Fortune is also a graduate of Morehouse College, which is part of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) network. “Having that connection helps to inspire a future generation of Gen Z that may potentially have those same aspirations, who [may] happen to be a Rising Future Maker,” Jamaal Stewart, AT&T’s lead manager of multicultural marketing sponsorships told ADWEEK, referencing another AT&T program that supports HBCU students.
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Playing the long game
While chatting with ADWEEK at the Essence Fest screening, Fortune said the time investment and follow-up opportunities for filmmakers stemming from Untold Stories stood out to him, a contrast to the transactional nature of some other brand sponsorships.
“When it comes to brands getting involved within our community and our cultural space, the first thing I look for is intent. What is the intention that you’re trying to serve our community? How are you trying to uplift the community? How long are you going to be here?” Fortune said.
AT&T has continued fostering the relationship with not only Fortune but also previous Untold Stories winners by welcoming them back to judge and speak on panels, another way to indicate the brand is with them for the long haul. The 2022 winning film, Smoking Tigers from So Young Shelly Yo, went on to appear at 21 festivals and won six awards, including three at Tribeca. With a perfect rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Smoking Tigers will be released on a streaming service later this year.
Building relationships is a refreshing tactic as other brands face scrutiny for transactional behavior. And AT&T is seeing a response from its consumers. The Untold Stories program hit a record-breaking milestone this year, receiving over 400 submissions. The 2023 Rising Future Makers Showcase saw a 143% increase in submissions from 2022 and expanded into new HBCUs, including Howard University, Spelman College and Prairie View A&M University.
“If you can see it, you can believe it. Our Dream in Black platform [says] success can look like anything you can dream,” said Jasmine Allen, AT&T’s lead marketing manager of communications on the multicultural sponsorship team. “If more brands are coming on board, like us, to provide opportunities for those students to really make meaningful change based on where they’re looking to go within their careers, the future is going to look pretty bright.”