Dr. Boyce Watkins Spotlight: Being a Marketing Professional

Marcus Minifee was of interest to me for a spotlight, primarily because he represents the thousands of African Americans across the country who are doing big things with their companies. He's not an entrepeneur, but he has achieved an admirable degree of professional success. While he is a highly successful executive in his own right, he is a reflection of the struggles and triumphs of millions of black folks seeking to navigate the complexities of corporate America. It is due to his push for personal success that Marcus Minifee is today's Dr. Boyce Watkins Spotlight on AOL Black Voices:

What is your name, and what do you do?
My name is Marcus Minifee. I am the National Account Marketing Manager for adidas America based in New York City. I develop and implement integrated marketing campaigns for key national and regional accounts, including consumer promotions, in-store events and visual merchandising.

What is your educational and professional background?
I was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago. I attended Bradley University in Peoria, IL where I received a BA degree in psychology and a minor in Spanish. I later attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where I received a master's in sports management and sports psychology. I have 15-plus years of sales and marketing experience with the Chicago Bulls, Kraft Foods, Pepsi-Cola North America, and adidas America.

You have a very diverse and extensive marketing background working with businesses ranging from Kraft Foods to the Chicago Bulls. Are there core marketing strategies that never change no matter who or what you are promoting? Please share with entrepreneurs what one key is to promoting their businesses.
I have had the good fortune to work in marketing with some great brands and companies. Marketing principles remain the same no matter what business you're in, but communication vehicles and tactics sometimes change depending on what company and consumer you are trying to reach. My advice to everyone is to "KNOW YOUR CONSUMER." Base all sales and marketing programs on a strong foundation of consumer insight.

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Black Progress

Blacks in Business
The new generation of African Americans going the entrepreneurial route are well equipped and more knowledgeable than ever before. Despite facing many obstacles unparalleled to other races many African Americans have aspired to receive equality and the right to ownership since the ending of slavery. Now, in the 21st century we are able to see their successes as they become business moguls and CEOs of major companies.

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Black Progress

Digital Divide Narrowed
The divide between African-Americans and the rest of the population has been practically eliminated. In recent years the number of blacks online and with high-speed internet has doubled. This gives our community more access to jobs, networking, and inexpensive goods and services. Today, more than 68 percent of African Americans report they are online, compared with 71 percent of all Americans. At one point, that divide was closer to 20 percent.

Black Progress

Race Relations
Overt racism and bigotry have been shunned and pushed to the margins of American life. Inclusion and equal opportunity have been embraced as key principles in America as well. Discrimination, while not eliminated, is no longer humored or tolerated in the larger society the same way it was 50 years ago.

Black Progress

Education
In recent years black graduation rates have been on the rise. School standards, charter schools and the no child left behind act have been cited as reasons for black students' progress in test scores for reading, writing skills, math, and social sciences. Consequently, the number of black men in women enrolling in college is increasing and in many states, the number of African Americans in or heading to college is actually on par with the region's overall population.

Black Progress

Hip-Hop Culture
What started as musical expression in the slums of the inner cities has turned into a $4 billion-a-year industry. Some say hip-hop is the most important contribution to the American cultural landscape since blues, jazz, and rock and roll. Now that's progress! Hip-hop literally forced the important melding of black and white and Latino cultures after the 1960s and 1970s. Today, hip-hop is not one thing, it is every thing: fashion, language, music and movies.

Black Progress

The Black Athlete
Michael Jordan, the Williams sisters, Tiger Woods, Barry Bonds, and Jerry Rice. These names have revolutionized the sports industry. They have collectively made a mark for black athletic talent in the minds and hearts of people around the world as household names. Those names became synonymous with the games they dominated and with talent unmatched by any other person in history. Love sports or not, the black super-athlete has been an important part of our progress in the last 25 years.

Black Progress

Blacks in Hollywood
History was made at the 74th Academy Awards in 2002 when Halle Berry became the first African American woman to win Best Actress. Denzel Washington continued the legacy of greatness when he was awarded Best Actor for Training Day 39 years after Sidney Poitier was the first black man to win the award. They have helped open the door even more for a new generation of leading black men and women in film, not to mention Oscar winners.

Black Progress

Political Power
Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell are just a couple of examples of how African-Americans have advanced in the world of politics and government. In the last 25 years more black lawmakers, mayors and politicians have come on the scene. It is estimated that in the last 25 years nearly 9,000 blacks have been elected to public office. Powell and Rice have been influential in the advancement of black women and men in the U.S. government by their presence and success at the highest levels.

Black Progress

Empowered Black Women
Call it the Oprah effect if you want, but since this media mogul hit the scene, she has had an impact on all women, not just black women. Oprah Winfrey became America's first black female billionaire, and as inspiring as she is, she certainly won't be the last. She is a potent personality and a cultural phenomenon. Even though Oprah never depended on a black consumer base, her business activities reflect certain aspects of the expansion of black business activity in last 20 years. For instance, black women are more likely than black men to secure a small business loan.

Black Progress

A Black President
As Barack Obama continues on his path to become the first African-American President of the United States, history and progress is being made. It was monumental when Barack defeated Hillary Clinton in the primary to lead the Democratic Party, but before him there was the Rev. Jesse Jackson and others, who can not be discounted for helping pave the way.

Black Progress

What is the biggest challenge you have ever encountered in your 15 years of marketing experience? How did you overcome it, and could anything have been done to avoid it?
While at Pepsi-Cola North America, I was a part of a 3,300-plus person, company-wide corporate downsizing. This, along with the death of my mother in the same month, was by far the hardest thing I ever had to deal with in my personal and professional career. I developed a strategy and plan of attack for my next career move. [If this happens to you, here is my advice:] Figure out what you want to do, what companies you want to work for, and reach out to people that can help you achieve those objectives. I never truly realized the true power of networking until I started my job search [that took me] from Pepsi to adidas America. Some lay-offs are totally unavoidable, but do all you can to make yourself as indispensable as possible. The more value you add to your team and company... the more difficult it will be for them to consider letting you go.

Among other various networks that you are a part of, you are a member of the Black Alumni Network of University of Illinois at Urbana and The Alumni of Bradley University. Do you feel that it is beneficial for people already established in the workforce to stay active with alumni organizations, and if so, why?
It's definitely important to stay connected and never forget where you come. It's our responsibility to forge a path as best we can and bring as many people with us as possible.

Do you have any advice for aspiring young African Americans who wish to follow in your footsteps?
My advice would be to take a step back and create a clear objective and strategy for your career. Gain as much experience as possible, no matter how big or small. The three month internship you take in your industry of choice could put you directly in front of the hiring manager that will propel your career down the road. Work hard and sell "YOUR" brand as much as possible in a tactful, personable way.

Is there anything else you'd like to share with our AOL Black Voices audience?
I truly appreciate the opportunity to share some of my background with Dr. Boyce Watkins, it is truly an honor. Good luck to everyone in all future endeavors, and God Bless.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and the author of the bookBlack American Money To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here. To suggest a subject for a Dr. Boyce Watkins Spotlight, please click here. To follow Dr. Boyce on Facebook, please click here.