Black MBA - Winter 2008/2009 - (Page 70)

LEADERSHIP Leadership Institute at BET BET maximizing the most of its visitors’ skill sets, put its guests to work. With growth as the central theme, BET divided the NBMBAA participants into four teams to work on one of two case studies. In the first case, participants were given historical data about various international markets that BET was considering – the objective being to expand the BET brand internationally by strategically sequencing BET’s market entry activities. In the second case, participants were given a range of data, such as TV ratings, production costs and information about cable TV audiences. The objective was to recommend programming that BET should acquire or create in order to remain competitive while protecting and enhancing the BET brand. KNOW IT BEFORE YOU GROW IT: DEFINING THE BRAND Though it’s not easy to summarily define the term “brand,” without a clear understanding of branding, a company’s attempts at growth can be grossly misguided. “There’s so much more [to a brand] than just an icon and logo,” says Gail Holmes-Taylor, a member of the winning case study team and brand manager of shopper marketing at Energizer. “Everything from the logo to the trademark, up through the culture of the company it all helps to support a brand image and create a brand value.” In her work at Energizer, whether it’s introducing a new product or re-introducing a familiar product with innovation, Holmes-Taylor says, “We look at this 360-degree wheel, and we look at all the touch points… and make sure we hit every one of those touch points.” If a company changes to accommodate new tastes and trends, it inevitably will need to reconsider its customer base, revise its brand accordingly and produce alternate products, as is the case with BET. It’s no secret in the Black community that BET programming has changed since its inception. “[In the 1980s] we saw the development of BET in a very positive light,” says Herman Hill, a fi nance manager at PepsiCo who also is a member of the winning case study team. “Then we saw this turn to more or less what I would call low-cost hip-hop.” Because of these changes, it’s also no secret that BET took a beating in the privately held opinions of many upwardly mobile Blacks who were – or still are – upset about images they see on the station. “I was growing up with BET,” says Hill, “but BET did not grow up with me.” The shift in programming wasn’t isolated. Other media leaders also jumped in the race to win over the Black audience, or any audiences for that matter, that wanted to consume hip or edgy programming. “BET had to make a shift,” says Hill. As the market changed, so did BET, which wanted to remain competitively profitable. Images of gangster violence and video vixens performing previously unthinkable acts on basic cable were not only in demand, but profitable. Though BET was not alone in what Hill calls “the paradigm shift,” it likely received more criticism than its competitors because of its-then stature as a Black-owned entity. “Minority-owned businesses really have to walk a very fine line between doing what is best for the community, being very socially conscious and at the same time also being very aware of their bottom line,” says Mario L. Marberry, NBMBAA’s Kansas City Chapter President, who also participated in the trip. “Ultimately, of course, they are businesses.” When creator and founding CEO Robert L. Johnson sold BET to the media conglomerate Viacom, BET took even more heat for its images. With the general perception that a majority company was in the driver’s seat, people were even more sensitive about images that aired. Some of this disenchantment reached a boiling point in 2007 when the station was set to air a show entitled Hot Ghetto Mess. When the public caught wind of the show’s title, it caused an uproar that was documented in the mainstream media and advertisers started Debra Lee, Chairman and CEO of BET Networks “Minority-owned businesses really have to walk a very fine line between doing what is best for the community, being very socially conscious and at the same time also being very aware of their bottom line." –Mario L. Marberry, NBMBAA’s Kansas City Chapter president 70 BlackMBA • Winter 2008/2009 • www.nbmbaa.org PRNewsFoto/BET Networks http://www.nbmbaa.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Black MBA - Winter 2008/2009

Black MBA - Winter 2008/2009 Contents Preserving Dr. King’s Legacy: Harry E. Johnson is Six Years and $100 million into his First Fundraising Effort Online: www.nbmbaa.org and www.blackmbaonline.com Up Front: Inauguration Takes Over D.C. From the President: Connecting With the Basics The First 100 Days – Already in Progress Back to Basics: Finances 101 Is the Middle Class Disappearing? – Your View From Medals to MBA Conference Highlights Market Forces: The Job of Trying to Find a Job in a Tight Market Applying to an MBA Program?: Avoid Making these Five Critical Mistakes How They Did It: Catching up with the Winning Teams from NBMBAA’s 2008 National Case Competition Change It Up: If a New Job is at the Top of your New Year’s Resolutions, it’s Time for Careful Planning and Preparation Bull Market: Now is the Time to Take Advantage of Web 2.0 On the Move: Member News, Promotions and More Backstage at BET: NBMBAA’s Leadership Institute Takes on BET’s Case for Growth Toronto Rising: NBMBAA’s Toronto Chapter is on a Progressive Track, Building Strong Partnerships and Exposure as Membership Climbs NBMBAA® Chapters: Find Your Local Chapter Here Do What You Love: Turning Your Passion into a Successful Business Requires Patience, Planning and Plenty of Hard Work Above and Beyond: Meet the Winners of the 2008 Wells Fargo/NBMBAA Entrepreneurial Excellence Award Decorating by Design: Michelle Rider Leaves Corporate Life for Entrepreneurship Culture Shock: Black Museums Nationwide Appeal for Greater Support from the People whose Heritage they Strive to Preserve Gear Up for 2009: Books to Herald Success in the New Year Advertiser Index: Who’s Who in the Issue

Black MBA - Winter 2008/2009

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