The MOBE Accelerator: Energizing and Elevating Black Marketing Success

Over one hundred years ago a majestic 34room Italianate mansion was built just north of Manhattan along the Hudson That was nothing new as in the 18th and 19th centuries the lush waterfront landscape along the Hudson River attracted New York39s wealthiest familiesamp8212the Vanderbilts Rockefellers and others who built opulent Gilded Age estates What was almost unheard of was that this particular estate belonged to an AfricanAmerican female entrepreneur and as the New York Times reported at the time the local town was flabbergasted to the extreme exclaiming quot39Impossible No woman of her race could afford such a place39quotThat was in 1917 and today with the scourge of COVID19 America39s racial wealth gap is widening with deeply ingrained prejudices still insidiously prevalent in our workplaces in education in investor financing in health and yes still in homeownershipThe 1917 mansion was commissioned by beauty mogul entrepreneur philanthropist and activist Madam CJ Walker widely considered America39s first female selfmade millionaire But she started from humble beginnings as Sarah Breedlove the daughter of enslaved parents and after suffering from hair loss she developed a haircare product specifically for Black women which she started selling doortodoorLike Walker Yvette Moyo founder of MOBE Marketing Opportunities in Business ampamp Entertainment also started her career as a doortodoor salesperson selling the Blackbook which was a resource listing a curated collection of black owned businesses Since 1992 Moyo and her team have tirelessly built MOBE pronounced quotmoebeequot which has served as a highly connected launching pad and connection hub for Black corporate leaders entrepreneurs and corporations across marketing tech sports and entertainment MOBE has partnered with iconic leaders from John Legend to Daymond John from Nina Henderson former president ampamp COO BET Pictures to Collette V Smith first female coach NY JetsA signature event platform is the annual MOBE Symposium now a virtual series due to COVID led by former BET ampamp ESPN executive Curtis Symonds who is being inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame in September 2021 describes it as a quotpower packed networking event that has launched careers grown businesses and created an ecosystem of connectionquot Symonds continues to create strong ties between the upcoming generation of leaders from HBCUs and the powerful MOBE networkMasterful and Agile Pivot During Uncertain TimesThrough much foresight fast decisionmaking and strong team collaboration the April 2020 conference was canceled in March and the MOBEMondays series was launched Moyo insisted quotthis was the way to go and within a month after the cancelation the series which has since attracted almost 100000 viewers was a destination for veteran marketers entertainment executives and innovatorsquot MOBETuesday sessions were added and the onlyatMOBE hashtag heightened the level of conversation around DEampampI the potential and the myth and even the term BuriedAlive was coined to communicate the experience of some Black executives in corporate America today Sony OWN Urban One AARP and PampampG are just a few companies engaged in these crucial conversations Moyo shares optimistically quotin a sense these weekly forums serve as a balm for the injured due to structural corporate racism and we39ve 39lost39 many corporate executives to entrepreneurship thanks to the financial freedom MOBE39s business owners demonstrate during our forums MOBE is a great landing pad for new businesses and established businesses looking to reinvent themselvesquotA Growth Playbook with Practical Steps for SuccessAccording to Moyo what makes MOBE different from other national networking and trade organizations is the emphasis placed on quotpractical reallife business lessons from the trenchesquot amp8212 captured by the 39how to39 and 39when39 of a more personalized coaching approach that is offered by the MOBE Master Series From case studies to the 39anatomy of success videos the founder once called the work The MOBE Institute providing their members with a growth playbook and support network that is essential for successFor brand marketers interested in supercharging their multicultural efforts whether as a startup or a global multinational the MOBE Institute unveils the competencies and skillssets for leadership excellence while underscoring the cultural forces that shape how Black consumers think act and embrace products in the marketplace Revlon General Mills CocaCola Ford and GM have presented showcases in the past to connect with the best and brightest and MOBE believes now is the perfect time for leading brands to demonstrate their appreciation for Blackowned ingenuity initiative and excellenceCultural Competence to