Case Study: Expert Positioning for Single-Day Observances
Background:
August 3rd, 2021 was Black Women’s Equal Pay Day, the approximate day a Black woman must work into the new year to make what white non-Hispanic men made at the end of the previous year. In the middle of the pandemic and the “she-cession” especially, this day serves as an annual reminder that Black women are disproportionately locked into lower-wage jobs oftentimes without many benefits, resources, or advancement opportunities.
In 2021, the ACS census found that the wage gap for Black women compared to non-Hispanic white men is $0.63.
Beyond any discussions of the physical and mental impact of that devaluation, lost wages mean Black women have less money to support themselves and their families, save and invest for the future, and spend on goods and services. “Families, businesses and the economy suffer as a result” (National Partnership for Women & Families). Black Women’s Equal Pay Day recognizes the need for an important conversation that businesses must partake in, in America and all over the globe.
And when a mass movement calling for change in the workplace, involving most industries (tech, wealth management, etc.) makes the rounds across the media, it needs to be informed. It’s the same across broadcast stations, podcasts, speaking events, and major news outlets. The more experts who can be consulted, the more credible the discussion.
We saw an opportunity to position client Christie Lindor, a workplace culture and inclusion expert and a Black woman, to speak authoritatively on this issue. The opportunity was informed by several factors. First, racial and gender inequities have gotten increased media attention in the past 18 months, and it was likely that the media would be interested in covering Black Women’s Equal Pay Day and potential solutions or steps towards closing the gap. Secondly, we knew that we had an expert who had a unique combination of personal and professional experience that would give her authority on the topic, even in a crowded field of experts.
Meet The Expert:
Christie Lindor is a workplace culture and inclusion expert who has 20+ years of experience helping leaders big and small revitalize their DEI programs through her HR consultancy, Tessi Consulting. Christie is also a speaker and two-time author. Her contributed content is constructive for both employers and the larger workforce, which means her expertise can work on multiple levels.
Strategy:
As a management consultant, Christie knows exactly the steps to creating a culture of transparency in a modern workplace setting. From her years in the DEI space and personal experience with pay equity as a Black woman, she could develop a relevant set of talking points and expert advice that would matter on Black Women’s Equal Pay Day.
After a brief discussion with Christie on her point of view, we were able to put together compelling pitches around actions both employees and employers/managers could take to make strides towards pay equity, and began reaching out to editorial contacts we knew had covered the racial and gender pay gap in the past and might be interested in her perspective. By providing concise, targeted pitches, bulleting out Christie’s point of view and tying into August 3rd about 10 days ahead of time, we were able to secure four pieces of top-tier coverage, all of which went live day-of.
Christie is now a registered contributor for CNBC Make It.
Getting Results:
These four hits had an online readership of more than 165K readers and Cheddar alone reaches 10% of all Millennials. Most importantly, the feedback Christie received indicated she was reaching the right audience. Throughout the week, she fielded emails and social media messages from Black women early in their careers, managers and other executives thanking her for sharing her story and insights.
Anticipating the audience and prepping beforehand not only gives you time to identify an angle from which to position yourself as an expert, the commentary you’d be comfortable providing, and how to tie in your brand, but it also gives reporters the lead time they need.
Takeaways:
Strategies for Success on Tying Into Single Day Observances
Look at the calendar ahead and begin planning as early as possible.
Have a short touch base with the client to get a strong point of view and case for the client as an expert.
Create concise pitches, and don’t be afraid to go after a variety of angles to maximize coverage.
Reach out early to allow time for follow ups.
Be prepared to submit contributed pieces; these are often requested for expert positioning.