As P&G’s chief communications officer, Damon Jones helps ensure the world’s largest consumer goods company acts and is recognized as a force for growth and a force for good. Jones is responsible for a broad range of brand-building, corporate affairs, and advocacy initiatives for the company, overseeing P&G’s global communications organization that is responsible for the company’s reputation and that of its nearly 100 brands.
Jones spoke with rolling out about the Cincinnati Music Festival, which is set to take place July 20 through July 22, and his role at P&G in bringing the festival together.
Tell us about the Cincinnati Music Festival.
The Cincinnati Music Festival is one of the largest music festivals in the country. People come not just from the Midwest, but from all around the country to experience the magic that we say is CMF. There is great music, great fun, and a great community, and it’s a chance for us to show off all the great stuff that is happening here in Cincinnati, but it’s a chance to connect community and culture. With all the drama that’s happening around the world, it’s an opportunity for us to come together on something we can agree [on].
What is your role in bringing the CMF together?
I’m part of the Procter and Gamble team. This is our ninth year as the title sponsor for CMF. We see this as an opportunity to remind people of what a great place Cincinnati is to live, work and do business, and it’s a chance for us to connect many of our brands that are showing up for [our] culture 365 days a year. It’s about us connecting in all of these different aspects of how we run our business, whether that’s some of the work we’re doing in multicultural media, whether there’s some of the Black economic inclusion that we’re continuing to drive with the many small businesses that were a part of Cincinnati Music Festival, or it’s showcasing all of the great aspects of our culture. It’s something that we’re doing that we’re committed to. We’ve been part of this for nine years, and we’re looking forward to being here for many, many more.
How are you implementing tech at P&G?
When you think about Black Tech Week being hosted here in Cincinnati, it’s a great combination of so many different things at our business at P&G. We’re one of the world’s largest advertisers, so we’re looking for tech partners who can help us connect in with Black-owned and operated media outlets. Surprisingly, only 2% of the media that are purchased here in the United States is Black-owned and operated, and there’s a big opportunity for us to change that. We have an initiative that we call Widen the Screen, which is about fueling content creators to tell their unique stories on their own terms.
