Content For Change’s Post

Hollywood loses an astounding $30 billion annually by not engaging diverse audiences. Here's the breakdown: • $10B lost due to insufficient Black representation • $12-$18B lost from underrepresentation of the Latinx community • $2-$4.4B lost from failing to adequately represent Asian-American/Pacific Islander Let’s champion diversity and push for systemic change to unlock richer storytelling and significant economic benefits. 🌟 Black Enterprise Magazine shares more: https://lnkd.in/gjMDp9Cz #RepresentationMatters #MRX #MarketResearch #MulticulturalResearch #Insights #MulticulturalMarketing #Multicultural #BrandStrategy #Marketing #ConsumerBehavior #MulticulturalInsights #Representation #Inclusion

"For so long, I’ve always wanted to be different, and now I realize I just need to be myself.” - Da'Vine Joy Randolph. As a DEI practitioner, I know firsthand how crucial it is to celebrate wins like Da'Vine Joy Randolph's historic Academy Award win. In a world where it often feels like progress toward equity and inclusion is slow and challenges abound, moments like these remind us of the power of representation and the importance of continuing our vital work. Da'Vine's well-deserved recognition on the Oscars stage is not just a personal triumph; it's a triumph for diversity and inclusion in the entertainment industry. It's a victory for every person who has ever felt marginalized or unseen. It's a victory for the power of storytelling to uplift and empower voices from all backgrounds. But our celebration shouldn't stop here. It should serve as a catalyst for further action and advocacy. We must continue to push for more diverse representation in all aspects of media, from casting to storytelling to behind-the-scenes roles. We must amplify underrepresented voices and ensure that everyone's story is told authentically and respectfully. As we bask in the glow of this momentous win, let's recommit ourselves to the ongoing work of equity and inclusion. Let's strive to create a world where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to bring their whole selves to the table. 🌟 Congratulations, Da'Vine, on your incredible achievement! Your win is an inspiration to us all. 🌟 #DiversityandInclusion #RepresentationMatters #Oscars2024 #Belonging #Equity #Inclusion

Performative diversity in media and entertainment can do more harm than good when it comes to genuine representation. It sends a hollow message that diversity is a checkbox rather than a meaningful commitment. When diversity is superficial, it fails to capture the richness of different cultures and experiences, leading to stereotypes and misrepresentations that reinforce biases. Authentic representation, on the other hand, ensures that diverse voices are not only present but also heard and valued. It's about creating spaces where all stories can be told with depth and respect. #Diversity #Representation #Media #Entertainment

Hollywood Hypocrisy? Bisan Owda's Emmy nomination is under attack, with over 150 industry insiders demanding it be revoked—without solid evidence. This isn't just censorship; it's a blatant example of Hollywood's selective outrage. Are we really okay with silencing voices that make us uncomfortable? When the industry chooses to ignore or attack narratives that don't align with the status quo, it's perpetuating these injustices. It's time to call out this double standard. If Hollywood claims to stand for diversity and inclusion, then it needs to start walking the talk. #SpeakUp #DoubleStandards #Diversity #HollywoodHypocrisy

Back in 2020, many of the more senior briefs we worked on specifically requested people of colour. Our advice then was that this would just be moving the few senior black/brown folk available between agencies. Your agency would be that little bit more diverse but it was a zero-sum game for the industry as a whole. More sustainable change would come from making Adland more open to a wider pool of talent and it is admirable that various schemes were developed to help improve diversity at the bottom of the pyramid. Four years is clearly too soon to see these cohorts in decision-making roles. However, It's disappointing that so many feel that any success seems not to have yet translated to significant opportunities for POCs to even make it to these more senior positions.

ENGAGING THE STAGE with PURPOSE!   Once again, the 2024 National Speakers Association Influence conference was epic and relationships built are what it's all about. A handful of us were selected to dance on stage with Hall of Fame Speaker (CPAE), Lenora Billings-Harris, CSP, CPAE (she, her), after a beautiful keynote she shared on the big stage at the conference. She's also part of our NSA North Carolina Chapter.   Each speaker who danced on stage are superstars whether they were seasoned global speakers or just starting out. We came together as one with a message of unity and global inclusion.   It's memories like these that last a lifetime. I firmly believe in living a life of experiences and lasting relationships. At the end of the day I'm likely not going to remember how hard I worked, but the beautiful people who have affected my life and hopefully I have affected theirs.   Wait for tomorrow's post… Another wild performance I was asked to be part of with costumes, singing, and dancing to welcome the new Hall of Fame Speakers on the last night of the conference -- A teaser: The Greatest Showman Theme 😊 Video description: visual of a thousand audience members with music playing in the background and 10 to 15 different speakers on stage dancing to engage the crowd on inclusion and representation. Mike Frank, CSP, CPAE Kevin Snyder, CSP®John F. Edwards, CSP, CVP Deanna Jones NSA Carolinas • John Register, CSP™, CPAE, PLY Rochelle Rice, CSP, AS • Jasmine Brett Stringer Justin Jones-Fosu Mike Mooney, CSP® • Sharon Delaney McCloud CDE® John Watkis Tricia Downing Kelly Swanson Mike Rabinowitz Dr. Sarah Glova Chuck Gallagher   #keynotespeaking #keynotespeaker #keynote #TEDx #tedxspeaker #family #buildingcommunity #relationshipsmatter #perspectiveshift #perspectiveiseverything #bethedifference #bethechangeyouwanttosee #youcandohardthings #bigstage #lovespeaks #CommunityFirst #disabilityadvocate #wheelchairuser #wheelchairgirl #inclusionmatters #inclusionforall

