David S. Bland This is Me

 View all 6 references Web References

1. 1. 3AF-News

   www.3af.org/news/index.htm - [Cached]

   Published on: 1/30/2003   Last Visited: 5/7/2004

   Distinguished speakers included Laurel Wentz of Advertising Age, Barbara Ponce of American Honda Motor Co., David Bland of Washington Mutual, and Dmitri Maglalang of State Farm Insurance.
   ...
   The Washington Mutual presentation, given by David Bland, Vice President of Ethnic Markets, demonstrated aspects that we tend to forget about the Asian Market, such as their sophistication and their tendency to seek benefit driven messages.He pointed out that "people are our foundation and service is our priority."

2. 2. DiversityBusiness.com News - Hispanic Marketing Event in Miami Beach on Jan 28-29, 2002

   www.diversitybusiness.com/Reso - [Cached]

   Published on: 1/28/2002   Last Visited: 6/28/2008

   Case study by Washington Mutual's David S. Bland, SVP Ethnic Marketing

3. 3. www.a5s.org

   www.a5s.org/text_news_sf.html - [Cached]

   Published on: 1/19/2001   Last Visited: 6/11/2001

   Next to Lisa we have David Bland , also a very familiar face.
   ...
   David Bland , if you didn't know it , is now with Washington Mutual , where he is the vice president of Ethnic Marketing.As you probably know , he started in ethnic marketing at Wells Fargo , was also at Bank of America.He's now based here in the Bay Area , but commuting , unfortunately , I think , weekly at least , up to Seattle , where Washington Mutual's headquarters is.David in his new capacity handles the African-American/Hispanic/Asian market , as well as diversified markets.That includes Russian , I believe.
   
   DAVID BLAND : Russian , gay/lesbian
   
   ...
   DAVID BLAND : Got 'em all
   
   ...
   DAVID BLAND : Gay/lesbian , transgender and bisexual
   
   ...
   DAVID BLAND : No wonder his leg is broken.
   ...
   So , two agency representatives , and then we have , of course , two media representatives from KTSF and Filipinas Magazine , and then two client representatives , one from an old hat like David Bland , and then one sort of a newcomer to the market , which we also find very refreshing and , hopefully , inspiring , to talk to us about coming into the market as a new advertiser.
   
   ...
   DAVID BLAND , Vice President Ethnic Marketing Washington Mutual : Good morning , everyone.I want to start with an apology.I'm going to say that upfront , and I'm going to say that now.Several people have asked me for a business card.I have to apologize that I don't have one.But I will tell you how to get in touch with me.
   
   ...
   So that's just an example of the challenge that I face , and I share that with you because , as you call me , and you hear David Bland is over at Washington Mutual. And if I don't respond to you right away , it's because I've got a long list of things to do.But that's no excuse.I will respond.
   
   The second thing , and this is something that really gets my gut , is why aren't more people doing ethnic marketing.Why aren't more people addressing the market.And I've pondered this within myself over and over , and I've come down to one simple conclusion , and that is : because nobody's making them pay.
   ...
   Because as David said , from Washington Mutual , I have relationships with Gary Killinger.
   ...
   DAVID BLAND : Excuse me , Gelly , do you have a question for the panel.
   
   GELLY BORROMEO : It's not a question , I think it's a challenge , because I don't think it's been addressed by the panel.I think the challenges for the A5 haven't been addressed here.I think everyone's saying what a great market we have , Asian-American market is strong.But no one has really addressed the issue of collaboration.
   
   ...
   You mentioned , David Bland , several times , we've got to make them pay.Do you feel that we need to somehow , as an organization , come together to apply political or media pressure to do that.How do you see us addressing that.
   
   DAVID BLAND : I think that I wasn't suggesting political pressure.But that , too , maybe be effective.What I was referring to is , there needs to be a documented case history , where let's say we take product categories , and consumer electronics is as good as any , where we have , you get an advertiser , and you work with that advertiser , and you set up tracking and test control situation , where nobody can deny without a doubt the impact of an Asian marketing opportunity.
   
   That's what I'm talking about.If Asian marketing or ethnic marketing is done well , the competitors will realize some degree of loss of business.You won't even have to show it to them , they will know that , hey , wait a minute , we don't have the same types of sales that we used to have , and it must be because our competitor has taken this from us.
   ...
   DAVID BLAND : Yes
   
   ELIOT KANG : You talk about competition.We see that where , initially , like in telecom.MCI started , ATT lost a lot of market share ; they came back in.For certain categories , no one does anything.As long as no one does anything , then no one does anything.
   ...
   But one thing that David Bland said , I think is really important is , that we do have to make the corporations pay in a variety of different ways.
   
   I don't rule out the political aspect , because I think the political aspect could be important to us somewhere down the line.But one thing that we always say , all of us say to our clients is that they have to be culturally sensitive and culturally relevant.Well , one thing that we as agencies need to do is make ourselves relevant to those corporations.
   
   And that's by coming up with all sorts of program options that they might want to consider doing.If it's not advertising , perhaps it's some other way to get them acclimated to the market.
   ...
   Like David said , sometimes it takes some courage , and the only way that people are going to have that courage is if we offer them some alternatives.
   
   Perhaps it's training.Perhaps it's a special event.Perhaps it's public relations.There's a lot of different ways to get into corporations , and I think we as agencies have to use our imagination a little bit.
   
   FEMALE VOICE : I just have a question of the member of the A5.
   ...
   David mentioned that we have to let the manufacturing and media know that there is a market , and they have to have their support of the advertising.
   
   But if we don't feel that any of these things have changed , like all of us in here , if we don't share information of the cases that we have , then we work alone , it will never work.I just see the example as tactical , for instance.There is a business case , and stuff went down , people got together , and they stopped buying gas from Texaco for a while.
   
   So that's what we need sometimes.I don't mean to raise the political issue , but for us to do our business this way , we have to come together and get together by communicating and networking , by sharing the information and getting business made that way.
   ...
   David Bland talked about making the non-believers pay.I've had the pleasure of making them pay.I've had the pleasure of launching a brand which in one year got a 15 % market share.It had to come from some non-believers.And the principal communication vehicles were media.Ethnic media.So the non-believers will eventually come around , but we can't wait that long , because our life span is relatively short.
   ...
   And if you don't value our market , I think a gentleman in the room , David Bland said , then you better be ready to pay.Then you better be ready to pay.
   
   And he began the first organized boycott that I know of to let the mainstream retailer know , you cannot take our business for granted.And when they began missing the sales in this largely black community , their business attitudes changed.Their business attitudes changed , and that's the first time black salesmen at the liquor companies , black salesmen for the tobacco companies , black salesmen for the beer companies appeared on the scene.
   
   What I'm also going to talk to you about is my version of the 5A's.Now , Eliot , you've got to have a role here.I'd like you to write down , the first word is 'activism'...
   ...
   Now , I'd like David Bland to stand up.David , would you please come over here.Just stand there , brother.I just want you to notice this. ... Thank you , David.
   
   Now , what was that for.The only caution that I would , the only cautionary measure -- this ethnic stuff is tough.When I started , I was tall as David.This ethnic stuff can wear you down.Now , I'm just normal height.And the gentleman in the back was really funny , they asked him to stand up to make , he says , I am standing.In the past , I used to believe like you did , that maybe this is not the business for me. I would never have chosen another direction.I stand tall in my own eyes.I stand tall in my own eyes.To listen to you all talk , you're going to stay short , or less than you should be.What I'm telling you today , you don't have to replicate.You didn't have to come through the background we did.