![]() ![]() In today’s landscape, I take for granted the ability to instantly find products and services specifically targeted to me as an African-American consumer. ![]() This helps ensure that all consumers are marketed to in a way that is informed and appropriate, and it ultimately builds better business practices and success. Marketing teams that include different backgrounds, experiences and points of view have the opportunity to internally ask the right questions earlier in campaign building. Research has shown that when teams are more diverse and reflect the audience they are trying to reach, they are more innovative and successful. Truly knowing your audience directly supports the business case for diversity in consumer marketing. Many brands have recently made missteps, showing a lack of knowledge and understanding of certain demographics. One of the best lessons today’s marketers can take away from Johnson Publishing’s success is the importance of speaking to your audience in an authentic and respectful way. The magazine made a conscious effort to portray positive aspects of African-American life and included photo essays of current events, articles on race relations and, for the first time that I can remember, leveraged African-American models in advertisements for products, including those specific to the African-American consumer. His thirst for learning, his entrepreneurial spirit and the job he landed working for the president of a successful African-American-owned business helped him see the need for a publication that emphasized the achievements of successful African-Americans.Įbony, patterned after Life and Look magazines, was one of the first to feature content by and for African-Americans. However, black consumers had to seek out other means to stay connected to and support our community and needs.Įbony magazine was one of several venerable brands from Johnson Publishing Company, founded in 1942 in Chicago by John H. ![]() Marketing teams that include different backgrounds, experiences and points of view have the opportunity to internally ask the right questions earlier in campaign building.ĭuring this time, the African-American community was kept abreast of the current events shaping the predominantly white world that we navigated daily. I didn’t understand the significance of these iconic brands at the time, but they served as an important lifeline to the African-American community and still leave an impact today. But in the homes of African-American family and friends, you could often find a copy of Ebony and Jet magazines. It was quite evident from the cover images of these mainstream publications that their primary audience was not me or my family.Īt the time, most magazines and media catered to white businesspeople, homeowners and homemakers. While visiting the homes of my schoolmates, it was common to see Life, Time and maybe occasional National Geographic magazines on their coffee tables. Unlike today, consumers didn’t have instant access to the latest news, entertainment and product information.Īs a young African-American growing up in a predominantly white suburb of Chicago, we were the first family of color in our middle class neighborhood. Before the rise of digital and social media, consumers had to rely on information from television, radio and print periodicals and newspapers. ![]()
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