Donye Taylor Cut Her Own Path Into The Creative Industry
Interview by Trey Alston / Working Not Working Member
The advertising and creative industry has a diversity problem that’s been well-noted. It’s been an industry that’s been centered around white men for decades, with agencies everywhere still, a quarter into 2021, predominantly staffed by that demographic. Black creatives are rare — Black women creatives on paper almost nonexistent.
Donye Taylor hasn’t waited for the industry to fix itself. This Black creative consultant has established herself in the advertising and marketing industry with her own company, The Digital Footprint (also run by her business partner Raymond Smith), which has helped brands all over develop unique and exciting voices from her much-needed cultural standpoint.
From working with R&B artist 6LACK to market his 600 Degrees hot sauce to handling creative direction for a project with Nike, Taylor has carved her own path on her terms. She’s not letting up for anyone.
I spoke to Taylor about The Digital Footprint, what drives her, and what she plans on doing in the future below.
When did you realize that being an advertising creative was what you wanted to do?
I never realized it; other people did. Growing up in Maryland, I wasn’t exposed to creative careers. I had no idea that there was even a job for me until around 2014 when I was already halfway through college getting my degree in healthcare management. I got my start when I taught myself Photoshop and graphic design. I went on to make logos and graphics for businesses. With my design clients I always felt that I could provide more value than just creating logos. I would find myself sending their logo files and then saying “I think it would be a good idea for you to do X,Y, and Z in the coming months in order to increase your revenue.” That’s what really sparked my pivot into becoming a strategist + consultant in the branding and marketing world.
“With my design clients I always felt that I could provide more value than just creating logos. I would find myself sending their logo files and then saying, ‘I think it would be a good idea for you to do X,Y, and Z in the coming months in order to increase your revenue.’ That’s what really sparked my pivot into becoming a strategist + consultant in the branding and marketing world.”
How did you create The Digital Footprint? What's the story behind the company?
I created the Digital Footprint with my coworker and best friend Raymond Smith while we were both working at our corporate marketing jobs in Baltimore, MD. We were both on the same team and worked really closely together on projects for brands like Nike, New Balance, and Puma. While we did great work while we were there, we noticed that there was this corporate ceiling that existed and there was only so much that we could do creatively without more than 10 years of experience.
Our network of Black creatives was so strong and we really felt like we had something special. We also really just wanted to do some cool shit. We landed on the agency model after doing business research and we just ran with it.
What’s some of your favorite work that the company has done so far? Why?
One of our favorite projects to date was producing an event in collaboration with Capital One. My business partner paid off his student loans and then made a book about how he did it called Don't Let The Internet Make You Broke. The book got a lot of attention on social media because of the way that it was written: not being a financial guru, he approached writing the book from an authentic standpoint. Somebody in Capital One’s corporate office learned about the book and reached out to us to see how we could work together. We landed on the idea of a free financial literacy event catered towards young Black creative entrepreneurs in the DC area. It was a two-part event, featuring a panel where guests were able to ask questions about their business finances and have a Capital One representative answer them in real time.
We also played a game called Cap or No Cap where we would make a finance statement, and guests had to say whether or not it was Cap (False) or No Cap (True). We had food, a disc jockey, and liquor. My favorite part of the event was the fact that we had a line wrapped around Capital One Cafe like it was a sneaker release. That event really spoke to our ability to rally creatives within the area and it showed that our community really trusts us.
What's the creative philosophy that drives your approach to creating ideas and directions for brands? How has it evolved since you established yourself in the space?
One philosophy that we use and is actually our brand’s slogan is “don’t follow footsteps but create footprints.” We use this approach to make sure that we are constantly thinking outside of the box to provide our clients with the ability to be innovators in their respective spaces while, at the same time, building digital moments that will last the test of time. The amount of value that we put into those ideas has significantly increased over time because we look at everything from a bird’s-eye-view, instead of just worrying about how we are going to hit one quota that probably won’t even matter the following week.
As a Black woman in the creative space, how does that impact the way that you have maneuvered as you've established yourself? How much do you think that access and growth have been impacted by your identity?
Even though being a Black woman in the creative space is hard, I wouldn’t have it any other way. In this space, I always make sure to represent for all Black women. I speak with class and poise, but I’m also myself because I don’t want any woman to feel like they have to be something they are not in order to succeed. I post photos and videos of me having a good time on social media because I want Black women to know that you can be multidimensional.
“In this space, I always make sure to represent for all Black women. I speak with class and poise, but I’m also myself because I don’t want any woman to feel like they have to be something they are not in order to succeed.”
What advice would you have for creatives who look to go in a similar direction, particularly people of minority backgrounds?
I would tell creatives to find their hedgehog. I have a video on this here. Doing this allows you to be the most efficient creatively while also getting the maximum ROI on your output. The other advice that I would give to creatives is to make sure you treat every client like your dream client. It doesn’t matter the budget or who it is—always make sure to maintain a reputation as being a good person to work with who is trustworthy because that will outlast everybody else that you think is more talented than you.
What are you looking forward to most in your career?
I’m looking forward to the next chapter. I definitely want to launch some type of product this year and I want to do way more consulting and speaking. I have a content series called “To Whom It May Concern” which is my way of giving unsolicited marketing advice to creators, so I would love to see that turn into something bigger like a podcast or a book. There’s so much that I want to do. I just want to make sure that whatever I do, I follow my heart.