—Throughout Black History Month, The Message will be sharing short profiles of Black professionals from across the industry: marketing, advertising, PR, media, and production. Written by POCAM members, the profiles are a way to “fight invisibility,” an exercise in representation for an industry where representation must get better—
Ozioma Nwabuikwu is a writer and a storyteller. That’s what drew her to advertising. The ability to tell a variety of stories from different verticals, such as finance, tourism, fashion and healthcare, to her current job of content strategy and freelance writing in the music and entertainment industry. She loves the intersection of culture, community and communications, and her work and writing reflects that.
Nwabuikwu has been in content creation for the past five years, as she was dealing with “homesickness and disillusionment with academia as an international student.” She was appointed head of marketing for the African association on campus, and it helped her find her passion, and how much she loved to bring people together.
As a newcomer to Canada, Nwabuikwu had many odds stacked against her. She worked to understand our systems, our culture, and student job programs that prioritize Canadian citizens or other degrees. She worked hard to create opportunities for herself, and it was this tenaciousness that got her an internship in the strategy department at Cossette.
Though it’s been harder to maintain regular work due to our current economy, she was able to successfully break into the industry due to a combination of hard work, networking, and self taught skills. “It feels like there are fewer companies willing to invest in training, mentorship, and retain younger, diverse talent,” she said. This lack of opportunity hasn’t stopped Nwabuikwu from finding freelance work, however.
Nwabuikwu would love to see our industry offer more long-term and intensive internships for diverse folks, and make an effort to transition people from internship to full-time, so it doesn’t feel like companies are simply checking off a “diversity box.”
“Four months isn’t enough time to develop valuable skills and more mentorship should be embedded in internship programs,” she said. Her advice to young Black talent is to look for those internships, continue networking, and know the experience you’d like to gain.
This is how Nwabuikwu has built her career, including knowing what she has to offer before taking on opportunities. She marries her unique perspective and skillset with a passion for her work and the people around her.
Tristan Barrocks is a creative, a commercial director, a cinematographer, and a changemaker. He’s worked as a commercial and film director for over eight years. As a creative storyteller, he loves working with local brands, and making videos that build relationships between brands and their audiences. He loves making people feel something, and it’s that impact and challenge that helps him stay motivated.
Relationships have been a key to Barrock’s success. He’s built a great network through his journey of talented, creative, and, in his words, “authentically gifted people” who he gets to create with. “The most impactful / fantastic thing that happened to me was the opportunity to direct a 'SickKids Vs.' campaign last year,” said Barrocks about his favourite work, “It was a transformative experience working with those kids and their families”.
It wasn’t too challenging for Barrocks to break into the industry, though staying relevant with decision makers continues to be a challenge. But truly breaking in and showing a complete version of himself as a Black director is a struggle: “Oftentimes it seems like the very thing that helps to make us unique is also the thing that many brands are afraid to tap into… our Blackness” he said.
Breaking in feels like he needs to leave a part of him behind. That said, having different voices in a room makes for a better room and better work. And in order to get there, and deal with microaggressions or racism, Barrocks speaks out to it and takes it head on.
He encourages our industry to trust artists and creatives more, and allow for unique voices on their team to help drive inclusion in our industry. “The BIPOC community doesn’t want to be a diversity count, but rather an active participant in contributing their specific point of view in an intentional way. We need to feel like we can bring our whole beings to the table without restrictions,'' he said.
Barrocks tries to instill this advice by bringing as many inspiring, talented, diverse voices to the rooms he’s invited to, and learning from everyone he meets (even those he may not agree with).
His advice for Black talent who want to get into advertising? Start now. “Your voice, energy, warmth, charisma, creativity, and passion are the very things this industry desperately needs to evolve. Be kind, but don’t let anyone step on you. Be grateful, but understand that you deserve to be in the room. Be a dreamer who executes at a high level. Those are my words to this group,” he said.
Barrocks is currently working on a short film called Sugar Dumplin' which celebrates his Jamaican culture and will be in production this spring. If that sounds like something you want to support, message him!
Both POCAM BHM 2024 profiles were written by Aleena Mazhar Kuzma, SVP, managing director, partner of Fus Create and a member of the POCAM - People of Colour in Advertising & Marketing board and steering committee.
