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Marketers Should Show More Respect for the Black Consumer, According to a Report
NNPA NEWSWIRE — “Take a look at how African Americans make their decisions, whether it’s physically or digitally… what we found is that when it comes to making decisions, we abundantly are going to use recommendations as our first line of research,” Cheryl Grace, Nielsen’s Senior Vice President of U.S. Strategic Community Alliances and Consumer Engagement, told NNPA Newswire.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
The influence of African American consumers is extensive.
Driven by their tech affinity, passion for sharing experiences, and powered by their omnichannel thirst for information and recommendations, the nation’s 48 million Black Americans are now just approaching their peak earning years, according to the Nielsen report, “It’s in the Bag: Black Consumers’ Path to Purchase.”
The report noted that African Americans are adopting and adapting media and technology in their shopping journey to fit their unique needs and culture. African Americans love the latest trends.
The 50-page report suggests that marketers should be aware that African Americans demand that product information and feedback opportunities integrate across multiple media channels.
African Americans are more likely than the total population to agree that advertising provides meaningful information on most platforms. However, companies that advertise directly to Blacks have decreased their investments. Advertising dollars targeted to Black consumers declined by $1 billion between 2017 and 2018, according to the Neilson report.
Nearly 40 percent of Black consumers saying that they are the first among their friends to try new products and services, surpassing the total population by 29 percent.
“Take a look at how African Americans make their decisions, whether it’s physically or digitally… what we found is that when it comes to making decisions, we abundantly are going to use recommendations as our first line of research,” Cheryl Grace, Nielsen’s Senior Vice President of U.S. Strategic Community Alliances and Consumer Engagement, told NNPA Newswire.
“African Americans rely on recommendations, and that’s interesting,” Grace stated.
The report’s authors said Black Americans are 48 million strong, with nearly 25 million being millennial age or younger as of 2018.
However, they are already dominating industries from music to fashion, and many others.
African Americans also are creating apps and digital spaces to serve their own unique needs when the opportunity demands it, according to the report.
“In a world bombarded by constant new media options and technologies, companies that want African American consumers’ dollars must understand what most influences these consumers and how they influence others on their path to purchase,” Grace stated.
“Developing authentic strategies that evolve from listening to Black consumers’ needs and demands is not only the best way — but the only way — for brands to realize the powerful growth opportunity ahead.”
“African Americans have a $1.3 trillion annual buying power, and we watch 15 hours or more every week of traditional television,” Grace stated.
“You can reach 92 percent of African Americans in any given week on the radio. When you look at radio, and you compare the consumption habits of how much time we’re spending across these platforms, you’ll see that the advertising spent with African American-focused media doesn’t necessarily add up,” Grace noted.
Part of that problem is the lack of diversity at advertising agencies, she stated.
“There need to be more people of color in those firms,” Grace stated.
Perhaps a more diverse and inclusive workforce would enable marketers to better appreciate that African American interests are not monolithic. They encompass everything from good food, great music and the latest fashion trends to healthcare and the environment.
While climate change and protecting the environment is more vital than ever, African Americans typically are forgotten in the conversation. “African American shoppers are increasingly passionate about their environment, including buying local,” the report’s authors noted.
When asked, “how important is it to buy local” in multiple food categories, African American consumers named produce as the most important category for local sourcing.
Sixty-one percent said it was extremely or very important, followed by bakery and prepared foods at 56 percent, eggs at 55 percent, and dairy at 52 percent.
Understanding the environmental and safety concerns of Black consumers can help marketers understand what matters most to African Americans consumers in making decisions along their shopper journey, the report’s authors said.
The top 3 environmental/food safety concerns among Black consumers are: “Pesticide/ herbicide use in food production” (76 percent), “Antibiotic use in animal production” (71 percent), and “Rising prices due to trade tariffs” (68 percent – 21 percent higher than the total population).
The report concluded that the African American path to purchase is social and circular, with the transaction being a critical step in the process before consumers express their passionate feedback about their experience, be it positive or negative.
“Brick and mortar stores, online retailers and service providers should each strive to provide an experience that not only satisfies Black consumers, but creates buzzworthy raves that will quickly be passed on to friends, family and virtual networks in their discovery, awareness, and decision making processes,” the authors wrote.
“Developing strategies to connect with African American consumers, and assuring that their culture is understood and respected, as well as assuring that their expectations are exceeded, will provide far-reaching influence and growth throughout all consumers for many years to come in the evolving American mainstream,” Grace stated.
To view the full report, click here.
