Name: Anthony Brown
Profession: Live Events Manager (Sponsorship)
What is your age? 30
I have contributed/changed the advertising and marketing industry by: Helping brands to strive to take innovative approaches on how they strategically advertise to multi-cultural consumers in a tasteful way without coming off unauthentic or marketing to a “specific market”.
ESSENCE Festival is the largest event celebrating African-American culture and music in the United States. Over the years, ESSENCE Festival has been the highlight of New Orleans summer music scene, and has become a “must” for stars making the rounds on the touring circuit. ESSENCE Festival also gives African American artists, writers, craftsmen, culinary artists, business people and others a chance to show and sell their merchandise at the ESSENCE Marketplace.
Behind the scenes Anthony Brown is working many months in advance to be sure that the main attractions, stellar events, and beautiful people have a once in a lifetime experience. In his current role as a Marketing Manager, (Live Events Sponsorship), Brown manages multiple marketing initiatives for sponsors: Coca-Cola, Proctor & Gamble (My Black is Beautiful) and Walmart helping them strategically integrate their brand messaging throughout all aspect of the ESSENCE Festival taking place in New Orleans.
Prior to ESSENCE Brown was on the advertising sales team at Mass Appeal (Nas’ Media Publishing Company), building a roster of sponsors who allocated their media budget to target and influence the lifestyles of millennial audience through video content, experiential event, and print. But it was his time at VIBE Magazine where he fell in love with advertising and marketing. “Not to get on my Kanye, lol, but what inspires me the most is meeting people, interacting with them and building relationship through learning what this person does best,” Brown tells BE Modern Man. “If you know me, you know I try to take a piece of someone strength and inherent nature and embed it in my own personal style. Whether its creating a marketing concept, closing a sale, or plain ole dressing.” This process of learning and building with others moves the needle for Brown. “There’s always new knowledge to learn through building. Studying human behavior, style and creativity on a one to one basis is refreshing and inspiring.”
In his role at ESSENCE Brown’s ultimate goal is to create a 360 marketing experience leveraging celebrity talent, influencers, digital platform, and traditional advertising outlets that aim to facilitate engagement between the multi-cultural audience which then result in discovering key findings around brand perception and product engagement. Having successfully managed marketing initiatives for the premier summer music festival isn’t enough for Brown. “Honestly speaking, I haven’t even experienced my greatest achievement professionally and or personally because I’m still growing,” says Brown. “Personally, I’m
extremely proud to be the first in my family to graduate from (University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business) a well-respected Business School affording me the practical and relationship building skills to experience success in the Finance, Real Estate and now Advertising and Marketing industries.”Read more on page 2…
In 2009, with no job and literally a couple hundred bucks in his pocket, Brown took a leap of faith into rental and sales. “Within 6 months I was able to create my own team, and fast forward 6 years later real estate is still a major part of my professional brand,” Brown tells BE Modern Man. “Along the journey I’ve understood the need to take risks and the power of cultivating relationships.”
Cultivating relationships and taking risks have pushed ESSENCE Festival to even greater heights. “ESSENCE Festival 2015 is hands down my favorite and most challenging project I’ve ever worked on to-date,” says Brown. “Seeing this event come to fruition was rewarding because I recalled the countless late-nights my team worked to make this happen. The Festival sponsors like Coca-Cola, Proctor & Gamble (My Black is Beautiful), Samsung, Ford and other expected the ESSENCE team to deliver their brands in the most unique manner- and we did just that.” Witnessing 500,000+ festival goers coming through New Orleans this past July along with performances
from Missy Elliott, Usher, Kendrick and Kevin Hart all in one weekend was monumental for Brown and his team. The ESSENCE Festival is the super bowl of black empowerment – there’s no other platform similar to this festival that celebrates “Black Love”, tastefully.”Building off of past successes requires innovation and new ways of thinking. “I would like to see more OOH (Out of home) advertising platforms that engage with consumer through their mobile devices,” Brown tells BE Modern Man. “Not only should consumers be able to interact but these ads should present an experiential opportunity that offers multiple destination check-in. I feel like the advertising industry can make a stronger effort in marrying OHH and Mobile worlds.”
Everyday big brands are marketing their products to the African American demographic or these brands are using our culture in their marketing efforts. Brown believes that our presence in the advertising and marketing industry is vital. “There just aren’t enough African American males carrying to torch on the creative, sales or client side of the advertising industry so it’s imperative men like myself receive recognition so other black men can see ” that they can step up to the plate as game changers and gate keepers. “Why not have more of our thinking and execution within the arena of marketing? I’m just one of the many doing it and just blessed to be recognized.”
For brown being recognized as a BE Modern Man means that is work is bigger than him and he is using that influence in and outside the boardroom. “I think every man selected for this program is constantly striving for growth and has a sense of responsibility for himself, his profession and community,” says Brown. “Also, being an BE Modern man means being resilient in the face of so many challenges and obstacles us Black Men face in corporate America and society as a whole.” Being grounded in resilience helps all all BE Modern Men to develop consistent actions that eventually evolve into habits creating success. “Success rarely comes all at once so habits are what will keep me grounded in pursing greatness despite the climate; hot or cold, figuratively speaking.”
The BlackEnterprise.com team salutes Anthony Brown for his relentless pursuit of success. Every year so many of us take part in Essence Festival, but never get a glimpse into the work being done that makes it so special. We are excited to recognize Anthony Brown as a BE Modern Man and look forward to seeing his dedication to the advertising and marketing industry manifest itself on the biggest stage each year.
It’s our normal to be extraordinary. Follow @blackenterprise and join the BE Modern Man conversation using #BEModernMan.