We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Alexandria Black-Davis. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Alexandria below.
Hi Alexandria, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?
I have overcome being the only Black female digital marketing leader at every company I’ve worked at by being self taught. Knowing what I don’t know and seeking out education in my field has been critical in gaining respect in the tech space. I graduated from business school in 2012 when digital marketing, media buying and social media marketing were in their infancy. Taking the marketing fundamentals I learned while getting my degree in marketing and applying them to the digital ad buying ecosystem I have been able to become an expert at communicating ecommerce, branding and consumer behavior best practices to clients and my internal teams.
I consider myself an infinite learner. What that means to me is always being in a state of seeking to understand in an industry that is evolving constantly. Data analytics , content trends and consumer desires are always shifting in the digital world, to be a leader in the space you have alway be ready to innovate on proven strategies from the very recent past. As the digital industry has shifted to conserving consumer privacy with the continued deprecation of internet cookies with initiatives like IOS14, its become critical for marketers to evolve methods of measurement and advertising attribution. All of the these industry changes are not taught in school or on the job so much of my personal success has been driven by my desire to be well versed in data, creative production and strategy.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I started Black Davis Management , a marketing consultancy, because I saw a need in the market for authentic data driven marketers. In the age of free social media advertising courses, influencers and get rich quick youtube ads it is hard to know if you can trust a digital marketer.
I went to business school for marketing but what sets me apart is I am self taught. Almost all of the social ad networks we all know today like Tik tok, Pinterest, Instagram, Linkedin etc were not in existence when I started my career. I specialize in creating a cohesive, impactful digital presence for brands in the form of advertising. The best ad is one the consumer doesn’t realize is an ad simply a piece of digital content that informs or solves a problem for you. In a digital world that is “always on” and constantly exposing us to marketing messages , I think its critical to understand how much power we wield as marketers and the importance of quality advertising.
In addition to owning my own marketing consultancy and business blog, I am passionate about mentoring junior marketers and investing in great ideas. As a former Silicon Valley resident I have worked at my fair share of startups and have been on the front lines of investing, scaling and developing the roadmap which makes me an expert at connecting marketing to overall business goals.
I am invested in helping each client achieve their business goals through data driven strategy, creativity and exceptional service.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1. Active Listening – My first corporate job was an people operations (HR) manager and it taught me the power in listening to the team. There is so much to be gained from understanding the people you work with.
2.Consumer journey analytics – Understanding consumer desires, how they interact with your brand and website and what motivates the purchase are critical to scaling a business
3. Brand cohesion – A disjointed brand means a disjointed consumer journey which reduces sales so investing in a cohesive omnichannel brand strategy is critical.
My Advice: Embrace failure and the jobs that you may not like early on in career. Marketing is a fancy way of saying “test and learn” and if you want to be successful in the digital marketing industry you have to adopt the same philosophy in your professional life. Test out companies and brands you feel you’re passionate about and learn what aligns with your goals and interests. Never be afraid to leave what no longer serves you but always challenge your assumptions.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
My ideal client is a brand that is open minded, innovative and has a healthy budget to invest in advertising and content creation. Clients that also see the value in a strong data stack are invaluable because the ability to measures success is just as important as a winning strategy.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.blackdavis.com
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/ablackdavis
