Jack Morton, the global brand experience agency, announces the launch of Vivi, a new diversity-driven specialty practice. Helmed by industry veteran Bonnie Smith, Vivi helps brands discover how, when, and where to authentically connect with women, specifically women of color, and celebrate their intersectionality.
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Today, women are responsible for 80% of their household’s economic choices2, and one in five Americans is a woman of color3. Seeing the enormous untapped potential of this market, Jack Morton is introducing Vivi to help brands reach this audience through the power of experiential marketing.
Initial primary research4 conducted by Vivi, reveals that only one in 10 (11.23%) women of color believe that brands do a good or great job of connecting with people like them. And almost one-third of women of color (32%) say they are more likely to buy products and services from a brand that authentically connects with unique aspects of their individuality, identity, or culture.
Jack Morton has named industry leader and diversity champion Bonnie Smith, SVP, Group Account Director, who recently returned to the agency, as Head of Vivi. Smith is a seasoned marketer with over 20 years of experience connecting brands with women of color and diverse audiences. Smith previously founded Studio B Entertainment, an independent, female-owned and operated brand experience agency. She started her experiential career at Jack Morton and returns to continue her passion and scale Studio B’s mission.
Collectively, the two agencies possess a rich history of working with and scaling diversity initiatives for Pampers, COVERGIRL, P&G, Always, Showtime, Essence, General Motors, Meta, and more.
“Women are not one-dimensional. They are unique and vivid individuals with diverse perspectives, specific needs and lived experiences. But often, brands market to them as a monolith, especially to women of color. This needs to change if brands want to build strong connections and create lasting relationships with this audience—who are the world’s most powerful consumer,” said Bonnie Smith, head of Vivi. “I’m excited to be on this journey to lead Vivi and build an exciting collective of passionate and talented thinkers, experience architects, and cultural enthusiasts.”
Vivi launches with a new business win under its belt. The Community Cohesion Project (CCP) is an initiative created in partnership with Walmart, P&G, Crystal Bridges and other community organizations that aims to build a more welcoming and inclusive environment in Northwest Arkansas. It has selected the practice to create content for its ongoing integrated campaign, which consists of a series of live and virtual experiences that celebrate diversity and unite the community.