[...] African Americans have distinct buying habits among six segments: emulators, seekers, reachers, attainers, conservers and elites. For example, attainers comprise 27% of the African-American community and are typically married with children, have a college degree, are a median age of 40 and are looking for tools to help them reach their aspirations. As a result, marketers must clearly illustrate how their products or services can benefit them.
"Despite these segment differences, there is still a strong racial awareness that has resulted in black pride and a deep solidarity with other African Americans, which affects purchasing decisions," said McGhee Williams Osse, Co-CEO of Burrell Communications. "African Americans say they are loyal to companies that reflect an understanding of this awareness and their ethnic affinity. Non-Hispanic white marketers, who have not experienced exclusion based on race or color, may find it difficult to understand that this sensitivity exists, particularly since it is a feeling that is shared by African Americans across the board, even at the highest social strata and economic brackets." [...]
On "the evolving family": "In the African American market, there is a unique skew in African American families based on the higher number of female-headed households that contributes to more liberal attitudes about gender roles. And there are increasing numbers of African-American women who choose to remain unmarried and or childless."
On "the changing face of trust": "African Americans are pessimistic about their economic situation, feel out of touch with the current government, and have lost what little faith they might have had in corporate entities, but they still trust the brands that effect their lives. Like the rest of the country, they have privacy issues, but are not opposed to mass marketing communications."
On "managing uncertainty": "African Americans have a shorter-term financial outlook than non-Hispanic Whites, and their belief in a better tomorrow is not tied to their own efforts, but in a trust in a higher power. When faced with uncertainty, they 'let go and let God.'"
On "the brand experience": "African Americans look upon shopping as a pastime, deriving emotional satisfaction from the mere process. The brands that attract them most are the ones that convey status, achievement or a reassurance of established reliability."
| Bonus: The Yankelovich MONITOR Multicultural Marketing Study
posted in data on July 6, 2005 1:18 PM | t (0)
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