PHOENIX – The AdColor Awards gala is the nation’s premier
gathering for elite advertising, marketing and media insiders devoted to diversity
and inclusion. AdColor is also the kick off to the 2009 Multicultural and
Diversity Conference, which provides key insights and strategies for African Americans and other minorities to forge successful careers in advertising, marketing and media. Several attendees took a moment to share with rolling out readers how to do just that. –terry shropshire
Michael Warner, Egami
Consulting Group: The key is creativity and innovation. What the market is
looking for now is those individuals who have some out of the box solutions
with technology. … I think that will make
you shine, whether it’s PR, marketing, advertising or communications.
Tenisha Jackson Warner,
Egami Consulting Group: I think it’s a great opportunity right now
to get into the advertising, marketing and communications industry. … I think creative talent should think about what it is they
like to do — whether it’s graphic design, whether it’s copyright, whether it’s
video … I don’t think there’s a single place in this industry where creative talent wouldn’t
fit. I think [if you] bring your creative talents to the market, there’s a place for
you.
John Cash, Group
Account Director, Images USA: My case is pretty unique. So I’m going to
talk as a former brand marketer — Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, General
Mills. I think the most important thing is to be steeped in brand marketing
strategy, to really understand how to develop strategies, how to define the
objectives of the client. The most important thing is also consumer insight and
market research. Without consumer insight and market research, it makes it very
difficult to really develop compelling objectives and strategies that are going
to meet the needs of the 
client. So I would say moving forward, regardless of
the next new medium, be it social media, be it radio, TV, online, the most
important thing goes back to the nuts and bolts, which is consumer insight and
market research.
Robert Brown, VP of
Business Development, Carol H. Williams: I say to most people … the ability
to write, read and [think] creatively [is critical]. And that manifests itself in a lot of
writing and account management. Bu the real issue is: Do you have the
intellectual firepower to be a game changer?