Capture Market UpsideWith nearly 50 million Black people in the US spending more than 1 trillion a year in the marketplace it is critical brands demonstrate cultural competence to relate to this market segment and successfully uncover unmet needsMOBE offers a robust platform for not just entrepreneurial new ideas to be tested and showcased but it also offers a stage for established products to uncover what will unlock Black consumer interest in other words the key question is do you have a solution to a problem that is urgent for this segmentSita Lewis certainly believed she did with her creation of her signature Mama Sita quotMiracle Butter Creamquot which was triggered by the eczema irritations her NYC innercity high school students suffered According to Moyo quotLewis understood the problem and created a solution that was differentiated and spoke to the specific experiences of her consumers that is cultural competencyquot With the power of the MOBE network Sita had an opportunity to meet Kevin Miller CMO of Fresh Market She is in discussion for distribution across a majority of the 176store Fresh Market grocery footprint and he introduced her to brokers and supermarket savvy Black professionals to accelerate her success and that of an additional five Blackowned brands Their meeting was the result of an energetic MOBE Mondays webinar panel that Kevin who Moyo calls a MOBE alum participated in carefully curated by former Walmart executive Gwen Kelly who is a longstanding member of the MOBE leadership team which includes executives from ESPN BET Time Warner AOL Verizon WCBS Walmart and Prudential and market leaders like Pepper Miller author and Black consumer insights expert In fact at recent MOBE Symposiums Prudential served as a major sponsor with the support of Dorinda Walker former vice president of cultural insights and activation Today MOBE39s corporate sponsors are AARP and Procter ampamp Gamble participating as corporate sponsors for the past few years In addition to the MOBE Symposium MOBE Mondays as a biweekly series keeps members connected and showcases thought leaders in multicultural marketing cultural proficiency and growth strategiesA Launching Pad to TurboCharge New BusinessBy creating an open and transparent ecosystem of mutually beneficial relationships MOBE has provided a powerful launching pad to seasoned as well as new brands and startups resulting in 200 million in value tracked during the first dozen years since 1992 as a result of ideas and a culture Moyo created to endure relationships and collaborations that were conceived during MOBE interactions One example is the relationship between BET and Nabisco orchestrated by Symonds after meeting with Ron LeGrand former director of multicultural affairs at Nabisco during a MOBE Symposium Per Symonds quotMOBE connected the dots driving dollars and ROI for both our organizationsquotSimilar to the Mama Sita story many businesses have benefited from the MOBE Accelerator impact driving distribution deals incisive market intelligence and winwin business partnershipsAs our nation faces the most important racial reckoning of our time organizations like MOBE are a beacon of light that can help corporations individuals and governments to break down systemic racism by creating economic opportunity However according to Symonds and Moyo quotpeople now must recognize what we bring to the table a Blackowned base of thought leadership and accomplishment an authentic voicequot This new interest in MOBE is developing through robust marketing wordofmouth support and corporate sponsorship resourcesToday with the Black Lives Matter movement there is greater recognition of the rich mosaic of the Black experience and the contribution of Black leadership across business politics entertainment and popular culture The next step is decisive action and authentic connections to unlock the opportunities of this important 14 trillion consumer segment through learning education inclusive messaging and shared resourcesThe road ahead will not be easy given the systemic racism that still plagues our country but as Madam CJ Walker reminded us a century ago quotI had to make my own living and my own opportunity But I made it Don39t sit down and wait for the opportunities to come Get up and make themquot MOBE accelerates this journey to opportunity and it is our responsibility to provide MOBE members and all BIPOC consumers with a level playing field and equity of access for financial empowerment selfactualization and above all human dignityClick 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 MediaVillagecomMyersBizNetamp160

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The MOBE Accelerator: Energizing and Elevating Black Marketing Success

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Raquelle Zuzarte

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