Conversations surrounding racial pay disparity in the Influencer Marketing space are essential to have not just during Black History Month, but every day of the year to ensure essential change is happening.
In MSL’s study into the racial pay gap in North America, they stated ‘ research paints a sobering picture of the present state of influencer marketing and delivers imperatives for brands and agencies to drive change’.
Nearly half (49%) of Black influencers reported that their race contributed to an offer below market value. Extending this to include BIPOC influencers, 36% reported the same.
The majority (59%) of Black influencers (and 49% of BIPOC influencers) also reported that they felt negatively impacted financially when they posted on issues of race versus 14% of white influencers.
The Creator Economy’s value is set to double in the next five years to $480bn, therefore, there is no excuse but to close this racial pay gap.
On March 5th at 1pm EST, we will be hosting a free-to-attend webinar titled Breaking the Bias: Pay Black Creators Fairly.
Emmy Petit, an Account Manager here at Digital Voices, who is also a successful influencer herself, will lead this important conversation which she is extremely passionate about, alongside fellow influencers Cecil Horton and Funmi Ford, and Influencer Marketing Consultant Christina Westley.
Emmy Petit-Frere is an Account Manager at global Influencer Marketing agency, Digital Voices. Emmy also has 7 years of experience as a Social and Influencer Marketer and Influencer across Instagram, YouTube, and most recently, TikTok.
Agency side, Emmy has managed accounts including New Zealand skincare brand, Trilogy, Pepsico, and Bumble. As a creator herself, Emmy has collaborated with brands such as Nordstrom, Walmart, Sephora, The Knot, and Kia. Her content is relatable and positive, and thanks to her agency experience, she takes a professional yet passionate approach to social media content
In 2023, Emmy was featured on Business Insider’s Rising Stars in Influencer Marketing list, recognized for her community development and commitment to cultural diversity throughout her work as an Account Manager and an influencer.
Cecil Horton is a globally featured marketing strategist and adept content creator turned influencer advocate who began representing fellow Black creators to better bridge the cultural gap between brand, agency, and said underrepresented talent.
As the CEO of With. Company LLC, they lead a team of creative and influential professionals who help brands and communities connect, engage, and grow through audience-based marketing and communications.
They are also the managing partner of With. Content Agency, a brand ambassador of lululemon, and a community organizer of With. Aid, where they use their platform of 60,000+ allies on TikTok and other channels to create and share impactful content, inspire and empower people, and support causes that matter.
Funmi Ford is a fashion-forward, Nigerian-born influencer and stylist. She is currently based in Birmingham, Alabama where she perfects her craft of becoming a well-known stylist and content creator by forming and maintaining authentic relationships with her audience, fellow influencers, and local businesses.
Funmi has partnered with well-known national brands such as Bloomingdale’s, Macy's, Proctor and Gamble, and Amazon to name a few. Her styling services and fashion familiarity have been featured on various news stations within the Southern Region, such as Sister Circle TV, WRBC Fox 6 News, Talk of Alabama, and WSFA 12 News.
Christina Westley is a NYC-based professional with an extensive career in Influencer Marketing. A graduate of The Wharton School, she has brought strong business acumen to the emerging industry.
Having worked all sides of the field including brand, agency, and talent management, she recently launched ‘Social Feed’ – a platform aimed to provide visibility of Black creators to her large network of marketers. She runs Social Feed while working as Head of Influencer Marketing at PepsiCo, who are a valued client of ours.
Christina educates and provides resources that cover a broad spectrum of race-related topics. So far on her platform, Christina has shared a list of 100+ influencers that she’s maintained throughout her years in the industry to showcase those whom she believes deserve brand attention for the work they do. She has also opened the conversation about financial literacy, giving a voice to Black social media voices dedicated to growing financial empowerment within their community.
Want to hear more from these powerful, educational individuals? Remember to sign up for our free webinar to gain a fresh perspective on the racial pay gap in Influencer Marketing, and learn what you can do to help close it.
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