Beyond the Black Employee: Heinz Ketchup’s Misstep and the Call for Real Cultural Expertise

Unpacking the issue

In October, Heinz Ketchup released two racially insensitive ads in the UK during Black History Month, sparking a significant marketing crisis. The discussion around these ads brought attention to the recurring problem of major companies engaging with Black culture in a tokenistic and culturally insensitive manner. This issue extends beyond marketing campaigns and is reflected internally in their boardrooms and lack of diversity.

Heinz's ad missteps included one featuring a Black male model with a ketchup mustache reminiscent of minstrel imagery and the UK's racist golliwog dolls. Another ad portrayed a "fatherless" Black woman on her wedding day in a disrespectful manner. These missteps revealed Heinz's disconnect from the Black community they were trying to represent.

It was evident that Heinz had no Black employees involved in the ad’s development process. However, we here at NOMMO argue the latter would not have prevented this advertising blunder either.

The "Black Person in the Room" Myth

There is a widely held belief and myth that companies should have at least one Black employee at the table to address and review a campaign. However, this assumption relies on oversimplifications: the belief that a single Black employee can represent an entire population's cultural expertise and that this lone Black employee can influence higher management. These oversimplifications unintentionally usher in 1) further tokenism among already marginalized Black advertising and marketing employees and 2) the further creation of misguided and culturally misaligned campaigns due to the absence of actual experts in the process.

Let's be honest: No single Black employee should be expected to represent the entirety of Black culture.

This burden is unfair and overlooks the value of qualified practitioners dedicated to understanding Black/Diasporic history and identity. Engaging such experts could relieve pressure on Black employees, reinforce brand authenticity, and avoid cultural faux pas and tokenization. Relying on one person (or even a culturally sensitive AI model) to navigate the complexities of Black/Diasporic history is a recipe for failure. Even contemporary AI models -culturally aware or not - also inherently possess cultural blind spots, raising ethical concerns, and can't substitute for the fluency of actual Black/Diasporic experts who operate as practitioners.

The Importance of Cultural Expertise

Heinz and other brands could have avoided this global mistake by consulting qualified Black/Diasporic cultural experts such as those at NOMMO Cultural Strategies.

NOMMO was purposely established to alleviate the burden often placed on Black employees at major brands, companies, organizations, and studios by providing expertise on Black/African Diasporic art, history, and culture and support to their teams. Our work has also helped promote diverse employee retention for those brands and reduced burnout of their employees by assisting their marketing teams on global campaigns related to the Black and African Diasporic experience.

Over the past five years, NOMMO Cultural Strategies has offered expert-driven approaches to Black history and culture for brands. Our work with Nike, Meta, eBay, Lego Company, and Ubisoft has demonstrated the significant impact of genuine cultural understanding on these organizations' financial performance and societal influence—internally and externally.

Whether it’s assisting Nike’s Purpose Marketing teams in celebrating the stories of Black athletes and supporting youth sports with substantial funding across multiple global campaigns for Black History Month through shoes and apparel or guiding Meta Quest’s marketing team in accurately representing Ghana and the broader African Diaspora while in West Africa for a VR documentary, NOMMO has proven the effectiveness of authentic expertise in creating culturally meaningful global campaigns domestically and internationally for Black audiences and consumers.

A Call to Action

Heinz's mistake highlights the urgent need for brands to stop taking shortcuts in cultural sensitivity. To truly connect with diverse audiences, brands must build meaningful partnerships with experts who deeply understand Black culture. At NOMMO, we are those experts—practitioners, educators, and advocates ready to help you create campaigns that resonate and respect the communities you aim to reach.

It’s time to move beyond tokenism and the myth of a singular “Black person in the room.” Engage with consultancies like NOMMO to avoid costly cultural missteps, foster an inclusive brand image, and support your Black employees in your organization. We can create authentic, socially impactful marketing that drives success for your brand and respect among the communities we all want to reflect.