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SH’s Collection Power Up: Dragon Ball Plushies/Trinkets/Merchandise-Episode 75

The post SH’s Collection Power Up: Dragon Ball Plushies/Trinkets/Merchandise-Episode 75 appeared first on The Nerd Element.

Groupon recently tapped comedian and author Tiffany Haddish to be their spokesperson, the first one they’ve had in seven years. The deal comes complete with Haddish starring in the Chicago-based company’s first Super Bowl ad, which will air on Feb. 4 during the game’s fourth quarter.

While it was a major win for Haddish, it’s also a major move for the discount e-commerce marketplace. The company’s quick-thinking to capitalize on Haddish’s viral—and hilarious—story about using a Groupon for a New Orleans swamp tour with Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith offers a prime example in building brand recognition and valuing top customers.

Here are three reasons why Groupon slayed when they decided to make Haddish the face of their brand.

The Power of the Customer

The best companies understand the power of their customers and the strength that comes from customers’ investment and engagement. Groupon understood that Haddish’s brand loyalty and her outspoken enthusiasm and affinity for the company matched with her star power would make a great partnership, and they wasted no time in jumping on the opportunity to create magic while bringing in more customers.

“Groupon and Haddish are no strangers to each other. Tiffany ranks in the top 1% of most frequent Groupon purchasers and has literally saved thousands of dollars as a Groupon customer,” noted the press release revealing Haddish’s new gig.

“Nobody knows Groupon like I know Groupon. I’ve been speaking out for them for years,” said Haddish in the release. “In fact, I should have already been their spokesperson. I’ve invested lots of money into buying Groupon deals, and it’s about time I got an even bigger return on my investment than just saving money at my favorite local businesses.”

The money-saving app and website is about to make that a reality for the break-out star.

The Buying Power of Black Women

Haddish is a testament to the money-saving and trend-setting prowess of black women. According to the recent African American Women: Our Science, Her Magic report from research company Nielsen, African American women’s consumer preferences and brand loyalty help establish buying trends across the U.S. and are driving total black spending power toward a record $1.5 trillion by 2021.

If there are any consumers out there who have yet to jump on the Groupon money-saving bandwagon, Haddish could very well be the person who influences them to experience things like dining out locally, traveling across the world with airfare included or indulging in a couples massage—all for a good discount.

Tapping into Millennial Spending Trends and Brand Affinity

Groupon is already a hit with the millennial generation, whose affinity for technology is rapidly reshaping the retail space, according to AIMIA Inc., a marketing and loyalty analytics company. The company noted in one of their studies that this generation’s technological bent, blended with product information, reviews, and price comparisons at their fingertips are causing them to turn to brands that can offer maximum convenience at the lowest cost.

And although the Super Bowl spot will be seen by more than 100 million viewers on live TV, the brand is promoting the funny and money-savvy comedian’s ads and personal Groupon picks across all platforms, including their social media handles, the app, and via promotional emails, which will reach more millennial eyes and ultimately rake in more customers while building brand recognition.

The post Three Reasons Why Groupon Slayed By Hiring Tiffany Haddish as their Spokesperson appeared first on Black Enterprise.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Tuesday appointed a white man to serve as interim mayor over the black woman who already had the role---and people are not happy. The board appointed Mark Farrell to the position after voting to remove acting Mayor London Breed, who is also the current board president. She had become acting mayor last month following the sudden death of Mayor Ed Lee. The political move came as hundreds of Breed’s supporters voiced their disapproval of the board’s choice. Many who showed up for public comment before the vote jeered at Farrell’s appointment, calling the ouster of Breed racist. Critics, including Farrell, have said that Breed had too much power as board president and acting Mayor in the leadup to the June 5 election. Breed plans to run for the mayorial seat then.  “To me that is too much power in one person’s hand. There needs to be checks and balances,” Farrell told CBS San Francisco.  But according to The Root, there is a direct precedent of the current situation: “In 1978, then-San Francisco Supervisor Dianne Feinstein was voted in as acting mayor by her fellow board members mere days after then-Mayor George Moscone was gunned down in his City Hall office by a deranged former supervisor, Dan White. (Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in California history, was also killed in the shooting.) In ’78, there was no dramatic coup from fellow board members: Feinstein fulfilled the interim role, then went on to win a full mayoral term months later during the regularly scheduled election.” As for Reed, she kept it classy following her removal: “It’s been an honor to serve the City during this difficult time," she wrote on Twitter. "I have a vision for an inclusive & fair San Francisco, and will keep working every day on the important issues we face: homelessness, housing, & public safety.”

