Melanie Figueiredo, URL Media’s vice president of advertising, explains what the political world missed in the 2024 election by not engaging with Black-owned media

What is the value of placing ads in small Black- and Brown-owned media?

Echoing the sentiments of the BOMESI op-ed, it’s the drum we’ve been banging all along. Our audiences offer the highest currency available on media platforms: trusted engagement. Our content isn’t just noise to the 25 million multicultural users across our network. We’re providing critical, and crucial resources to help our communities and their families navigate life in unprecedented times. 

What ad project/campaign are you most proud to have brought to URL Media?  

There are so many campaigns I’m proud to have spearheaded with our partners: tax rebates for homeowners and renters in New Jersey. Support for caregivers and loved ones for folks struggling with addiction in Wisconsin. Resources and support for Black and Hispanic blood cancer patients, who are disproportionately affected by the disease. 

What worries you most about the current political climate and how it may change the ad environment? 

There is much to be worried about in this new season of work, but our efforts are more critical than ever. I don’t want the diverse-owned media ecosystem to be counted out by media buyers simply because the support for DEI has been waning rapidly. Our communities represent the largest cohort of consumers, and collective spending power. We are already the global majority and soon to be the majority across the U.S. We have an air-tight business case to spend with our outlets.

Read more from the Black Owned Media Equity and Sustainability Institute (BOMESI)

Melanie Figueiredo is the Vice President of Advertising and Sponsorships, spearheading URL Media’s advertising sales, ad operations and client serving efforts. From 2013 - 2021, Melanie led national corporate sponsorships for a majority of the PBS KIDS national television roster and NOVA out of GBH, launching, renewing and upselling corporate sponsorships for over a dozen award-winning series and shepherding upwards of $40m to the public media system.

In her previous role as the Director of Member Services at the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, Melanie engaged high-level members with strategic Chamber offerings, networking at more than 100 business programs per year. Prior to her time at the Chamber, Melanie directed the Trade Services Department at the South Carolina World Trade Center and managed operations at the Global Trading Consortium. Melanie hails from Boston, and holds a B.A. in Communications and Culture from Clark University, graduating Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa. She has been a contributing writer to several publications including Business Insider, and sits on the advisory board of EPIC, a non-profit for young leaders with disabilities. She’s a former Americorps alum, and the proud mother of two children.