“We must acknowledge that unless we are speaking up and speaking out, we become enablers of the status quo. We become the ones helping to keep things just the way they are, which is not good enough.”
– Mark Robinson
Mark Robinson is a veteran of the advertising industry whose career has spanned over four decades, a journey through the world of advertising and marketing that has been marked by a steadfast commitment to diversity, inclusion, and resilience.
His journey began with a solid foundation in education and a deep commitment to social justice. He attended The Dalton School and went on to Amherst College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in English (Fiction Writing) and Black Studies. At Amherst, he wrote two honors theses—a novel, “The Few,” and a genealogical study, “The Shropshire Lineage.” This early academic work highlighted his talent for storytelling and his dedication to exploring African American history.
His professional career started in advertising at SSC&B/Lintas, where he worked as a VP – Account Supervisor. Mark then became the Group Account Director at UniWorld Group, the nation’s largest minority advertising agency, where he managed major client accounts and directed ethnic marketing efforts. He continued to climb the ranks, joining Spike as Managing Director. Hired by filmmaker Spike Lee, he built the agency from a start-up to a $35 million player in sports marketing and multicultural advertising within a year.
Mark’s entrepreneurial spirit led him to found Heritage Apparel, an internet start-up that became one of the Top Ten Minority E-Commerce Companies of 1999. He later co-founded S/R Communications Alliance, the first 100% minority-owned network of multicultural marketing companies, and served as its Managing Partner, driving new business and overseeing client relationships.
His expertise and leadership were further demonstrated as Chief Operating Officer at Evologue (CommonHealth Consumer Group), where he successfully turned around the organization, restoring client confidence and improving operations. At L3 Advertising, Inc., as SVP Client Service & Strategic Planning, he tripled the size of the agency’s largest client and brought in major national clients, significantly boosting the agency’s growth.
Mark also served as Senior Vice President at Carol H. Williams Advertising, where he continued to influence the advertising industry with his strategic insights. As the National Director of Marketing & Communications for Compassion & Choices, he led the organization’s communications and marketing strategies, advocating for patient rights and individual choice.
In addition to his professional achievements, Mark’s dedication to community service is evident. He was appointed Commissioner of the CT Martin Luther King Commission, serving for 13 years and presiding over official state ceremonies. His involvement in politics included managing a gubernatorial campaign in Connecticut, where he employed innovative digital messaging and social media tactics.
Mark has always been committed to education and empowerment. He served as Vice President & Member of the Board of Directors for A Better Chance of Ridgefield, supporting academically gifted disadvantaged youth. He also worked on the Economic Development Commission and the Youth Commission in Ridgefield, promoting public understanding of youth issues and stimulating community responses.
As a National Touring Lecturer for the Advertising Education Foundation, Mark shared his knowledge and experience with future generations. He continues to serve on the Community Editorial Board for The Connecticut News Project, contributing to impartial, non-profit journalism.
Now retired, Mark has embraced a life of full-time writing and companionship with his wife. He has authored several books, including “Place of Privilege” and his latest work, the BREW Nonfiction Book Excellence Award 2024 Diversity and Inclusion Book of the Year – “Black On Madison Avenue.”
Apart from his literary awards, Mark is also the recipient of several awards for his various professional and community service endeavors. His accolades also include the 2023 Paragon Award from the 4a”s Society of Excellence, the 1970’s Diamond of the Decade Award from the 4A’s Foundation, the Entrepreneur of the Year in 2001, the Martin Luther King Leadership Award in 2009, and a nomination for the 1994 Connecticut Human Rights Award.
Reflecting on his career, Mark emphasizes the importance of challenging the status quo: “We must acknowledge that unless we are speaking up and speaking out, we become enablers of the status quo. We become the ones helping to keep things just the way they are, which is not good enough.” True enough, Mark’s journey from an eager student to a prominent figure in advertising and community service underscores the transformative power of leadership, advocacy, and an unwavering commitment to equity and inclusion. His story is about the impact of raising one’s voice and actively working towards a more just and inclusive society.
Know more about Mark in this exclusive interview.
TWB: Your book “Black On Madison Avenue” recently won the BREW Nonfiction Book Excellence Award 2024 for Diversity and Inclusion Book of the Year. Can you tell us what this recognition means to you?
MR: Storytelling is a kind of performance. We tell stories to be heard and shared. And I love talking to people who have read my work and enjoyed it or who have been moved by it. You feel seen, and you feel heard. You feel that ‘somebody gets me.’ And that’s a wonderful feeling.
So, when one of my stories is fortunate enough to receive an award like the BREW Nonfiction Book Excellence Award, it’s the same as receiving applause from your audience. It’s a validation and recognition that is tremendously affirmational.
TWB: “Black On Madison Avenue” reveals many untold stories about the advertising industry. What inspired you to write this book and share your experiences?
MR: I was actually writing a different book, on a completely different topic. But the stories from this book kept crowding out the space in my head, like interrupting an existing conversation. So, as soon as I finished the first book, I began working on “Black On Madison Avenue.” My first book took ten years to write. This one took six months.
