Essay 961

Here’s something that appeared in the latest issue of Adweek. The MultiCultClassics response immediately follows…

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Blacks, Hispanics Believe In Brands They Know

NEW YORK A new survey suggests that both African Americans and Hispanics have strong trust in brands. The Yankelovich Monitor Multicultural Marketing Study, released last week, found that both groups are increasingly reconnecting to their respective roots, which has implications for marketers who want to maintain their brand message in front of these consumers. The study shows that both groups are reconnecting to their cultures more than ever before, with 67 percent of African Americans and 71 percent of Hispanics acknowledging, “My roots and heritage are more important to me today than they were just five years ago.” The good news for marketers is that 58 percent of Hispanics and 55 percent of African Americans said, “It is risky to buy a brand you are not familiar with.” Only 42 percent of African Americans and 40 percent of Hispanics said they would “buy private label and generic brands” if their families unexpectedly found themselves with less money.

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Blurbs like this can be dangerous because they lack details and specificity. Click on the essay title above to view a more in-depth report at Hadji Williams’ blog.

Sadly, most advertisers will interpret the findings in the following ways:

• Since Blacks and Hispanics have stronger trust in brands, advertisers may feel more comfortable applying less of their marketing budgets against the audiences. Who needs an expensive multimedia campaign when you can capture a segment by sponsoring a gospel choir and/or salsa music celebration?

• Both groups are reconnecting with their cultures more than ever before, which means ads should prominently feature kente cloth and piñatas more than ever before.

It would be interesting to see how the Yankelovich study has actually influenced or inspired great advertising for Blacks and Hispanics. Based on the multicultural work in the marketplace, there appears to be little evidence that the study — which has been updated regularly for many years — helps generate progress.