Many of the people defending Netflix against actor/comedian Mo’Nique’s call to boycott it over race- and gender-based pay inequities (with black female comedians getting the short end of the stick), are lauding the $100 billion company’s groundbreaking commitment to diverse programming. But is Netflix really a champion of diversity?

First, let me get this out of the way: Netflix should not get a pass on the issue of compensation and opportunities for black female comedians because of its $100 million deal with uber-producer/screenwriter Shonda Rhimes. Netflix is a $100 billion company; it spent $8.8 billion on content alone last year. Its multiyear-deal with Rhimes is a good start, but no more than that. (By the way, it’s been reported by the Wall Street Journal that Rhimes’ work for ABC has generated over $2 billion in revenue from advertising, rerun sales, and international licensing.)

We’re only tripping because black people have never seen that kind of money (a recurring theme in our culture after decades of exclusion and discrimination). But never forget, because one of us finally got it doesn’t mean it’s the first time a black person was qualified and deserving of the opportunity. Every “black first” is just a small down payment against generations of dreams (and billions of dollars) deferred and denied by the deliberate and systematic exclusion of black people from opportunities. Get back to me when $100 million production deals become as common for black people—and black women in particular—as they are for white males in the entertainment industry. Until then, the deal is an accomplishment for Rhimes, not for Netflix.

That said, Netflix absolutely deserves credit for its diverse programming, and the acting, directing, and other opportunities it creates for people of color in the industry. However, putting on more shows with diverse casts/producers/etc. is a great example of the easiest, quickest, and least permanent execution of diversity: on-air programming. It’s not a bad place to start, but alone, it is hardly representative of a true, long-term commitment to diversity.

Some call it window dressing; I call it banana-in-the-tailpipe diversity. (My boss and CEO Earl “Butch” Graves Jr. calls it “diversity as a diversion.”) Remember the launch of UPN (the network that introduced us to the Moesha spin-off, The Parkers, starring Mo’Nique)? The CW? The WB? The Cosby-driven revival of NBC? Media platforms, especially in television, always count on black people, the demo that watches more TV than anyone else, to establish and grow an audience. Besides, black people bring the cool factor, which brings those who want to be cool, too: primarily young, mainstream [white] viewers. Once that is achieved: poof! Black programming gone! Netflix, as a streaming service, is a departure from the old network TV model, so I hope it will be different this time. Not holding my breath, though.

That said, Black Enterprise measures diversity performance in four key ways:

1. Board Diversity. Netflix ain’t got none. It’s board, including the addition of a new director announced earlier this week, consists of seven men and three women—all of them white.
2. Senior Management/Executive Diversity. How many African Americans and other people of color are in the C-Suite, and in the decision-making power jobs that report into it? There are no Netflix executives on Black Enterprise’s latest list of “The Most Powerful Executives In Corporate America.”
3. Workforce Diversity. What is the representation of African Americans and people of color employed throughout the organization? (According to Netflix’s website, 4% of its employees are black.)
4. Supplier Diversity. How much money is a company spending with businesses owned by African Americans and other people of color, as a proportion of its total spending?

Suffice to say, you won’t find Netflix on the Black Enterprise “50 Best Companies for Diversity” list.

If a company is not serious about diversity in all four of these key areas—with the numbers to back it up—they’re just playing us, if not themselves. As I’ve already said, let’s hold off on giving Netflix an NAACP Image Award. (Better to give it to the actors, producers, writers, etc. and others actually working on its shows.)

It’s great, actually amazing, that Netflix is providing opportunities to African Americans and so many other people of color and diverse backgrounds (as they should, quite frankly—pay inequities notwithstanding). But that is not where the real money and decision-making power is. To paraphrase my CEO: “Don’t let diversity become a diversion.”

The post Is Netflix Really A Champion of Diversity? Not So Fast. appeared first on Black Enterprise.