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Ideas About Black, Urban Gen Y Need Update

Three ads in the most recent issue of Vibe Magazine tell a story about marketing to urban African-American Millennials and how those consumers define themselves. One is a print ad for Heineken beer: a young African-American hipster relaxes with a Heineken, a woman's leg draped across the picture in the background, and the text: "Charisma. You can't buy it. You can't make it. And you sure can't fake it."

Another is for a new fashion collection by hip-hop impresario Russell Simmons: Russell Simmons ArgyleCulture, on sale at Macy's. The third, for Rocawear, is a pair of print ads showing toddlers in white-on-white sets, suggesting a fashion and architectural studio. "My grandmother was a science teacher; my mother is a genetic engineer. I am next," says one headline.

The text for the Heineken ad could be a caution sign on the hazard-strewn road to pitching young urban consumers. The later ads are both tracks hinting at where urban African-American self-identity is heading, and what it says about how they define themselves, and how a lot of marketers still think they define themselves.

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At last week's marketing series, "The New Black. The New Urban," which took place at media mogul Damon Dash's DD172 center, the message was, indeed, that marketers can't make it by faking it or by relying on outdated notions about what African-American -- and more broadly, urban Millennials -- see when they look in the mirror.

At the event, sponsored by Alloy Access, the multi-culti and urban division of Alloy Media and Marketing, Tru Pettigrew, president of Alloy Access, said the firm has been approached by big brands over the past year. He said they wondered why, despite their increasing media commitments to urban markets, 12- to-29-year-old African-Americans and urbanites were not buying.

"They were saying, 'What is happening with the African-American and urban space that is causing our brand metrics to decline? What's different about this generation? How do we speak to them?'," he said. "They are asking why it seems their brands are not as entrenched in their lives as they were 10 years ago."

Pettigrew and Andre Pinard, director of consumer insights at Alloy Access, said the answer is in how marketers are defining the segment: they are, he said, still taking an old-school approach, focusing on athletes and entertainers, repurposing general market creative and ignoring young urbanites' connectivity and influence, and the segment's "conscious march to change the broad perspective of what it means to be African-American youth."

Pinard said Alloy Access partnered with Harris Interactive last year to define the market, via a survey of over 2,000 people. He said the survey suggested that connectivity and openness were two drivers of urban identity. The firm had identified five others: expression, creativity, discovery, versatility and authenticity.

"Connectivity opened a space where like-minded individuals can create a movement, and Openness means acceptance of different cultures and attitudes," said Pinard, who added that the firm adopted -- and redefined -- the term "Urban Hustler."

"It means a drive, a work ethic, and striving to upward mobility. We found that urban is a mindset; it's not about ethnicity, and it's grounded in interests and aspirations. Urban consumers are go-getters, connectors, and trendsetters," said Pinard.

"We believe that this new black, urban mindset is about harnessing social capital. It's the notion that social currency relates to the size of your network." He said the symbolic battle between 50 Cent and Kanye West shows how "black and male" has changed. "The person who walked away as victor was Kanye, not 50 Cent, as one might have expected."

They suggest marketers establish a "trialogue" relationship with consumers. "Don't chase the clouds -- know what you are to this audience and stay true to that. Find out what is shared between your consumer and your brand and leverage that. Don't try to be something that you're not," said Pettigrew. "Finally, be true to your relationship: you have to be committed."

3 comments about "Ideas About Black, Urban Gen Y Need Update ".
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  1. Ralph Moore from RGMA, April 7, 2010 at 1:03 p.m.

    There is no greater hypocrisy on earth than Alloy Media and Marketing hosting a forum on the African American marketplace. They are among the worse, if not the worst company in the industry when it comes to hiring African Americans and the Chicago office is shameful with no more than ONE black employee is the entire office! What could Alloy possibly know about African American buying habits when they have such a pitfall record of hiring African Americans? If I am wrong, have them share the racial makeup of their staffs for each of their US offices. I bet they will try to play the “minority game” where they have a number of “minority” employees, but few African American employees. And for you zealots out there who pounce on these types of disclosures as being unfair, yes, it is a free country and Alloy can hire whomever they want to hire. All I ask that if you fail to hire black people, don’t try to be an “expert” on black people!

  2. Andre Pinard from Alloy Marketing & Promotions, April 7, 2010 at 3:27 p.m.

    Mr. Moore,

    Your emotions seems to have gotten the best of you.
    I suggest you do a some background checks regarding Alloy Access, which is the urban and multicultural division of Alloy Media & Marketing. Our staff reflects our target audience. Once you've realized that perhaps you'll be able to step back and act like the professional that you seem to be and maybe address the salient topics that the article raises. Looking forward to your less emtional feedback.

    Andre Pinard
    Director of Consumer Insights
    Alloy Access

  3. Tru Pettigrew from Alloy Access, April 7, 2010 at 4:37 p.m.

    Mr. Moore,

    First of all, thank you for your comment. My name is Tru Pettigrew and I am the President of Alloy Access, the Urban & Multicultural division of Alloy media & Marketing. I’ve familiarized myself with your resume and the cause that you champion as one of the nation's premier change management firms specializing in integrating supplier diversity into corporate strategy and I applaud your efforts. Ironically enough, although I do not claim to be in the exact same business as you, we do share in the same mission of being change agents for diversity. My approach has been through educating brands, agencies and companies on the importance of multicultural audiences and helping them understand the real issues, opinions and influences of multicultural consumers and ensuring that those voices be heard. I feel compelled to respond to your commentary because as I have pursued my mission of educating brands and agencies on the importance and power of diversity and multicultural audiences, Alloy is the company that has shared in my vision and embraced this mission. I have been with Alloy for 10 years now and the team that I have built in the multicultural division reflects the diversity at the highest levels and throughout the entire Alloy Access team. This includes African American, Latino and women. As I have taken the time to explore and uncover your efforts and accomplishments, I welcome and encourage you to research my journey as well, and keep in mind that it was Alloy that has partnered with me in support of that journey of creating opportunities for diverse talent within the organization and educating others on the importance of diversity both internally and externally. I look forward to exploring ways that we can support each other in our shared vision moving forward. There are already too many of us looking to tear each other down.

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