Black-owned and minority-led marketing consultancy, Think TRUE announced its launch, incubated by experiential marketing agency On Board Experiential (OBE). Several years in the making, Think TRUE specializes in brand initiatives centered on engaging diverse and often marginalized communities, delivering support to marketers seeking to diversify their offerings, support diversity initiatives and promote a local approach to targeting underrepresented audiences. Think TRUE and its partners are committed to working with diverse suppliers, including minority, female, veteran and LGBTQ+ owned companies among others.
Think TRUE is led by Chief TRUE Officer, Alvin Stafford, who founded boutique agency Blueprint Collective in 2006. Since merging his company with On Board Experiential in 2015, Stafford has served as VP of Accounts, delivering engaging and authentic experiences for Nike Global and Basketball North America, the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), JPMorgan Chase & Co., among others. Joining Stafford is Co-Principal Owner Vada O. Manager, a longtime strategic consultant and corporate board director who has counseled global icons, Presidents, artists and C-Suite Executives. In addition, Manager served on Nike’s Corporate Leadership Team and was an executive advisor to the leadership of Levi Strauss & Co.
“Having worked on many successful programs with Alvin and Vada in the past, I’m happy to officially partner with them on the launch of Think TRUE,” said OBE Co-Ceo, Deb Lemon. “Stafford’s ability to identify, create and build meaningful programs for clients paired with Manager’s business acumen will be the defining pillars for this consultancy. OBE is proud to do our part in helping to bring this unique offering to a broader audience.”
Think TRUE’s offerings include brand consulting, audience insight development, talent management, PR and public policy consultation, issue marketing as well as grassroots and community outreach. Think TRUE is coming out of the gates with current OBE client JPMorgan Chase, with work on the brand’s “Advancing Black Pathways” initiative. This campaign builds on the firm’s existing efforts to help the Black community carve stronger paths towards economic success and empowerment. Think TRUE also looks forward to engaging with OBE clients Nike and Facebook for this unique service offering.
“In many instances, minority and urban communities are the creators of culture, the trendsetters and the influencers. Think TRUE is poised to be the conduit between brands and these communities,” said Stafford.
Think TRUE’s Board of Directors includes Tina Thompson, second all-time leading scorer in WNBA history, four-time WNBA champion, two-time Olympic gold medalist and current Head Women’s Basketball Coach at the University of Virginia. Also on the Board are On Board Experiential’s Co-CEOs, Dan Hirsch and Deb Lemon, who bring decades of experience creating connected, authentic consumer moments for mega-brands like Nike, Activision and Kellogg’s across the experiential, music, sports and entertainment spaces.
Think TRUE enters the industry at a crucial moment in time, which also holds historical significance. On August 28th, 1833, slavery was abolished in the United Kingdom, eventually leading to the American abolition of slavery. On today’s date in 1955, Emmett Till was senselessly murdered by three white men. In 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech took place at the historic March on Washington, and in 2008, then-Senator Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination for President, becoming the first Black man to ever win the nomination and bid for the presidency. This week also celebrates the 1920 adoption of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which granted women the right to vote. Collectively, these events have taken important steps towards equality, but there is more work to be done. Think TRUE has its roots firmly planted in ensuring all businesses not only expand their consumer base, but also create opportunities for a wider range of talented professionals and service providers that can strengthen not just the experiential industry, but also the national and global economy.
“Think TRUE is committed to inclusion, transparency, equity and acceptance, all while delivering a premium product. I am personally proud to participate in this moment and be a part of this movement,” added Stafford.
Headquartered in Los Angeles, Think TRUE is a Black-owned and minority-led marketing consultancy that specializes in creating innovative brand initiatives truly oriented towards engaging diverse communities.