At first, I thought I was simply capturing stories from my career. I soon realized that this wasn’t just about me. It was about the community of Black professionals in advertising. The book merely uses my own stories to illustrate how our industry relates to professionals of color.
To be clear, even though my book casts a bright light on many of the things that are wrong with the advertising business, I love what I do. I love this business. No other profession on this planet enables you to combine boundless, breakthrough and occasionally brilliant creativity with commerce, consequences, competition, collaboration, community service, immediacy and the potential for immortality. Nothing else even comes close.
TWB: You have spent over 40 years in the advertising industry. What were some of the most significant challenges you faced as one of the very few Black professionals on Madison Avenue?
MR: People think the advertising business is so liberal, so avant-garde. It’s not. The advertising business only changes in response to strong pressure from clients. And even then, ad agencies usually interpret that pressure badly.
Professionals of color in our business are often invisible. We are not seen for what we do or what we have accomplished. And we are definitely not seen for what makes us different and valuable to our business. What people see instead is an image that they project onto us, an image that they are more comfortable with.
The one thing that has not evolved or changed at all, in all the years that I have been in advertising, is that mainstream agencies and executives believe they are doing you a big favor by hiring professionals of color. That they are doing such a good deed. There is absolutely no recognition or appreciation that hiring professionals of color is valuable to their business, that we bring something they cannot get elsewhere and what we bring is important.
Mainstream agencies have begun to embrace diversity because they understand that it is the moral high ground. But they still don’t understand that it is simply smart business.
TWB: In your book, you mention incredible adventures, such as a shouting match with a Venezuelan Army general and kidnapping an advertising legend. Can you share one of these stories and its impact on your career?
MR: We were shooting a commercial for Clairol in Caracas. The actress in the shoot was Ms. Venezuela, who was incredibly beautiful. One of the scenes we were going to shoot was on the steps of the presidential palace, because the setting was so picturesque. We had obtained all of the necessary permits in advance, which was a big bureaucratic headache. But when we showed up with our film crew, the entire area was blocked off by tanks and military vehicles.
I had a fit and started yelling at our producer. This was going to unravel our whole shoot, and that would cost us a ton of money. This Venezuelan Army officer walked over to us and said we had to leave the area immediately. I shook my head and said, “No. We have a permit.” We had a stalemate and a standoff. He walked off and came back with his superior officer, who told us that if we did not leave immediately, we would be arrested. My producer began dragging me away, which was good because my knees had gotten pretty wobbly.
Without realizing it, we had walked right into an attempted military coup led by Hugo Chavez to overthrow and assassinate President Carlos Andres Perez. The attempted coup failed, but just barely. And we found a location elsewhere in the city to complete our TV shoot. And then caught the next flight home.
TWB: As a co-founder of Spike/DDB with Spike Lee, what was your vision for the agency, and how did you achieve such rapid success in its first year?
MR: Before Spike/DDB existed, Spike had been hired as a director for several high-profile TV commercials; brands like Nike. However, Spike’s role as the director was only one part in the middle of the overall assembly line of the creative development process. Spike had no role in the creation of the original idea or the script. And Spike had no role in the editing and the post-production process that pulls everything together. His job was just to shoot the film. For an auteur like Spike, that was a terribly unsatisfying experience. He is accustomed to touching and shaping every aspect of the film.
By building our own agency, we could offer clients the creative vision that we would bring in every step from conception through completion. No other advertising agency could offer that. Clients immediately understood and embraced the concept. Frankly, our biggest challenge was managing our rapid growth.
TWB: Your involvement in multicultural marketing and diversity advocacy is well-documented. How do you see the progress of diversity and inclusion in the advertising industry today compared to when you started?
MR: One of the biggest trends in DEI today, both in advertising and in the broader business environment, is that we TALK more about DEI. And there is an expectation that because we are talking about it more, we are actually creating change. Unfortunately, for a lot of organizations and for a lot of people, instead of being an antecedent for change, talk becomes an alternative to genuine change. It becomes a way of looking well-intentioned without actually accomplishing anything meaningful.
Millions and millions of dollars are being spent on advertising with positive messages about a brand or company’s commitment to DEI. But what they spend on the ad, versus what they spend on actual DEI is often a ratio of 100 to 1.
Internally, we have already seen a decline in the number of DEI positions listed on job boards. Sadly, I think that trend will continue.
TWB: You have worked with many notable personalities, including Bill Cosby, Oprah, and Notorious B.I.G. How did these collaborations influence your work and perspectives on advertising?
MR: My job, both as a marketer and as a writer, is to develop and build upon a strong, insightful understanding of people and human behavior – understanding what excites people, what interests them and motivates and shapes their behavior. Without that, I really cannot do my job very well. What I have learned from working with various celebrities is that each of them has the ability to harness this same skill. Each of them possesses a strong, intuitive understanding of what interests and excites people, and they can leverage that understanding to be a powerful influencer.
Consequently, I have learned a great deal from working with celebrities and I have been able to hone my own skills and my craft as a marketer and as a writer. I have been very fortunate in that way. I also have been very fortunate just in meeting some truly interesting, wonderful people. Most of the celebrities that I have worked with are just really nice people.
