It is a marketer’s dream. The objective is to host a sold-out occasion with 10,000 attendees. Manufacturers are desirous to be a part of it. Oh, and this yr’s headliners had been none aside from Taraji P. Henson, Kerry Washington, and Jennifer Hudson.
That is the fact for Charlize Bembury-Coakley, one of many driving forces behind CultureConthe world’s largest competition for Black creatives and entrepreneurs.
Here is how she makes the magic occur.
meet the grasp
Charlize Bembury-Coakley
Vice President of Enterprise Improvement and Partnerships culturecon
Declare your declare to fame: Efficiently bought partnership with TV present killing eve and Klarna, a purchase now, pay later service. Deliverables included an in-app expertise that sourced objects from the (really wonderful) wardrobes of Jodie Comer and Sandra Oh. (Lesson 0: Search for viewers behaviors you could amplify. Bembury-Coakley famous that viewers have been asking questions in regards to the designer on social media. )
Lesson 1: It is not “why this?” it is “why”. you?”.
At CultureCon, Bembury-Coakley informed me: run Activation array as quickly because it opens.
It is not nearly nice activation or a sure model. CultureCon attendees have excessive expectations as they consider this yr’s activation will likely be nearly as good as final yr’s. (Extra on this later.)
As occasion and experiential areas develop into more and more saturated, I requested Bembury-Coakley how she stands out from the group. Her reply is deceptively easy. As an alternative of answering the query, “Why do I believe this fashion?” Reply the query “Why do that concept?” with me? ”
“It’s not only a distinctive concept,” she says. “Usually individuals can’t reply the query ‘collectively.'” To reply that, assess your cultural relevance, group, and consistency.
And let’s consider it as a lens. Focusing your concepts by “why me” helps you body your deliverables in a method that “will get buy-in as simply as doable.”
Lesson 2: Construct belief earlier than opening your pockets.
Belief was constant in our conversations, each between people and between manufacturers and audiences. Bembury-Coakley credit a lot of her success to having nice advocates all through her profession, however “it is two-sided,” she says. “There’s a large accountability on the again finish to ensure we ship on our guarantees.”
In different phrases, belief is wouldn’t have Charlize Bembury-Coakley downplays that.
She brings this accountability to her work with manufacturers and partnerships. After I requested her why she might say “no” to the CultureCon partnership, she rapidly replied, “It violates the belief we’ve got constructed with our group.”
The elemental cause why Activation Alley is so widespread is belief. Model activation “is not a vital evil to get a free water bottle,” says Benbury-Coakley. These are “testimonies to how sincerely our companions have proven up up to now.”
The key behind Activation Alley’s hype is definitely fairly easy. It is consistency.
Lesson 3: Creators have an viewers. Manufacturers have bosses.
“Creators ought to at all times do not forget that their contacts have a boss,” Bembury-Coakley says. “Usually, the individuals they’re speaking to are stakeholders, however typically they’re not stakeholders. key These concerned. ”
“Something you are able to do to ease the burden in your companion will increase the probability that she or he will work with you once more,” she says. “I believe generally you have a look at the model as a complete. [made up of] I’m a person. ” Creators usually overlook to “take into consideration methods to make the model extra manageable internally.” So creators usually tend to wish to proceed working with you.
Quite the opposite, “manufacturers ought to at all times bear in mind why they needed to work with a creator within the first place,” she says. What usually occurs, she says, is that whereas a creator’s content material could also be a little bit controversial, as soon as they signal on to a model, the model “desires the creator to be extraordinarily brand-safe in a method that does not betray the viewers.”
look? All of it comes all the way down to belief.
Masters in Advertising was a proud sponsor of this yr’s CultureCon, held October 4-5, 2025.
Questions that stay
This week’s query
When constructing CultureCon partnerships, how do you determine who to collaborate with, together with audio system, creators, and group leaders, to make sure they honestly symbolize CultureCon’s mission and resonate together with your viewers? —Deesha Laxsav, Clutch Senior Supervisor of Model Advertising
This week’s reply
Ben Berry-Coakley: At CultureCon, knowledge is central to every thing we do. So we’re not making assumptions about our viewers or simply arising with concepts. we actually enable it [data] Tell us every thing you see.
So do you assume programming may be very related? Our group has informed us what they need, the manufacturers they wish to have interaction with, and the audio system they wish to hear. And we listened to them.
I believe loads of manufacturers and communities generally go in opposition to the grain and attempt to pressure one thing on their viewers, and that is not what they need. we evolve and iterate [based on data]That is why manufacturers, communities, and audio system can come and have a good time.
Subsequent week’s unanswered questions
Bembury-Coakley asks. I believe nostalgia is overdone. We wish to know: What’s a greater method for manufacturers to have interaction with the communities and shoppers they wish to join with?
