It should be no surprise that Influencer Marketing has a diversity issue. Just look at your Instagram feed; it’s overwhelmed by white females, with millions of followers, touting numerous brand partnerships.

Today, Zeno Group is 4% Black, 10.4% Hispanic, 7.5% Asian, 1.3% Islander and 1% multiple races. We are 24.2% Non-White in the US.

These are the numbers we have communicated to our staff and to our clients.

It has been one of the surest ways for a Communications professional to reach the C Suite: Show the kind of business acumen and crisis management skills that puts CEOs, CFOs, and boardrooms at ease.

However, 2020 has demanded something different. We’ll call it “Societal Acumen” – the ability to discern what today’s societal currents mean for businesses and their stakeholders. Communications professionals have never needed it more.

As B2B buyers become increasingly mistrustful of traditional advertising, they are relying on research and gathering relevant information before reaching out to a vendor. At the same time, information overload has buyers relying on peers, experts and industry influencers more than ever. So how can technology and B2B brands leverage this shift in the landscape to their advantage? 

As COVID-19 remains as the single biggest issue across the globe, with its impact growing and far-reaching to all corners of the world, Zeno Group initiated an online seminar to discuss its influence on people, business and social behavior. The role of communications was also discussed – how it has evolved as an important element to business and lives than ever before.

In a first of its kind global study, The 2020 Zeno Strength of Purpose study draws a direct correlation between brand purpose and bottom line impact. Consumers are four to six times more likely to purchase from, trust, protect and champion companies they believe have a strong Purpose.