HAIR NO MATTER THE TEXTURE.

>> WE HAVE JUST SEEN WHAT IS REQUIRED TO START A BUSINESS, BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE BUSINESS SOARS?

A BLACK OWNED HAIRCARE COMPANY MERGED WITH PROCTER & GAMBLE BEAUTY EARLIER THIS YEAR.

NOW THIS COMES AS THE MOST POPULAR HAIR GROWTH OIL GREW IN POPULARITY AFTER BEING PROMOTED BY A WHITE INFLUENCER.

NOW THE MOVE HAS SPARKED DISCOURSE IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY ABOUT THE POTENTIAL RIPPLE EFFECTS THAT COME WITH BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES GETTING INCREASED ATTENTION AND SUPPORT.

JOINING US NOW WITH MORE ARE BRENDA JOHNSON, A LICENSED COSMETOLOGIST, AND NATURAL HAIRCARE BEAUTICIAN AT BE STYLES BEAUTY AND THE LEAD CREATIVE STRATEGIST AT TARGET HEADQUARTERS.

BRENDA, LET'S START WITH YOU.

GETTING SUPPORT AS A BUSINESS OWNER, DO YOU THINK THE INVEST AND IS A REASON TO CELEBRATE?

>> DEFINITELY.

AS A BUSINESS OWNER, THAT IS THE GOAL IS TO GET SOMETHING LIKE THAT WORLDWIDE AND BEEN ABLE TO MAKE MONEY OFF OF SOMETHING THAT YOU CREATED AS YOUR BABY.

NOT EVERYBODY CAN GET TO IT.

>> NOW DOING WORK AT TARGET AS A LEAD CREATIVE STRATEGIST, DO YOU THINK CONSUMERS ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO WHO OWNS THE COMPANIES THAT THEY ARE MAKING PURCHASES FROM?

>> YEAH, I DO ACTUALLY.

ONE THING I GET TO DO AT MY JOB IS TRULY IDENTIFY CULTURAL TRENDS AND I SEE FROM A LOT OF THE RESEARCH THAT FOLKS ARE ACTUALLY INCREASING HOW THEY FIND WHAT BUSINESSES ARE BEING OWNED BY ACTUAL BLACK-OWNED FOUNDERS OR IF THEY HAVE BEEN SOLD OFF.

SO THAT IS A TREND THAT IS INCREASING IN THE CONSUMER SPACE.

>> SO THERE IS A FEAR THAT IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY THAT THE BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES ARE ONLY SUPPORTED WHEN THEY RECEIVE A CERTAIN TYPE OF RECOGNITION OR THAT ONCE THESE BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES RECEIVE SUPPORT THE PRODUCT FOR THE INTENDED TARGET AUDIENCE WILL CHANGE.

YOU THINK THAT PARTNERSHIP IS A REASON FOR CONCERN?

>> I DON'T THINK IT IS A REASON FOR CONCERN BECAUSE SHE IS STILL HANDS ON.

SHE IS NOT GIVING IT AWAY.

SHE IS STILL THE OWNER.

SO WE HAVE DEFINITELY BEEN CONFIDENT SHE WILL KEEP IT.

>> YEAH.

I WOULD AGREE.

IT SEEMS LIKE SHE IS MAKING SMART DISMISSED DECISIONS.

TOTALLY UNDERSTANDING FROM MY OWN PERSPECTIVE THAT WHAT IT TAKES TO GO INTO A BUSINESS, THE AMOUNT OF RESOURCES REQUIRED , YOU NEED THAT.

YOU NEED SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO HELP YOU SCALE, AND SO FOR ME I'M HAPPY FOR HER TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO SCALE HER BUSINESS.

>> BRENDA, WE JUST SAW HER EXPLAIN THE COMPLEXITIES OF CREATING HAIRCARE PRODUCTS FOR VARYING BLACK HAIR TYPES.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHEN A PRODUCT IS MOSTLY USED BY BLACK PEOPLE AND THEN GETS DISCOVERED BY A DIFFERENT AUDIENCE?

>> IT CAN BE A LITTLE JARRING, BUT SHE CAN MAKE MORE MONEY OFF OF THE PRODUCT, SO IT DOES MAKE IT MORE WORLDWIDE EVEN THOUGH WE WANT TO HOLD ONTO IT, BUT THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS FOR HER TO MAKE MONEY OFF OF THESE PRODUCTS.

IF SHE IS ABLE TO GET EVERYBODY IN ON IT, IT IS AMAZING.

>> SO WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SUPPORTING BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES, BUT BEYOND THAT SUPPORT COMES THE RETENTION.

HOW DO WE KEEP THE BUSINESSES AND WHAT ROLE DOES MARKETING PLAY IN THAT?

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?

>> SO THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF MARKETING IS AWARENESS, SCALABILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY.

AND IT TAKES A LOT OF MONETARY INVESTMENT , BUT ALSO PERSONAL INVESTMENT, NOT JUST FROM THE BUSINESS OWNERS BUT FROM THE COMMUNITIES WHO IS AWARE OF THEIR PRODUCT ALREADY .2 BE ABLE TO GROW AS A BUSINESS A PRODUCT, A SERVICE.

YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO INVEST IN HOW YOU REACH THE AUDIENCE.

AND A LOT OF FOLKS MAY NOT REALIZE THAT QUITE HONESTLY, IT IS A HIGH DOLLAR INVESTMENT TO BE ABLE TO SHOW UP ON YOUR SOCIAL PLATFORM.

SO MARKETING FOR SURE IS HELPFUL TO GET THE WORD OUT THERE.

AND BRING AWARENESS TO THE PRODUCT.

IT IS ALSO A WAY TO TELL THAT YOU NEED STORIES.

EVERY BRAND HAS A UNIQUE STORY AND MARKETING IS A GREAT WAY TO START TO FUNNEL THAT STORY AGAIN TO THE MASSES.

THROUGH SOCIAL, TRADITIONAL MEDIA, BUT AGAIN, THE MONETARY INVESTMENT IN THAT IS STEADY INCREASING.

>> WHAT IS A RESULT OF USING FROM MARKETING WITH YOUR BUSINESS?

>> SOCIAL MEDIA, THAT IS THE BIGGEST PLATFORM WE CAN.

AND WORD-OF-MOUTH.

SO WITH THE YOUTUBE IT WAS AMAZING, IT WAS A BIG PLUS FOR ALL THESE COMPANIES TO COME TOGETHER AND BE LIKE NOW THIS IS A PRODUCT THAT I USE ON MY HAIR.

THIS IS WHAT IT DOES.

KNOW IT GIVES PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TRY THAT OUT AND IT IS SPREAD BETWEEN EVERYBODY AND THEN WE ALL GET TO ENJOY AND SEE THAT IT WAS VERY PROFITABLE.

>> I HAVE A FOLLOW-UP TO THAT.

WHEN WE THINK ABOUT SUPPORTING BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES, WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT SUPPORT LOOKS LIKE SPECIFICALLY FROM COMMUNITIES?

>> THAT WOULD BE TO PURCHASE.

YES, BUT THE PRODUCT IS STILL GOING TO DO WHAT IT DOES.

SO, STILL BY IT.

IF YOU GO TO THE STORE AND YOU SEE IT IS ONE OR TWO BY BOTH.

JUST CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THESE PEOPLE BECAUSE WE NEED TO SHOW THAT WE ARE SPENDING OUR MONEY AND THIS IS WHAT WE ENJOY AND MAKE MORE PRODUCTS.

>> FROM YOUR SIDE IN A MARKETING PERSPECTIVE WE THINK OFTEN TIMES OR WE NOTICE THAT THESE COMPANIES DO SEEM TO PROFIT OFF OF BLACK CULTURE, BUT RARELY OR SEEMINGLY THEY ARE NOT INVESTING OR PUTTING DOLLARS BACK INTO THE BLACK COMMUNITY.

HOW CAN WE MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE NOT JUST PROFITING OFF OF BLACK CULTURE BUT ARE PUTTING MONEY INTO THE COMMUNITY?

>> YEAH, I THINK THAT IS A GREAT WESTERN.

I THINK IT IS SOMETHING THAT -- HOW WE RESPOND SEEING OUR BLACK WOMEN AND MEN BRING THEM MORE FAIRNESS AND ACCESSIBILITY.

AND HOPE OF COURSE THE COMPANIES ARE GOING TO OFFER INVESTMENT TO US FROM A STARTUP PHASE AND A GROWTH PHASE AND A RETENTION PHASE.

AT THE END OF THE DAY WE HAVE TO TRULY RELY ON OURSELVES AS A COMMUNITY AND ESSENTIALLY MOBILIZE IN A WAY THAT SUPPORTS ONE ANOTHER BECAUSE BLOCK COMMERCE AND WE ARE ONE OF THE HIGHEST GROWING POTENTIAL YOU KNOW, IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW.

QUITE HONESTLY, SO IF WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER, IT IS ONLY, YOU KNOW, UP FROM HERE.

>> RIGHT.

>> ALL RIGHT, LADIES.

WE HAVE ONE MINUTE LEFT, FINAL THOUGHTS.

BRENDA, LET'S START WITH YOU.

WHAT YOU THINK INCREASED REPRESENTATION OF BLACK OWNED BRANDS IS IMPORTANT?

>> BECAUSE WE DO NEED TO SEE OURSELVES AND IF WE CAN SEE OURSELVES ON A GLOBAL PLATFORM IT IS EVEN BETTER.

IT IS A WIN-WIN FOR OUR CAUSE.

>> AGAIN, WANTING TO SUPPORT BLACK-OWNED BUSINESS HAS TO TRULY COME FROM THE HEART AND WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE EVERY BLACK COMMUNITY MEMBER OUT THERE TO SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BLACK-OWNED BUSINESS.

SUPPORT THE ONES WHO HAVE ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY WITH LARGE CORPORATIONS BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT AT THE END OF THE DAY THAT IF WE DON'T SUPPORT THEM THEY CAN'T FEED THEIR FAMILY AND THEY HAVE THEIR COUNTERPARTS IN THE GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY THAT THEY HAVE AMBITION FOR, SO IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT.