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African Americans Are a Heterogeneous, Not a Homogeneous Market

By Pepper Miller
President, The Hunter-Miller Group (HMG)

African Americans can be segmented in terms of their age, sex, education, income, personality characteristics, aspirations and lifestyle. Not realizing this fact continues to be a huge oversight by many marketers. Many say they get it, but what is demonstrated in marketing communications is the missed opportunity to segment the segment. For example, 50% of all African-American adults are between 18 and 34 years old. Black Generation Xers spawned one of the greatest marketing and life style phenomenas: The Hip Hop Culture. However, not all African-American Generation Xers are Hip Hoppers. Yet marketing communications targeting the African-American Generation X segment continue to reflect typical and often stereotypical images of Hip Hop’s rap culture.

HMG research reveals that many older Generation Xers, aged 25-34, are emerging as better educated (some college+) and as having higher incomes and professional aspirations than younger 18-34 year counterparts. Both segments embrace their culture; however the 18-34s are more about living today and wanting to be recognized for "keeping it real," i.e., staying authentic. However, the 25-34 Generation Xers want to be recognized for their accomplishments and by their lifestyle.

Protective Radar Mindset

African Americans are seen in the media more today than ever and as a result, have developed a mindset composed of two dichotomous attitudes: Private persona vs.public perception.

The Private persona is based on information "just for us" versus what is presented publicly, the reasons why being:

• Most obvious, but often overlooked, sensitivity about African-American stereotypes in the media.

For example when the very realistic "keepin’ it real" conversations were exposed in the Barber Shop movie, many African Americans felt those discussions should have remained “just for us”. The Black community felt the Black producers went too far and disrespected African-American heroes and fostered stereotypes about African Americans in general.

So What? Now What? It’s all about the market share!

• African-American spending power is $645 billion annually. Expanding your radar to include African Americans will make a difference in your bottom line only if marketers are committed to understanding African-Americans' real differences.
• Put yourself in African-Americans' shoes. One marketer asked her team, "When they look at us, do they see themselves? Considering how The Filter© affects the African-American world, w hat they do see and why is paramount.
• Understand the race thing. It’s still about race, a touchy subject that neither African-American nor White marketers want to deal with. However, in order to better tap into the realities of the Black experience, marketers must allow for authentic truths to be heard.

For example, recent HMG research revealed that most African Americans perceive that the African-American culture is portrayed negatively in the media. Further, Gallup's Race Relations survey for AARP (2003) indicated that 56% percent of Whites say they believe that "all or most" of the goals of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the 1960s Civil Rights Movement have been achieved. However, only 21 percent of blacks agree with them. Interestingly, the multicultural buzz has not eliminated the disparity that Blacks and Whites feel about equality. This, too, is a marketing challenge to overcome and an insight to understand.

• Conduct amazingly relevant research.
  • Get the right people in the right chairs
  • Disarm respondents
  • Ask the right questions
    • Invite them to "be Black"
    • Don’t fall for politically correct responses
  • Search for authentic truths
  • Refine methods to encourage honest responses
  • Ethnography leads the way

AFRICAN AMERICAN SHOPPING CART
U.S.Average Annual Expenditures and Item Share for All Consumers and Black Consumers, 2001
	Black Consumers		All Consumers
Avg # Persons per C.U. 2.7 # of HHs 13,283	Average Spending Per Consumer Unit (dollars)	Share of Total (percent)	Average Spending Per Consumer Unit (dollars)	Share of Total (percent)
Total Annual Expenditures	$28,903	100.0%	$39,518	100.0%
Food at home	$2,804	9.7%	$3,086	7.8%
Food away from home	$1,467	5.1%	$2,235	5.7%
Alcoholic Beverages	$156	0.5%	$349	0.9%
Housing	$10,510	36.4%	$13,011	32.9%
Apparel & Services	$1,729	6.0%	$1,743	4.4%
Transportation	$5,184	17.9%	$7,633	19.3%
Health Care	$1,264	4.4%	$2,182	5.5%
Entertainment	$988	3.4%	$1,953	4.9%
Personal Care Products and Services	$468	1.6%	$485	1.2%
Reading	$62	0.2%	$141	0.4%
Education	$352	1.2%	$648	1.6%
Tobacco Products and Smoking Supplies	$203	0.7%	$308	0.8%
Miscellaneous	$585	2.0%	$750	1.9%
Cash Contributions	$776	2.7%	$1,258	3.2%
Personal Insurance and pensions	$2,356	8.2%	$3,737	9.5%

Source: UGA Selig Center, The Multicultural Economy - U.S. Govt. Consumer Expenditure Survey

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Content © 2005 by Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau (www.onetvworld.org). Reprinted with Permission.