Decolonizing Marcomms
Marketing and communications (MarComms) are necessary for community engagement as a means for social movements, education, crisis communication, and community building. Frequently engaged in digital spaces and spanning the entire globe, MarComms augments truth-telling from across dominant and non-dominant understandings while perpetuating Western and capitalistic ideals.
The blog series explores how we can decolonize marketing and communications beyond capitalistic means to integrate ongoing processes that help scholars and students explore how to engage communities through a lens of two-way engagement, justice and human rights.
Our series was inspired by these ideas and thanks to the Center for Humanizing Education and Research (C-HER) at the University of San Francisco, our work is supported by Freedom Dreaming Grant to reimagine our approaches to address social justice and human rights in digital MarComms and think about how all of us can address systemic change.
Decolonizing Digital Marketing and Communications: Why, How, and When?
By Jazzmin Gota and Paul David Terry
What does it mean to decolonize, and how does this concept relate to marketing and communications? How do our contemporary practices continue to operate within colonial frameworks?
Prologue: Stop Pioneering and Reimagine a Decolonized Future for MarComms
By Jazzmin Gota and Paul David Terry
Have you ever felt disillusioned by the superficial gestures and tokenism often associated with awareness days for social justice causes? Do you find yourself questioning the impact of well-intentioned apologies and access efforts that may inadvertently misrepresent marginalized communities? Do you ever find yourself weary from constantly revisiting lists of dos and don'ts for engaging with different communities? The world of marketing and communications (MarComms) is not immune to these challenges, especially within the context of capitalist principles that shape our strategies and practices. Come with us on a journey where we explore decolonizing marketing and communications.
Meet the Authors
-
Jazzmin Chizu Gota
Jazzmin (she/her) is a multimedia consultant and human rights education researcher. She works with educational nonprofit organizations on human rights and social justice projects, as well as consults educational institutions on visual presentations and publication formatting. Jazzmin is a doctoral student in International and Multicultural Education with a concentration in Human Rights Education at the University of San Francisco. She is a co-managing editor of the International Journal of Human Rights Education and represents Northern California with the national human rights education network, HRE USA.
Quick notes:
How long? 19+ years in marketing and visual communications for nonprofits, small businesses, and educational programs and institutions
How did I get here?
Arrived in MarComms from an activist/culture jamming perspective, accidentally ended up in MarComms because someone needs to help activist and community groups get the word out
What informs us when we decolonizing MarComms?
Fourth generation Japanese American/Californian, she/her; maxed out undergraduate art, film history, and creative writing courses before realizing she should have gone into social sciences -
Tim Kerbavoz
Tim (he/him) is a technical producer, problem solver working in event connectivity and accessibility. As a child, his love of playing with microphones and stereo equipment evolved into calls over the PA for AV support in school. This set him on the path to a career in events and over a decade of professional experience producing both in-person and broadcast live events.
Tim translates creative visions into technology realities with diverse experience and wide-reaching interests across several fields. He is passionate about event accessibility - ensuring messages reaches everyone without barriers to entry. -
Mia Shah-Dand
Mia Shah-Dand is a responsible AI leader and social entrepreneur. She is the CEO of Lighthouse3, an emerging technology consultancy focused on AI and emerging technology governance. Mia founded Women in AI Ethics in 2018, a global program to promote diversity and ethics in AI. She is known for her work in elevating diverse perspectives in AI and leading multidisciplinary convenings on critical issues in AI. She excels at bringing together diverse expert teams and advising large enterprises on the responsible adoption of new technologies.
Mia is on the Selection Committee for Anita Borg ABIE Social Impact award committee and Advisory Board for Carnegie Council’s Artificial Intelligence & Equality Initiative. Her work has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, Politico, and Venture Beat. -
Paul David Terry
A leader in nonprofit and academic organizations for over two decades, Paul David Terry (he/they) is the program manager for experiential learning with Quarter at Aggie Square for UC Davis Undergraduate Education. He has served as the past chair of the UC Davis Staff Diversity Administrative Advisory Committee and other councils across UC Davis and UC Davis Health. His work garners multiple awards to support public scholarship. As an IME Fellow at University of San Francisco, he teaches Critical Race Theory and How To Talk About Race, and designs virtual educational resources for educators across the country.
How long?
28+ years in nonprofit and higher education event production, marketing and communications, diverse educational initiatives and program management.