Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/999395
B M & T ••• May/June 2018 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 30 BY VICTORIA HEAD We are learning that targeting the African- American market must be done in a genuine way. Oftentimes, people feel that they can grab a hold of this market because they are African-American, or because they are so used to seeing the cultural norms portrayed on television and they know how to emulate the stereotypes. Well, today's audience is no longer that easily influenced; they are moved by a mes- sage that relates to them empathetically, connecting with their feelings and thoughts. However, many companies wait until a crisis has occurred and gone viral across the Internet and TV, before they decide to invest in educat- ing themselves in an attempt to begin the healing process with the public. Companies that are learning to value the multicultural market are the ones that will see a great return because they understand how the market works and the rewarding benefits of tapping into more than one demographic. Here, some industry profession- als share their valuable insight on being successful in this outreach. "It's most important for advertis- ers to understand that the African- American community is made up of very distinguishing segments. It's important to understand the strength of the African-American market. However you also need to target a desired segment within the group. Advertisers need to know where the segment they are trying to reach is located; most African- Americans are located in the southeast and in metropoli- tan cities. An advertiser fully understanding their market- place helps their message get across," advises Brown. Nielson reports that at 43 million strong, African- American consumers have unique behaviors from the total market. For example, they're more aggressive con- sumers of media and they shop more frequently. Black people watch more television (37%), make more shop- ping trips (eight), purchase more ethnic beauty and grooming products (nine times more), read more finan- cial magazines (28%) and spend more than twice the ers to understand that the African- American community is made up of very distinguishing segments. It's important to understand the strength of the African-American market. However you also need to target a desired segment within ROBERT BROWN, Consultant/Owner of Resource Marketing