On Working With Creatives of Color Ethically and Responsibly
This is an edited excerpt from my marketing agency, Backstory Consulting’s newsletter. To sign up, head to our site.
I take so much pride in being able to connect brands with creators from diverse backgrounds, but I also feel a bit of trepidation in doing so. Will they be paid fairly? Is the brand capable of employing creators of color in an ethical and supportive way? All questions that run through my head before taking on a project.
This post from Evelynn Escobar-Thomas — a creator of color and the founder of Hike Clerb, an intersectional womxn’s hiking club that promotes healing through nature — put my thoughts into overdrive as I considered just how many challenges influencers of color face. I’ve been a fan of Evelynn’s for years and have so much love for the way that she not only creates, but in creating, always pushes for more diversity. With that in mind, I chatted with Evelynn to expand upon the thoughts and questions raised in her post. The advice she gave was invaluable. If you work on any projects where you collaborate with creators of color or people from other minoritized backgrounds, this is a must-read.
Backstory: You recently put up a post challenging brands to do better when it comes to fairly compensating creators of color. In it you ask, “why are we still having to fight to be paid what we’re worth?” As a creator, why do you think these injustices are still happening, especially as we find ourselves in the midst of a reckoning where so many brands are promising to do better?
Evelynn Escobar-Thomas: At the end of the day, a lot of people still don’t get it. There is a great deal of unlearning that’s needed to be done to truly move forward and unfortunately that unlearning doesn’t just happen overnight. Authentic allyship or advocacy takes real hard work.
B: As we’ve started to work with more brands on influencer projects, a lot of our clients are having to cut influencer budgets due to the pandemic which presents an interesting situation as they prioritize the inclusion of a more diverse pool of influencers. For brands that want to diversify but don’t have a ton of spend, what advice would you give?
EET: I would advise them to get specific. Maybe instead of targeting a slew of influencers to help their initiative, they fine-tune their scope to a fraction of that original number so that they can compensate them what they’re worth. There are other ways to compensate for people’s time and energy so be prepared with solutions and alternatives before reaching out to creators.
B: Sticking with the topic of compensation, let’s talk about gifting. It’s such a big part of the influencer industry but a lot of influencers of color, specifically Black influencers, find themselves being gifted and then asked to create content in a way that is exploitative. I know this can get tricky, but if a brand is only able to gift and really wants to work with a creator, any suggestions on how they should approach this? I always tell our clients that they can’t make any specific asks if they’re not able to pay…
EET: You really hit the nail on the head with that last line. At the end of the day, brands can’t expect anything from gifting. I find that brands that approach creators with that mentality usually end up getting some sort of content out of it anyway. Gifting should be treated as the introduction it is. Working relationships require much more substance and an actual investment. An investment to a creator looks like equitable monetary compensation for their time and creativity.
B: One thing I’ve realized is that most brands who want to diversify their influencer programs don’t currently have the infrastructure to achieve that goal, which is where we come in. Knowing that, I often feel excited but nervous when connecting creators with opportunities. What steps can brands take to be sure that they’re supporting the creators of color that they work with?
EET: Hire people of color. That’s it. That’s really what it comes down to. More specifically, hire women of color — especially, Black women. Support starts from the inside out.
B: Every client that has come to us to work on influencer projects has mentioned wanting to create long-lasting relationships with the creators they collaborate with. What factors influence whether you want to work with a brand long-term, and what can brand leaders do on their end to ensure that they’re doing their part?
EET: There is trust and support that needs to be built and it must benefit one side as much as the other. It has to be harmonious.
B: Outside of hiring an agency like Backstory, any resources you’d suggest for brands who really want to create change and diversify their influencer programs, but don’t know where to start?
EET: There are organizations like Every Stylish Girl who are building directories of influencers of color and Xyne Casting’s BIPOC creative directory. Tap into these tools that people of color have already so graciously made.
