Marketers Celebrate African-Americans

Once the impact of the historic "moment" winds down, I expect the promotion emphasis in the retail world will too. Shoppers will go back to work and back to the business of managing their budgets and families. The new administration can do more good for the retail industry by concentrating on helping retailers sustain themselves and be able to gain the credit they need to develop stronger infrastructure, maintain critical inventory and keep people working.

The positive spin on all this is the optimism Obama brings to the country. We need this more than anything at all.

Anne Howe, Founder, Anne Howe Associates

Perhaps there will be a little more focus on African American marketing. The fear of offending had kept a lot of retailers from moving forward. I'd say go for it and see what happens. Sure there will those who scream racism as a result of increased marketing efforts, but I think in this new era of our country, those cries will be drowned out by common sense.

Food retailers are often challenged because of stereotype foods. There is a fine line between celebrating a culture and poking fun. Obviously it's not the intention of any retailer to offend their customers. I'm hopeful that retailers can now move forward without offending.

David Livingston, Principal, DJL Research

The African-American market, with today's inauguration of Mr. Obama, will likely experience a spike, but the truth of the matter is the Hispanic market, with its growth, size and expanding economic resources, will very likely continue to be the focus of marketers. There are something like 12-13 million Hispanic households. Hispanics represent 15% of the U.S. population. Their spending power will in the next couple of years likely reach $1 trillion annually. Hispanic babies made up a quarter of U.S. births in 2006. The growth stats, the head-of-steam that Hispanic marketing has achieved over the past several years, and the increasing popularity of Mexican/Hispanic cooking will probably keep marketers focused on the Hispanic segment as they have been.

Roy White, Business Development Executive, RetailWire

I don't think there is any doubt that for at least a certain period of time, Obama fever is resulting in a new awareness and focus on the African American community. In terms of marketing implications I think Americans feel proud right now about diversity, inclusion, and its patriotic implications.

David Biernbaum, Senior Marketing and Business Development Consultant, David Biernbaum Associates

Tie-ins with Black History Month and MLK's birthday have been fairly prevalent for years. Certainly, the election of Barack Obama has increased the focus of these celebrations. But I believe the effect in the future will be less, not greater. As Mr. Obama's presidency moves forward over four or eight years, the high profile in racial differences that we are used to will mellow. African Americans will feel less different and they will be seen as less different. As African Americans meld further into the population in general, the focus on unique events will wain. Perhaps with one exception....

I have heard Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech many times. I have heard excerpts from it many, many times this weekend. It occurred to me that speech better than any other embodies not just a dream for African Americans, but the American Dream. I don't recall that America's calling has ever been better described. As more people listen to the words of this speech, more people will realize that Rev. King is not just an icon for African Americans but an icon for all Americans.

Gene Detroyer, Entrepreneur, Advisor, Consultant, Professor, Independent

After writing the piece, I saw two ads embracing Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The fact that there were only two ads around a national holiday certainly says something. But the cadence of the ads was also telling. One came from Coke, long known for its support of African-American causes. Covering the back page of the arts section of The New York Times, the ad showed five arms--two black, three white--clenched in a unity embrace under the headline, "To the Community. To the Country. To the Planet."

The other came from Kristal Automall, a GMC car dealership in Brooklyn, in the New York Post. The ad featured a picture of Martin Luther King Jr. pointing his two index fingers at the reader and bearing the tagline, "At Kristal Automall. DREAMS CAN COME TRUE." The rest of the ad featured a bunch of car deals. While Kristal Automall's ad certainly appeared crass at first glance and perhaps still on second and third glance as well, there's probably a nice middle ground between the unity pitches of Coke and using Dr. King's "dream" metaphor to hawk cars. To David Livingston's point, the "fear of offending" appears to be holding marketers back as well.

Tom Ryan, Managing Editor, RetailWire

If black history is as meaningful as we all agree it is, why not celebrate it year-round with all these wonderful retail initiatives? Is it possible that by penning up this celebration inside a month-long enclosure we are somehow emphasizing our differences rather than our sameness, thereby weakening our efforts to unify?

In a direct response to the question about Obama's election creating a greater focus on the African-American consumer market, why should it? If marketers continue to follow the money as they always have, will the election magically create more disposable income in the pockets of a specific group of consumers, causing retailers to focus on them more than before?

M. Jericho Banks PhD, President, CEO, Forensic Marketing LLC

I believe this is a step in the right direction. Retailers need to do a better job in understanding all of their customer needs and the vast backgrounds they come from.

John Crossman, President, Crossman & Company