and BET host digs into topics vexing Black Americans with guests from the Black communityDentsu produces the show with One Solution Urban One39s inhouse studio and in partnership with the National Association of BlackOwned Broadcasters NABOB and founding clients General Motors Procter ampamp Gamble and Kroger The show is distributed on three of the country39s largest minorityowned broadcasters Urban One Spotset and American Urban Radio NetworksAs plans developed last fall the creators targeted a February launch tied to Black History Month Facing a tight timeline Ray said audio emerged as the best medium quotAudio had the flexibility and agility to conceive define develop produce and get on airquot he explained quotAlso the trend right now is audio Audio is boomingquotWith such an ambitious plan Ray said the right host was an essential ingredient Peppers he noted brought rich journalistic experience a commitment to the mission and the necessary gravitas quotHer energy and her passion are such critical componentsquot he said quotWhen you don39t have sight and motion the host needs to transcend the station and come into your living room She does thatquotBut More Than That with Gia Peppers isn39t just another new podcast on iTunes or Spotify Rather the series uses a novel hybrid of terrestrial AMFM and digital distribution to reach the maximum audience Over the nineweek debut season minorityowned urban stations run bitesize one and two minute quotmicroepisodesquot during the week designed to expose audiences to the concept and generate interest in the longform show The 20minute episodes debut on Saturdays and Sundays and are then made available as podcasts which Ray said will help new audiences discover More Than That and create a digital libraryThe show39s unique distribution isn39t the only wrinkle as Ray also wanted to upend the usual advertising process As he and his team pitched the show he said marketers asked to hear samples Rather than signing on to advertise in preconceived or even completed episodes the idea was that sponsors would create the show alongside producers Episodes are inspired by a sponsor39s own priorities and the process is collaborative and holisticquotWe identify the client and the areas of importance from a DEampampI diversity equity and inclusion standpointquot Ray explained quotWe then identify the topic and theme find the right guests and bring it together into a showquotFor instance the first two episodes were sponsored by GM and Ray said the automaker wanted to highlight its overarching commitment to diversity and inclusion and tackle representation in other major industries Episode one delved into the Black community39s experience in entertainment with Peppers speaking to Andrew Sparks TV showrunner writerproducer and playwright and the second show addressed African Americans39 experiences with finance including Peppers39 own father reflecting on his relationship with money and Arian Simone founder of Fearless Fund the first VC for women of color The third episode backed by Kroger focused on wellness and food with guests including celebrity chef and farmer Chef Ahki and Pinky Cole from Slutty VeganquotOur hope is that we are creating stories that create meaningful change so that the stories we39re telling benefit minorityowned businesses and our clients and the perception consumers have of those clients because of their supportquot Ray explainedWhile More Than That speaks to issues in the Black community Ray said the stories will resonate with all listeners In the future he said plans call for shows to spotlight other minorities and social groups quotThis is not just a oneoffquot said Ray who has had preliminary conversations with leaders from the Hispanic and LGBT communities quotWe hope to extend this to other underrepresented audiencesquotFuture series could be released during corresponding themed months such as content for the LGBT community for Pride Month in June or a series speaking to Latinx consumers during National Hispanic Heritage Month in September Once again Ray said it will be essential to work with media publishers and production partners from those communitiesRay is so bullish on the project that he predicts More Than That may inspire a new ad model one that moves from disrupting programming with ads to actually becoming the content At a time when consumers have more media choices than ever he said brands need to earn their attentionquotIf you39re going to interrupt their experience it better be personalized and relevant Alternatively by creating and sponsoring original content you have a good chance to earn their gratitude for bringing the stories to themquot he concludedClick 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 MediaVillagecomMyersBizNetamp160amp160

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How Dentsu Is Using Audio to Promote Diversity

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Alli Romano

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How Dentsu Is Using Audio to Promote Diversity

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