TWB: Can you talk about your entrepreneurial ventures, such as Heritage Apparel and S/R Communications Alliance? What motivated you to start these companies, and what were some key lessons you learned?
MR: I am an entrepreneur. Since I was 10 years old and had the largest lawn mowing service in the neighborhood, I have been a lifelong entrepreneur. I love starting things and building things. I started a successful business in college and employed 20 other students. And I made a ton of money. Building something from nothing is the essence of creativity. It’s taking something that is just an idea in your mind and transforming that spark into something that people can see and touch, that has the power to change lives. There’s nothing more magical than that.
That is a big reason why I was drawn to new product development in my career. New products are ideas that you have been able to transform into something real in the world. Over the course of my career, I launched seven successful new products that became leading national brands. I’m really proud of that record.
But the toughest lesson I learned when I launched Heritage Apparel is that unless you are already quite rich, it is almost impossible – and definitely not advisable – to start a company using just your own money. Inevitably, it will break you. I reached a point where I realized that in order to keep the company going, I would have to burn through all of the money saved for my children’s college education. And I just was not willing to do that.
TWB: You have received numerous awards for your work in diversity, community service, and multicultural education. Which of these recognitions stands out to you the most, and why?
MR: Geez, that’s like asking me which one of my children is my favorite. Every award is an honor and a privilege. So many people do the same thing that I do and they are not recognized. They don’t win awards, but they are equally deserving. So, I am tremendously grateful that people appreciate my work. It’s not the reason to do what you do, but honestly, it doesn’t suck. It’s pretty nice.
I guess if I had to choose one, it would be the Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Award that was given to me by the Governor of Connecticut for my work there. I suppose because the award is named after Dr. King that it is just a little extra special.
TWB: What advice would you give to young Black professionals aspiring to enter the advertising industry today, given your extensive experience and the industry’s evolving landscape?
MR: If you are a person of color, there is nothing more deadly to your career than making your white co-workers uncomfortable. So, be conscious of how you come across to others. Be aware of how other people’s issues and insecurities can become your problem. At the same time, never lose your authentic self. Never try to be something you’re not. The things that are unique and special about you are the things that will be truly valuable to your organization.
We must acknowledge that unless we are speaking up and speaking out, we become enablers of the status quo. We become the ones helping to keep things just the way they are, which is not good enough. Too many of us are reluctant to tell our bosses or the HR department that they need to do a better job of recruiting, interviewing and hiring diverse talent. But, if it’s not our job, then who? There is no justification for being a bystander to the absence of diversity. Whenever there is a crowd of bystanders, everyone assumes that someone else will step up. No one does. It needs to be you. It needs to be each of us.
And, as in all things, do not simply complain. Bring ideas, recommendations. Referrals if you can. You might be a thorn in someone’s side, but you might be the agency’s champion, their star game-changer.
If you are the voice of difference in the strategic and creative development process, for heaven’s sake, make sure your voice is heard. You weren’t hired to be a wall flower or a yes-person. You were hired to make a difference. Encourage, support and build upon the good ideas of others. Explain why some ideas really aren’t that good, and how – together – you can make them better.
And I tell young people all the time: don’t expect every day to be a good day. Accept that from time to time there will be bad days. But those days will be life lessons that make you stronger and smarter. Learn to love those lessons.
⭐
“The things that are unique and special about you are the things that will be truly valuable to your organization. Never lose your authentic self.”
– Mark Robinson
Useful Links
- Website
- Black On Madison Avenue
- Video Interviews
- Place of Privilege
- LinkedIn profile
- Know more about the BREW Book, Blog, and Poetry Awards here
Share Your Insights
We’d love to hear your thoughts on Mark’s inspiring journey and his commitment to diversity. Share your insights in the comments below:
- How can we effectively challenge the status quo in our own workplaces?
- What role does leadership play in fostering an inclusive environment?
- How has Mark’s story inspired you to speak up for change?
July 2024 marked a special milestone at The World’s Best Magazine as we proudly declare it as our Diversity, Resilience, and Inclusion Month. Throughout the month – and moving forward – we officially dedicate a special series of posts in our platform to celebrating the richness of diversity, the strength of resilience, and the power of inclusion.
Join us as we spotlight stories that showcase the myriad facets of diversity, from cultural heritage to individual identities. Through our features, we aim to amplify voices that demonstrate resilience in the face of adversity, inspiring others to persevere and thrive.
Moreover, we pledge to champion inclusion in all aspects of our work, ensuring that every story, perspective, and experience is welcomed and valued. By embracing diversity, resilience, and inclusion, we strive to foster a more equitable and compassionate world.
Let’s come together to honor the beauty of our differences, celebrate the triumphs of the human spirit, and reaffirm our commitment to building a society where everyone is seen, heard, and valued.
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It’s so sad that all industries are still infected with racism and colorism. I love the author’s message that, as much as talking about it is important, we must take action about diversity. Otherwise, it becomes like, with so many initiatives, some form of “diversity washing.”
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