SigmaCarta Premium Black men are currently the most underserved audience with regard to quality content created specifically for us. This is a huge oversight on many fronts, we're a huge commercially viable audience with great spending power and a keen loyalty to the brands we choose. SigmaCarta Premium is specifically aimed at a global Black male audience with a mix of unscripted personal development-themed shows, comedy, drama and documentaries that serve our pallet. We serve as an amazing opportunity to aggregate Black male viewers globally by providing quality entertainment and transformative formats and a destination for brands to connect with a sector extension. Our cultural influence outweighs our statistical population wherever we are and targeted marketing directly to the most influential sector of society would exponentially grow the reach and adoption of brands seeking to expand over the next five years in markets predicted to decline. SigmaCarta is attracting and developing formats with incredible creative and onscreen talent to produce premium content that enables millions of men to see themselves as they are as opposed to how they've been portrayed by those with an agenda to undermine our image. SigmaCarta has a mission to mass market the value of Black men over the next decade by portraying the best of who we are and by producing the most competitively entertaining shows for our subscriber platform and social media audiences.

DIVERSITY, DIVERSITY, HEAR ALL ABOUT IT! According to the annual Hollywood Diversity Report (2024) presented by the UCLA Entertainment & Media Research Initiative, only 2.3 out of 10 theatrical film directors are people of color, Only 1.5 out of 10 theatrical film directors are women. This can be a daunting statistic that leaves many of the filmmakers I work with hopeless. I'm committed to hope and measurable change for diverse storytellers. So, I wanted to share a bit of my perspective on how l've seen diversity change in the work I do with new voices over the past few years. The budgets of the movies we make live under $4 million which isn't accounted for in the report that focuses on theatrical films in the $100M range. I think we have to contextualize when evaluating change. People of color and women often have to start at the bottom with smaller budgets. But this is where so much of the change around inclusion and equity is happening. This growth is rarely reported on, but is remarkable nonetheless. Our genre features slate with @hulu is proof of this incredible moment. I'd like to propose that we stop thinking of diversity as a bad word that's overused and performative. Diversity is real, it's needed, and it is changing the landscape of whose stories are told. There's never been a better time to be a diverse storyteller, use it to your advantage wherever, however, and with whomever you can. Ally with teams and producers who are part of this change at the grassroots level, develop your stories with them, and together let's continue to diversify Hollywood from the bottom, up! Excerpts from "The Era of Upheaval" panel at the 2023 Asian Leadership Conference in Seoul, moderated by Ron Geller, VP Worldwide Content Relations at Dolby

I’ve seen it time and time again — many Black and Brown artists view one another as competition rather than community. In a world where we often have to fight for limited opportunities and representation, it’s easy to fall into the mindset that helping someone else might mean fewer chances for ourselves. As a result, industry knowledge is often kept behind closed doors, especially in fields like voice acting, where resources and guidance can be hard to come by. But what if we changed that narrative? KatVoix Media’s mentorship program was created to help break those barriers. By offering coaching on everything from digital marketing and sound engineering to auditioning and equipment setup, my goal is to equip the next wave of voice talent with the tools they need to succeed — and to do it without gatekeeping. This program is all about uplifting each other, creating opportunities, and ensuring that Black and Brown voices are not only heard but celebrated. If you’re ready to break free from the old mindset and join a community built on support and growth, DM us or visit our website to learn more. Let’s change the game together. #VoiceActingMentorship #BuildCommunityNotCompetition #KatVoixMedia #RepresentationMatters #BlackAndBrownVoices

It’s finally here! I was so excited when I saw the release of the Will and Harper trailer—it’s not every day that we see a film that tackles such deeply personal and often misunderstood experiences with the compassion, humor, and authenticity that this story promises. This film goes beyond just entertainment; it’s a powerful lens into the kind of friendship that transcends identity labels and highlights the transformative power of allyship. It feels like we’re witnessing a real turning point in how stories about the transgender community are being told on a mainstream platform. I can’t help but feel hopeful about the ripple effect this could have on conversations about allyship, inclusion, and what it really means to show up for others. What’s truly exciting is that this film has the potential to challenge viewers in all the right ways—opening their hearts and minds, asking them to reflect on their own biases, and pushing them to be better allies in their everyday lives. It’s not just about Will Ferrell’s celebrity status; it’s about his vulnerability, his willingness to admit what he doesn’t know, and the power of showing up even when things aren’t perfect. It’s a lesson in allyship that I think we can all take to heart. I’m genuinely thrilled at the possibility that Will and Harper will hit the big screen and spark important, much-needed conversations around transgender experiences and allyship. Films like this create space for real, transformative dialogue—pushing us all to reflect on how we can better support, affirm, and listen to those whose experiences may be different from our own. I can’t wait to see its impact, and I’m hopeful this is just the beginning of many more stories that celebrate authentic, meaningful allyship. Let’s continue to amplify these voices, challenge preconceived notions, and spark change together! #WillFerrell #Allyship #WillAndHarper #TransgenderAwareness #Inclusion #GrowthMindset #ExcitedForChange