Black History Month -- Making Inroads to the African-American Food & Beverage Market.

Business Editors

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 12, 2003

If you're in the food or beverage industry and thinking about reaching out to the African-American market, then Black History Month (February) could be the perfect time to act. And if you aren't thinking about it, you should be -- it just makes good business sense.

According to the University of Georgia's Selig Center for Economic Growth, African-American consumers comprise the largest buying-power group in the country, spending some $572.1 billion each year. And the growth in their spending has outpaced that of white consumers, increasing approximately 81% since 1990.(1) A few other key stats to consider from the Center for Media Research:

-- African Americans now represent 12.9% of the U.S. population

-- African American households gained 5.5% in median income between 1999 and 2000, reaching an all-new high of $30,439.

-- The number of affluent adults in the United States increased 11.9% from 1997 to 2000. African Americans fueled that rise, with a 154% increase in household incomes of more than $100,000 per year.

Bottom line: There are increasingly more African-Americans with increasingly more disposable income. And they're spending a good portion of that income on food and beverages -- $52.4 billion on food and $5.3 billion on beverages (alcoholic and nonalcoholic) last year, to be exact.

Getting more for your marketing dollar with PR

Many companies already know the value of the African-American dollar and, as a result, national advertising budgets for reaching African-American consumers have been growing exponentially over the past 20 years. In fact, the total number of advertisers has more than tripled in the past 15 years, according to the Cable Television Advertising Bureau. Most of these same companies, however, have given short shrift to other effective and often less-costly marketing and public relations methods. If you're looking for a way to reach the African-American market and get more for your marketing dollars, think beyond advertising and think Black History Month. It's a great time to expand your marketing scope by launching a special offer or by preparing to do so next year.

Setting the target

Like any other targeted audience, African-Americans respond best to messages and images that convey meaning and value in their terms, including being able to show that your company or products cares about African-American...

    --  Heritage

        Focusing on traditional food is one of the fastest ways to
        connect. If you're a restaurant, develop a traditional soul
        food menu for the month or use traditional ingredients --
        greens, sweet potatoes, and cornmeal -- in nontraditional ways
        to create nouvelle soul food. Wrap something culturally
        relevant around it -- perhaps a spoken word presentation or a
        jazz quartet -- then hire a PR professional to help you
        promote the event and the menu.

        If you're a food manufacturer, suggest ways to use your
        products in traditional African-American recipes, or create
        new recipes using traditional ingredients. Team up with a PR
        professional with multicultural expertise to create and
        promote an exciting web page or a cookbook

    --  Images

        Examine your promotional materials -- Are all the faces the
        same color? Do your materials speak specifically to
        African-Americans in any way? For Black History Month, develop
        promotional packaging that includes African-American faces,
        traditional cloths, Kente and mudcloth designs, or other
        culturally inspired symbols. Find African-Americans in your
        organization who can act as spokespersons. Debut them and
        promote these materials during Black History Month, but commit
        to using them year-round.

    --  Community

        Invest in the African-American communities where you do
        business and your employees live: fund scholarships, donate to
        charities like the United Negro College Fund, and encourage
        charitable work in those communities. Being seen as a good
        corporate neighbor benefits companies in untold ways, and
        those impressions have staying power with residents.

    --  Health concerns

        Certain conditions -- SIDS, glaucoma, sickle cell, diabetes,
        high blood pressure, heart disease -- impact African-Americans
        more than other racial groups, and donations to organizations
        researching cures and prevention are a good way to show your
        concern. Promote specifics about how your products can help
        (i.e., low fat, low salt, low cholesterol). Team up with
        healthcare providers to sponsor a local screening drive
        offering free or low-cost testing.

Few would argue that advertising doesn't pay. But a good promotion can pay off in much higher returns -- goodwill, good image, and great sales volume. Growing your business is a satisfying endeavor and a PR professional that understands both your industry and your target market can play a valuable role in helping you do just that.

For more information, contact Janet Harrell, a seasoned communications and public relations professional in the multicultural, food & beverage, healthcare and high-tech industries. You can reach her at The Point Communications (770/938-9192) or [e-mail]. Or visit www.thepointcomm.com to learn more about her agency.

(1) "Buying Power of African Americans to Reach $682 Billion by 2006,"

blinks.net, http://www.blinks.net/artman/publish/article_70.shtml.