Ohio State student creates marketing agency to uplift underrepresented groups

Jasmyne Smith
Fri, 25 Mar 2022 02:16:17 +0000
Arts & Life, Instagram Page, News, arts, arts & life, black women in business, Black-owned, brittany styles, life, local, marketing, marketing agence, nonprofit, ohio state, ohio state university, osu columbus, osu student, representation, Rikki Lee Joiner, sole bros inc., student business owner, student-owned business, style house by brittany, the rikki lee agency, woman-owned, young entreprenuer

Rikki Lee Joiner, a second-year in marketing, helps clients build their online presence and marketability through her company, The Rikki Lee Agency while creating lasting connections with their audience.
Credit: Courtesy of Rikki Lee Joiner

Rikki Lee Joiner said she did not expect a trip to Jamaica to be the catalyst for her career.

Joiner, a second-year in marketing, arrived in Jamaica in 2018 with the sole intention of snapping pictures to promote the work of Sole Bros Inc. — a nonprofit her classmates started to distribute gently used shoes. During her trip, Joiner said a young girl approached her, curious about her camera. Joiner showed her its buttons and let her try it for herself.

When the girl captured her first image, Joiner saw her face light up.

“In that moment, it was eye-opening for me that they need to see more people like myself,” Joiner said.

Joiner returned home that summer and founded her online marketing agency, The Rikki Lee Agency, with the goal of providing examples for what young girls are capable of achieving, she said.?

Since 2018, Joiner said she has helped to build the online presence and marketability of more than 25 young brands, entrepreneurs and influencers — such as Michelle Organics and The Chef Nel Experience — while also creating authentic marketing tactics for minority audiences.

“I was so tired of being in a position where every time I turn on the television, every time I look at a magazine, every time I look here, every time I look there, there’s no one that looks like me,” Joiner said.?

Representation continues to be crucial, and Joiner said she is keeping her goal of uplifting other women in mind as she continues her journey. Credit: Courtesy of Rikki Lee Joiner

Joiner said marketing agencies often do not understand what relatable product placement looks like, which can leave them unable to spark a long-lasting connection with their target audience.?

“So many times people are doing it and they’re getting it wrong,” Joiner said. “It’s not necessarily that they’re not skilled or equipped, it’s just a lack of connectivity and specificity when it comes to how we are going to engage a specific audience.”

To reverse the disconnect, Joiner said she uses a rather unconventional approach to marketing by deliberately including her own personal experiences and beliefs in order to create thought-provoking campaigns.?

“I’ve been afforded the opportunity to be at these types of tables and speak on behalf of people that look like me, and I take that responsibility with the utmost priority and utmost responsibility,” she said. “I can’t shy away from my identity or my perspectives because it brings so much to the table.”

Joiner said she begins the marketing process by analyzing the current status of her client, including strengths and aspirations. Then, she works to create a brand image that establishes a personal connection with consumers, she said.?

“It’s just more of the big picture and figuring out what their brand voice is, their brand personality and what kind of tone and messaging they’re going to have online and in person,” Joiner said. “This is mainly where we get to start coaching our respective business owners, or if they have a team, on how they are going to communicate what their brand is about.”

Brittany Styles, owner of interior design and event planning company Style House by Brittany and a student at Northern Kentucky University, said she has worked on several projects with Joiner and understands the pressures of running a business while still in college.

“As business owners, when we think about the value that we bring, it’s not just what we’re doing or our service or our product,” Styles said. “It’s the energy that we bring and the attitude that is also of value.”

Styles said she believes Joiner’s determination and grit are what set her apart from so many young entrepreneurs.?

“It’s just always so fun working with her,” Styles said. “I’m so inspired by her. She is so professional, she’s on top of what she’s doing and she’s committed to doing it. I think that’s the thing: people our age have ideas and things that they may want to do, but they’re kind of timid about it. But she’s like, ‘No, I’m doing this.’ ”

Representation continues to be crucial, and Joiner said she is keeping her goal of uplifting other women in mind as she continues her journey.

“I feel like I know what my purpose is,” Joiner said. “I have to go after that wholeheartedly, recklessly and just go for it because there are women that are waiting for me to show up.”