Embracing The Culture: How Brands Can Connect with Black Fans

10.22.24

Live Nation’s CURATED team recently hosted their annual For the Love of The Culture Summit, bringing together industry leaders to discuss how marketers can build deeper connections with Black audiences and celebrate The Culture through live music in a way that feels authentic to the community. Here’s what they had to say.

Live Nation's Oscar Martinez delivers opening remarks.

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“The world will try to make you think that your differences are your weaknesses when they’re your superpower.”

Everette Taylor, CEO of Kickstarter

Everette Taylor's 3 Tips for Cultural Currency

Be Intentional About Your Circle

“To reinvent yourself, you need to bring in different types of people.”

Diversify your circle by connecting with people from all walks of life, interests, and backgrounds – even those you don’t always agree with – to bring in fresh energy and open the door to new perspectives.

Be Intentional About Your Cultural Currency

“When people tell you culture doesn’t matter, tell them to check the stats”

Studies show that companies that are more diverse are more successful. Bring your culture to the forefront of everything you do, and for brands, empower those who can help shift culture.

Be Intentional About Yourself

“The world will try to make you think that your differences are your weaknesses when they’re your superpower.”

When you understand what you bring to the table and what you’re good at, you can authentically be yourself. Embrace your interests and background because your culture and your uniqueness are your multipliers.

Building Community and Connection: What Marketers Need To Know

(left to right) Shavonne Dargan, Tashia Roberts, Yadira Harrison and Shannon Jones

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"Authenticity and representation go hand in hand. Black culture inspires and informs capital C culture."

Tashia Roberts, Founder of the Colina Group

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"Focus on storydoing, not storytelling. Storydoing is making Black people collaborators & co-creators. We want to show up to places we feel welcome where we feel seen where we know we belong."

Yadira Harrison, Co-Founder of Verb

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"Show up in the communities you want to be in. Don’t wait for someone to give you insights on the community; you need to go out and find what we’re doing."

Shannon Jones, Co-Founder of Verb

(left to right) Soukee Van Orden, Hameed Saifi, Saada Ahmed, and Imani Ellis

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"Connect with empathy, integrity and authenticity. We’re seeing the shift of people listening to music from everywhere and it’s bridging the gap and fostering cross-cultural connection."

Saada Ahmed, Co-Founder of Everyday People

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"Culture is about leading with who you are, not just what you do. It’s about embracing our unique backgrounds and perspectives, allowing us to connect more authentically with others and build a community that values diversity and inclusivity."

Imani Ellis, CEO of CultureCon and The Creative Collective:

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"Consistency is crucial, but so is staying connected to your roots. When you center your audience and bring them along for the journey, you create a community that thrives on shared values and collective growth."