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IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, activist Ramona Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
Once upon a time, Black Americans were simply known as colored people, or Negroes. That is until Ramona Edelin came along. The activist, renowned for her pivotal roles in advancing civil rights, education reform, and community empowerment, died at her D.C. residence last month at the age of 78. Her death, finally confirmed this week by Barnaby Towns, a communications strategist who collaborated with Dr. Edelin, was attributed to cancer.
Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
Edelin’s contributions to academia and activism were manifold. She was pivotal in popularizing the term “African American” alongside Rev. Jesse L. Jackson in the late 1980s.
Jackson had announced the preference for “African American,” speaking for summit organizers that included Dr. Edelin. “Just as we were called Colored, but were not that, and then Negro, but not that, to be called Black is just as baseless,” he said, adding that “African American” “has cultural integrity” and “puts us in our proper historical context.”
Later, Edelin told Ebony magazine, “Calling ourselves African Americans is the first step in the cultural offensive,” while linking the name change to a “cultural renaissance” in which Black Americans reconnected with their history and heritage.
“Who are we if we don’t acknowledge our motherland?” she asked later. “When a child in a ghetto calls himself African American, immediately he’s international. You’ve taken him from the ghetto and put him on the globe.”
The HistoryMakers bio noted that Edelin’s academic pursuits led her to found and chair the Department of African American Studies at Northeastern University, where she established herself as a leading voice.
Transitioning from academia to advocacy, Edelin joined the National Urban Coalition in 1977, eventually ascending to president and CEO. During her tenure, she spearheaded initiatives such as the “Say Yes to a Youngster’s Future” program, which provided crucial support in math, science, and technology to youth and teachers of color in urban areas. Her biography noted that Edelin’s efforts extended nationwide through partnerships with organizations like the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Education.
President Bill Clinton recognized Edelin’s expertise by appointing her to the Presidential Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 1998. She also co-founded and served as treasurer of the Black Leadership Forum, solidifying her standing as a respected leader in African American communities.
Beyond her professional achievements, Edelin dedicated herself to numerous boards and committees, including chairing the District of Columbia Educational Goals 2000 Panel and contributing to the Federal Advisory Committee for the Black Community Crusade for Children.
Throughout her life, Edelin received widespread recognition for her contributions. Ebony magazine honored her as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans, and she received prestigious awards such as the Southern Christian Leadership Award for Progressive Leadership and the IBM Community Executive Program Award.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
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Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
Tennessee State University (TSU), the state’s only public historically Black college and university (HBCU), faces a tumultuous future as Gov. Bill Lee dissolved its board, a move supported by racist conservatives and MAGA Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly, who follow the lead of the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, alleged sexual predator former President Donald Trump. Educators and others have denounced the move as an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and a grave setback for higher education.
Critics argue that TSU’s purported financial mismanagement is a manufactured crisis rooted in decades of underinvestment by the state government. They’ve noted that it continues a trend by conservatives and the racist MAGA movement to eliminate opportunities for Blacks in education, corporate America, and the public sector.
Gevin Reynolds, a former speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasizes in an op-ed that TSU’s financial difficulties are not the result of university leadership because a recent audit found no evidence of fraud or malfeasance.
Reynolds noted that the disbanding of TSU’s board is not an isolated incident but part of a broader assault on DE&I initiatives nationwide. Ten states, including Tennessee, have enacted laws banning DE&I policies on college campuses, while governors appointing MAGA loyalists to university trustee positions further undermine efforts to promote inclusivity and equality.
Moreover, recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The actions echo historical efforts to suppress Black progress, reminiscent of the violent backlash against gains made during the Reconstruction era. President Joe Biden warned during an appearance in New York last month that Trump desires to bring the nation back to the 18th and 19th centuries – in other words, to see, among other things, African Americans back in the chains of slavery, women subservient to men without any say over their bodies, and all voting rights restricted to white men.
The parallels are stark, with white supremacist ideologies used to justify attacks on Black institutions and disenfranchise marginalized communities, Reynolds argued.
In response to these challenges, advocates stress the urgency of collective action to defend democracy and combat systemic racism. Understanding that attacks on institutions like TSU are symptomatic of broader threats to democratic norms, they call for increased civic engagement and voting at all levels of government.
The actions of people dedicated to upholding the principles of inclusivity, equity, and justice for all will determine the outcome of the ongoing fight for democracy, Reynolds noted. “We are in a war for our democracy, one whose outcome will be determined by every line on every ballot at every precinct,” he stated.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
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Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy
May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
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