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When
advertising powerhouse Prime Access was founded in 1990, diversity was
an afterthought for most of the industry. Its founder and president/CEO
Howard Buford recognized the need for a brand that understood and spoke
to the African American, Hispanic, and gay and lesbian communities.
“If you look at the numbers and look at the statistics,
you’ll see that the multicultural audience in America is huge and
very powerful with a lot of spending power,” explains Buford.
“These audiences aren’t exclusive unto
themselves—there’s a mixture across those communities. We
really represent those consumers and we fight for advertising dollars
in those communities.”
Buford
credits an opportunity to work with the legendary Bill Cosby’s
iconic 1980s Jell-O ad campaign as the spark he needed to take his
career to the next level. “It really let me experience what
advertising is all about, [and] it gave me great exposure,” he
says. “If you go into advertising you have to look out for your
career, make sure you get the experiences, education and training that
you need. You have to fight for yourself because its not an industry
that gives people what they think they deserve—you have to have
your own plan and make sure your needs are met.”
With more than 25 years of experience in advertising and marketing
communications, has seen changes happen firsthand in the industry, but
is in his belief that minorities must harness their power. “You
want to support people that support you. You want to spend your money
in a wise and educated way,” he advises. “You want to do
business with people who are supporting your community as a
whole.” –todd williams
