How Essence and Influential aim to improve equity in the creator economy

Black-owned Essence Ventures is teaming up with influencer marketing agency Influential to connect brands to Essence’s diverse audiences and provide data on the power of creators of color.

The partnership means Essence will be able to use Influential’s analytics tools to assess its creators. Influential's clients will be able to tap into Essence Venture’s brands, including its namesake magazine and events, such as music festivals Essence Fest and Afropunk.

“We want to bring more opportunities to Black and minority creators, and have them driven by a Black-owned media company,” said Pauline Malcolm-Thornton, chief revenue officer of Essence Ventures. “We also know that creators of color are typically underpaid, so we want to have those data insights that prove their efficacy.”

Malcolm-Thornton agrees, adding that there seems to be an interest in connecting with the Black community, but not necessarily a deep understanding of Black culture. “It’s about leaning on us as it relates to understanding the nuances of these communities,” she said. “Rather than co-opting the culture, lean on experts to create authentic connections.”

Essence Ventures chose Influential because of the company’s commitment to diversity, Malcolm-Thornton added.

“We are committed to supporting diverse creators, and see these partnerships as a way of doing that,” said Latarria Coy, Influential’s head of ethical media. “We are leaning into what a lot of companies are trying to do—support minority-owned media.”

Major brands including Verizon, McDonald’s and Target have made pledges to increase their minority media spending as the social justice movement gained wider attention after the May 2020 killing of George Floyd. At this year’s NewFronts, diverse media groups said they were starting to see an uptick in demand. In June, Influential struck a similar partnership with Black-owned media collective Group Black. Still, there is always more that can be done.

“I think brands are starting to understand the power of the dollar, but not our influence,” said Erika Bennett, chief marketing officer, Essence Ventures. “So they are spending more, which is awesome, but not understanding how Black and communities of color carry zeitgeist—from fashion to music to sports.”