What is the gap between culture and technology?
According to Damas, entertainers have passions that brands and companies may not be aware of, and FBC identifies these interests and connects his wide network of entertainers and athletes to companies and events. The gap exists because corporations are not plugged in to culture, which is odd because culture sells.
Technology uses culture to reach the masses
According to Damas, technology, such as the Apple corporation, creates great products, but they use culture to sell them. Sometimes this doesn’t work so well, notably the example of the recent Pepsi ad which attempted to use the resistance and Black Lives Matter movements to sell its product and got a big backlash instead. Damas hypothesized that there was no one among the in-house group who developed the ad that actually identified with the movements, and consequently, the ad was tone-deaf and ended up being ridiculed.
Is it a lack of diversity that creates these issues?
The lack of diversity, or “dead spots” as Damas calls them, can lead to missteps between products and culture. In order for a marketing initiative to reach the masses, you have to have people or agencies that are sensitive to all of the communities that make up the public including women, men, people of color and people with different sexual orientations, among other communities.
Who are the clients of FBC?
Damas’s first client was EA Sports, where he helped them with information about basketball in order to help them reach their audience. They are still a client today. Companies could be leaving money on the table if they don’t try to reach out to particular demographics.
What is the biggest opportunity for companies to capitalize on in the future?
Damas believes that content and getting creative with content is what companies should and will capitalize on in the near future. In particular, social movements and recognizing the issues that their client base is interested in. A good example of a socially forward company is Lyft, which has a personality as a company and is conscious of social issues, popular culture and athletics, giving it a solid place in its field despite the fact that it might not be as big as competitors such as Uber.
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