Editor’s note: Joan Lawton is vice president of Erlich Transcultural Consultants (ETC), a research and consulting firm in Woodland Hills, Calif. Karen Gunn is one of ETC’s African-American moderators and diversity consultants.

In marketing to the African-American population, one must consider the obvious ways in which it is segmented such as age, economic class and geographic region. In addition, diversity exists in political affiliation, family composition and lifestyle.

Having addressed all of these factors, what may still remain unanswered is: Are there any potentially unifying viewpoints or characteristics with implications for marketers? The African-American celebration of Kwanzaa, observed from December 26 to January 1, serves as a source of understanding that can be used by marketers to produce the positive, dignified images that will serve to attract and retain African-American consumers.

Kwanzaa revolves around seven principles for life and lifestyle that are purposefully Afrocentric. These principles were offered by Kwanzaa’s originator, Dr. Maulana Ron Karenga, as fundamental universal laws for people of African descent. (While these principles permeate the African-American population, they cannot be considered stereotypes.) Begun in 1966, Kwanzaa "is an outgrowth of many customs, joined with ancient African tribal practices" 1 and employs Swahili, an East African language, to identify the seven principles. The holiday is enjoyed as a festive yet mindful group-affirming celebration. Marketers can link some of Kwanzaa’s principles to successful marketing efforts - if their implications can be sensitively articulated. Our company’s research experience suggests that many African-American consumers have generally adopted these values which would be likely to impact their particular views and perceptions of products and advertising messages.

Umoja expresses the value of achieving family, community, and ethnic unity; working towards solidarity, mutual support and interdependence. Thus, it would be important for marketers to present positive, inclusive images. For example, the different physical statures and characteristics in the population and various forms that "family" can take (from extended to single- and dual-headed households) need to be evident in advertising and visual displays. One application of this idea would be using mannequins (at retail outlets) that are more representative of African-Americans and which depict the various, actual body shapes for both men and women. Marketers might also include a variety of family images in advertising (e.g., multigenerational, nuclear, and single-parent families).

Using music that ranges from hip-hop to blues to jazz in advertising is another reflection of umoja and tends to appeal to African-Americans. It reflects this population’s experiences and feelings as members of U.S. society and, to some extent, documents and depicts African-Americans’ journey through U.S. history. Great care should be taken, however, to ensure that any advertising creates an approach that reflects the vast diversity within the African-American population. Advertising that portrays people in mutually respectful interaction and acceptance has value with many consumers.

Kuumba encourages African-Americans to employ their imagination, creativity, and unique talents as a form of self-expression and to improve the aesthetic and physical environment of their communities. This has many implications for marketing strategies. In one respect, past ETC research has shown that many African-American women tend to seek "highstyle," brightly colored fashions that may be worn to work or to community events along with Afrocentric accessories and various types of hats. The expression of African-American individual creativity in this manner is an important consideration. A current promotional spot for the United Negro College Fund, for instance, depicts a woman shopping for a hat to wear at her grandchild’s college graduation. Seeing African-American women represented in this manner in advertising might fit with the consumer’s self-image and, thus, make the marketer’s ad campaign more effective. Seen from another perspective, marketing a product through images of African-Americans engaged in some creative or community project or activity would, most likely, capture the attention of consumers who are invested in this particular Kwanzaa principle.

Kujichagulia endorses group self-determination and valuing group history, goals and individual ethnic identity. Nia stresses a (re)dedication to preserving and appreciating African-American heritage and passing it along to younger generations. Together, these principles of Kwanzaa encourage the representation of the wide range of occupations in this population, incorporating images of historically important figures and showing artwork by well-known African-American artists. The blending of these two Kwanzaa principles has been particularly successful in the Afrocentric greeting cards by Hallmark’s Mahogany line and by Carole Joy Creations. The successful application of these principles can also be seen in the FUBU ("For Us By Us") apparel line and at Charleston’s Nu South Boutique.

Another example of this successful blend can be seen in African-American-themed films now coming from Hollywood (e.g., Eve’s Bayou, Soul Food, and Amistad). When these films emphasize family entities or a universal family of ancestors and especially when they are produced by African-Americans, they tend to be well received.

Many African-American consumers respond favorably to images that affirm accomplishments, leaders, inventions and contributions to society as a whole. Showing African-Americans in positions of leadership, authority, and camaraderie across a spectrum of age and economic classes is appealing to many. Embedding these images in a context where people of all ethnic groups are present and where everyone appears engaged in amicable, egalitarian interactions is the preference of many African-American consumers whom ETC has researched.

The principle of ujamaa evokes a sense of profiting together by building and maintaining African-American businesses. Its relevance could extend to including African-Americans on a company’s marketing team or to publicizing a business as African-American-owned.

Marketers who are sensitive to and apply these principles of Kwanzaa in advertising will find acceptance among African-American consumers.

References

1 Winbush, Dorothy, The Complete Kwanzaa - Celebrating Our Cultural Harvest: Harper Collins, 1995.