As the founder of Mr Nice Weird, and through my 15+ years in marketing for Corporate America, I've seen firsthand the power of tapping into the creative potential of young, diverse talent.
One example of this approach was creating and casting "The Crib Around the Corner," the first TikTok house in LA specifically for black creators, and "Familia Fuego," the first house of its kind precisely for LatinX creators. As part of my previous role at a Fortune 100 brand, I led the development and integration of these campaigns to increase representation and give proper credit to marginalized creators.
By partnering with these young creators and giving them the freedom and resources to express their creativity, brands can harness their unique perspectives and abilities to create compelling, authentic content. In the case of The Crib Around the Corner, we saw hundreds of millions of impressions, views, and engagements. The campaign also drove lower CPMs, higher NSRs, and higher VCRs compared to other campaigns in market. Similarly, Familia Fuego drove incremental amounts of brand discovery on the TikTok FYP and notably raised positive brand sentiment and awareness.
FROM THE 7TH ANNUAL SHORTY IMPACT AWARDS
But to truly replicate this success, brands must first build diverse, talented teams that reflect the world their audiences live in. They must empower and support these teams to lean into their strengths and passions rather than telling them what to do. Brands should focus on teaching, providing understanding, and psychological safety for their employees and creators to thrive.
Furthermore, brands must be willing to embrace failure as a natural part of the learning process and encourage their teams to take risks and innovate. By embracing young, diverse talent and giving them the tools they need to succeed, brands can create campaigns that resonate with their audiences and drive actual results. This approach is not just about promoting products or services; it's about creating a sense of community and inspiring people to take action.
I founded Mr Nice Weird 🫠 to create campaigns that promote diversity and inclusion, inspire change, and ultimately drive results for our clients. By prioritizing the voices of young, diverse creators, we can create a more equitable and representative future in the marketing industry.
Here are some key highlights and takeaways from our approach:
As a final note, I'd like to share the branded launch video by The Crib Around the Corner. While we had contracted The Crib in February, we chose not to activate them until March as we fel the most authentic way to celebrate Black History Month was to support these young Black creators with no interruption from the brand. The audience agreed, and we saw significant engagement and positive feedback.
If you have any questions or would like to learn more about our approach, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at hey@mrniceweird.com.