November 7, 2024
Black Girl Digital Co-Founders Are Redefining Multicultural Marketing
Black Girl Digital shares its model to amplify diverse content creators.
Meet Black Girl Digital (BGD Media), one of the fastest-growing multicultural, independently-owned marketing agencies in the creator space, is led by two dynamic Black women entrepreneurs.
Founded and steered by CEO LaToya Shambo and CMO Latoya Bond, Black Girl Digital aims to deliver innovative, data-driven marketing solutions tailored for brands and creators who are shaping the future of advertising and commerce. With decades of combined experience, these two business leaders joined forces to create an agency uniquely equipped to navigate the complexities of multicultural marketing.
“The mission of Black Girl Digital is really about how we pull the brand and the creators closer together to go beyond the partnership and build a deeper relationship,” Shambo tells BLACK ENTERPRISE.
The pair first met while collaborating on the 2023 Black Girl Digital Awards. While many speak of the competition among women in business, Shambo and Bond saw an opportunity to merge their strengths and platforms.
“We were going through the process of working together and I was seeing her talent, she was seeing my talent. We recognized that we both have these unique skills that work really well together,” Shambo shares.
By blending Black Girl Digital’s expertise in influencer marketing with The BBM Agency’s strength in celebrity business management, BGD Media is exceptionally equipped to tackle the intricacies of multicultural marketing.
“With her company doing more of the paid marketing, brand management, and communication strategy, it really complemented what we did on the Black Girl Digital side with the corporate brand partnerships and diverse creators,” Shambo explains.
“And together, we were able to come together and offer full-service media and marketing opportunities for our brands and creators so that the partnership just goes deeper and it’s not surface level.”
Shambo credits BGD Media’s success to their service offering of multi-marketing tiers that “brings the client closer to the creator and the creator closer to the client.” One of its latest initiatives is the inaugural Black Influencer Weekend, designed to showcase for major brands and corporations how Black creators not only set trends but also drive meaningful cultural and economic shifts across industries.
Over the three-day event, more than 1,500 attendees joined in lively discussions and activations focused on community, connectedness, and diversity among creators. Highlights included a VIP Creator game night featuring a bowling competition and life-sized Connect 4, video games, creating what Shambo describes as a “playland for creators.”
On Oct. 2, attendees participated in a day of inspiring and impactful discussions at the Influencer Impact Summit. Speakers included media personality Yandy Smith; beauty and lifestyle creative director Tiarra Monet; and NCAA Champion and women’s basketball coach Sydney Carter. Conversations covered topics such as balancing careers beyond social media, maintaining mental health, and building meaningful partnerships.
The weekend concluded with the 3rd Annual Black Girl Digital Awards, where content creators like Druski, Monet McMichael, and Kai Cenat were honored for their power, prominence, and popularity across various platforms. Additionally, business leaders such as Yandy Smith, Marvet Britto, and Mona Scott-Young, were celebrated as trailblazing influencers and visionaries redefining the digital landscape.
At its core, Black Girl Digital is committed to addressing the complexities of multicultural marketing, demonstrating that representation matters and that success follows when brands connect with communities on a human and personal level.
“It’s not a monolith. It’s not just one group of Black people. There are multiple people, multiple cultures within the Black community,” Shambo says. “Being able to articulate that. But that’s really why brands work with us. Because we’re able to consider the different cultures that are within each community.”
“We also focus mostly on the passion points and the interests of the audiences within those communities,” she added.
What’s next for Black Girl Digital? Shambo is aiming for global dominance.
“It’ll be the Global Influencer Awards,” she says.
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