Wieden+Kennedy's Strategies for Building Connections with Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Charity Pourhabib Highlights the Need for Black Representation and Mentorship in Advertising
Charity Pourhabib, a brand executive at Wieden+Kennedy, has highlighted the need for increased Black representation and mentorship within the advertising industry. Pourhabib, an alum of Hampton University, expressed her concerns about the lack of exposure to the advertising industry during her time at the HBCU.
Pourhabib's experience at the university did not provide adequate knowledge about the advertising industry, and there was a noticeable lack of representation of Black employees in the industry. She felt the divide between Black employees and the advertising industry during her time at the university.
Pourhabib wishes she had a mentor to review her portfolio before sending it in and laments the lack of knowledge on how to break into the advertising industry at the HBCU she attended. She and her peers express a desire for more resources in the ad industry.
In an effort to address these issues, Pourhabib has expressed her goal to provide resources and mentorship to future students in the ad industry. She wants to ensure that future students have an easier time breaking into the industry.
While specific mentorship programs tied explicitly to Pourhabib are not named in the search results, there are current industry efforts aligned with the goal of increasing Black representation and mentorship mentioned in the broader discussion on advertising inclusivity.
For instance, the digital content series NEON x GLAAD, founded in 2020, works to increase visibility of Black LGBTQ+ people through storytelling and partnerships with GLAAD, producing award-winning, impactful programming to advance Black representation in media and advertising.
Channel 4’s Black in Business Initiative, launched in 2023, supports Black-owned brands by awarding significant airtime to increase their marketing presence, directly boosting representation and business opportunities within the industry.
Campaigns like "Drops of Hope" by FCB New York spotlight underrepresented groups, including Black individuals, with a focus on hair types culturally important to the Black community, such as braids, twists, and locs, addressing unconscious bias in advertising visibility.
While these examples do not directly quote Pourhabib, they reflect current industry efforts aligned with the goal of increasing Black representation and mentorship mentioned in the broader discussion on advertising inclusivity. Specific mentorship programs tied explicitly to Pourhabib are not named in the provided results.
For further detail on Charity Pourhabib’s direct involvement or specific mentorship initiatives she supports, additional direct sources would be needed beyond the current search results.
- Charity Pourhabib plans to apply her experiences and knowledge to a mentorship program within the advertising industry, focusing on helping future students from diverse backgrounds, particularly Black students, navigate their education and subsequent entry into the industry.
- In line with the objectives of Charity Pourhabib, the digital content series NEON x GLAAD aims to increase visibility of Black LGBTQ+ individuals in media and advertising, using storytelling and partnerships to create impactful programs and advance Black representation.
- Channel 4's Black in Business Initiative aligns with Charity Pourhabib's goals, providing support to Black-owned businesses through increased marketing presence, which directly enhances representation and business opportunities within the advertising industry.
