GroupM CEO Kirk McDonald shared a personal story about what it means to be a Black dad and how it is indicative of the issues facing the ad world during a SXSW panel over the weekend. 

McDonald shared how one of his children received a felony-level ticket for driving less than 10 miles per hour over the speed limit, an infraction, he said, white friends would have never received. McDonald fought the ticket and it ultimately wouldn't tarnish his child's life ambitions, like college, he said. 

After the panel, McDonald shared that this was the first time he told that story publicly. He said he did so in an effort to discuss how the ad world needs to move beyond stereotypes and make an effort to genuinely reflect Black culture. 

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The panel, titled “Beyond Black Stereotypes: Redefining Black Fatherhood,” was moderated by Porscha Scott, director of marketing and events at Wavemaker, and included Kendricks Thacker, founder of 100 Roses from Concrete, a platform for people of color in the ad industry, and Sean Williams, founder of The Dad Gang, a space for Black dads. But the conversation went deeper and explored pressing issues for Black employees in the ad world. 

Scott choked back tears discussing the hardships Black professionals face in the advertising world. At one point, Scott recalled Philando Castile, who was killed by police in a traffic stop in 2016. Scott said she had overheard co-workers discussing the shooting with a certain callousness and lack of understanding. “They don’t get it,” Scott said she thought to herself. She also discussed how it can be uncomfortable for Black co-workers to be themselves and meet in groups without feeling the eyes of the office upon them. “I’m fighting right now not to cry,” Scott said.  

McDonald, who in 2020 became CEO at GroupM North America, said that was why no one should hide any longer, not in advertising or anywhere else.

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'Don't say nothing'

This week is the first time SXSW is reconvening in-person in Austin since the racial reckoning of 2020, sparked by the killing of George Floyd at the hands of police officers. Following Floyd’s death, advertising agencies and brands all looked for ways to foster the conversation, and made pledges to change their own role in marginalizing voices. 

McDonald said that SXSW was the place to have this conversation, because “when we gather at some place like this, with the best storytellers in the world,” there’s an opportunity to discuss the right ways to incorporate diversity and inclusion into business.

McDonald pointed to one brand that had made positive changes, Dove Men+Care, which has done campaigns that celebrate Black men. “There is commercial value in telling an authentic story,” McDonald said.

Thacker, of 100 Roses from Concrete, discussed the work his group does to lift Black creatives and workers into roles in the advertising industry. Thacker said there were a number of advertising agencies that want to work with the organization, but that 100 Roses is careful about the agencies it embraces. “The main reason we’ve turned down a lot of that money is because they want controls,” Thacker said.

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McDonald outlined how GroupM adopted five pillars, in which the agency invested $17 million. The framework revolves around sustainability, responsible journalism, brand integrity, data ethics, diversity, equity and inclusion.

Thacker had one piece of advice for brands that want to jump into social issues. He said that brands can’t just start talking when it’s convenient, especially when they wade into topics they never previously championed like racial justice. “Don’t say nothing, if you haven’t said anything before,” Thacker said.

In those cases, the best a brand can do is listen, and donate their platforms to voices that understand the issues, Thacker added.

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