August 18, 2022
On the heels of an already explosive year for us at Group Black, we are excited to announce that we have entered into a strategic partnership designed to amplify Black voices and support Black-owned businesses across the media and advertising industry.
Through this partnership, Ziff Davis is the first member of Group Black Uplift, a new platform developed to magnify Black voices, creators, and media in an effort to grow their audiences, awareness, and revenue potential. Not only is Ziff Davis demonstrating their commitment to this mission by helping to concept and create this platform, they have also made a strategic investment in Group Black.
So let’s break this down:
Group Black Uplift will:
In a nutshell, we are combining the rich and diverse voices in our collective with the distribution power of the Ziff Davis portfolio of media brands including Mashable, IGN, and Everyday Health, to maximize the reach that Black owned media will have to new audiences. By increasing the reach of these diverse voices across Ziff Davis media brands, we create new monetization opportunities for Black publishers.
Additionally, Ziff Davis and Group Black are collaborating to develop exclusive branded content that centers Black stories and perspectives to run on Ziff Davis media brands, to elevate Black voices and these important stories to general market platforms.
With this first-of-its-kind partnership non-Black-owned media companies will be able to join in the fight for lasting change and contribute to the equitable investment, growth, and sustainability of Black media, creators, and communities, symbiotically benefiting the entire media ecosystem.
Group Black Uplift helps solve a major problem in our industry: the scarcity of opportunities for Black publishers and content creators to get distribution beyond their own platforms and audiences. It will address barriers that have historically prevented Black-owned media businesses from scaling and will dedicate a portion of all advertising revenue to go directly to the Black-owned media brands in the Group Black collective.
In the words of our co-founder & CEO, Travis Montaque, “Lack of access and investment in Black voices has suppressed the growth, development, and reach of Black-owned media for decades. We’re changing that. When a player such as Ziff Davis shares our vision for a more diverse media economy, re-imagination happens, and new innovative approaches are born. Our hope is that this new approach paves the path for others to join us in our cause.”
Both Group Black and Ziff Davis recognize that amplifying and supporting Black voices is only part of the solution. On the matter Vivek Shah, CEO of Ziff Davis, said, “We recognize that representation matters and are thrilled to partner with Group Black to further cultivate Black voices on Ziff Davis properties while providing financial and strategic support to Black-owned media.”
We’re so excited to bring this partnership to life. Make sure to watch this space for more on Group Black Uplift.
