For the last 20 years, Aaron Walton has been the man branding global products, from Pepsi to General Motors, with entertainment and pop-culture.

Remember Britney Spears' Pepsi ads or Whitney Houston promoting AT&T? What about Busta Rhymes pitching Mt. Dew? That's some of Walton's best work that got him to where he is today.

BlackVoices interviewed the master marketer who is the co-founder of Walton | Isaacson, a full service brand building firm to talk about his expertise in marketing to African-Americans.

How has race affected the success you have experienced throughout your career?

Being black is a facet of my story that influences everything that I do in my life. I learned a great deal from watching my parents. They responded to adversity by working harder and staying focused on their dream for their children. I also believe that being black has given me a unique perspective on who isn't being heard-and how smart companies can reach these consumers.

I like to look at the world through the lens of relevance rather than race. Understanding that there are some unique aspects to race that should be celebrated and included in the broader brand/corporate dialogue. This is critically important if brands want to thrive. Acknowledging these cultural cues and the tremendous contributions that diversity has played (ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation) in both society and industry make us all more compassionate people, smarter marketers, and successful executives. ...
Describe the ways in which being characterized as "minority focused" can both benefit and hinder the growth of an ad agency?

Our agency supports both general and multicultural marketing. We are extremely proud of the work we have done in both areas and will continue to place resources against our efforts to lead brands into a deeper understanding of how to include minority consumers in their overall marketing plans. Today's most relevant brands have a significant line item attributed to "Minority Focused" marketing because they see the tremendous upside this has on building their business.

As black consumers continue to enter the six-figure income bracket at a faster rate than any other group (including general market), and influence consumer trends, companies must make sure that they have the tools they need to capture their share of this growth. Our Agency will continue to invest our own resources in this area because we want to be industry leaders in marketing communication, which must include the "entire" consumer population.

It's also true that the lines are becoming more and more blurred – a white singer like Robin Thicke can have tremendous appeal to black consumers while a black comedian like Chris Rock crosses into a hugely-diverse constituency. The success or failure of an agency rides on its ability to bring a brand message to the widest possible audience and to make any minority group feel included in that experience. Agencies who categorize consumers through a narrow "lens" will fail.


3) Through your campaigns for Burger King, Lexus and most recently Buy.com, Walton | Isaacson has clearly become an agency doing work in the general consumer space – would you say this means Walton | Isaacson has officially transcended the tag of "minority focused?"

I think that minority-owned agencies play a critical role in providing brands with unique insight into an important growing consumer segment. The challenge for these brands is to fund this effort appropriately and to commit the resources needed to address this changing consumer landscape.

Would you say it's vital for other minority-owned agencies to avoid being pigeon-holed to creating work that speaks only to their own demographic?

In terms of our agency, I don't believe we have ever been pigeonholed because we are so diverse in the type of clients we have and the unique programs that we have created for each of our clients.

Usually people find it hard to fit us in a particular box, and we don't mind because we don't want to do just "one thing". We want to do interesting things. Things that make you think. Things that make you laugh, things that make you stand up and say "wow I wish I had thought of that. " It is part of our agency DNA. Everything we do has to support our efforts to be "The Planets Most Interesting Agency".

That means we have to be inclusive in the type of people we hire, the types of assignments we accept and our willingness to push our clients to expand their thinking not just about their consumer base but about tapping into all of the assets that our agency has to offer to help them build their business.

Specific to the world of advertising and marketing, how would you say the current state of the economy is affecting minority focused agencies?

At a time when everyone is asking, "is this really important to me?" companies have to work harder to make sure that they are truly connecting.

Now, more than ever is the time to seek the council of those agencies that understand multicultural consumers and to empower them to develop relationships for the brand within the community. Brands that make an investment in the community will find an extremely loyal consumer group that will respond in kind, and that has long-term implications for the overall health of a company, which is how we should all be thinking about building a business. Those who don't may never create the relevance they need to reach these influential consumers.

Digital media seems to be another game-changer in the world of marketing and advertising today – how have you embraced digital media in a way that directly benefits your clients.


Walton | Isaacson views digital media as an organic extension of the work we are accomplishing every day. Digital touches consumers on a daily basis and brands need to be a part of that exchange or they risk losing to their competitors. Every conversation that we have with a brand today includes a digital strategy. There used to be a time when digital was one of the last things we would talk about as a meeting was wrapping up and now it's at the top to the agenda.


What's next – not just for Walton | Isaacson, but the industry as a whole?

Walton | Isaacson has continued to expand. We have opened our New York office and will carry on our efforts to create our own brands and develop content and revenue opportunities that we have ownership in. In terms of the industry, I think there will be a movement to re-think the old traditional agency model because clients are demanding more efficiency and expect the same level of strategic and creative leadership from their agency partners. Agencies will need to change to meet this new demand and will have to find ways to create an environment that allows their associates to grow creatively and feel like they are part of something that will impact pop culture.

The best way of getting great ideas and growing your business (and the industry as a whole) is when you have a diverse team who bring a unique point of view that challenges the status quo. That's diversity at work. That's how you win!