Creating Effective Messaging to African American Listeners.

Creating effective content targeting African American listeners is more than just using an urban voice and culturally relevant music and sounds. This culture has a clear and defined value system that should always be kept in mind.

While values can vary greatly among individuals, certain themes are often emphasized within African American communities. Here are some of the most commonly valued aspects and potential clients that appeal to those values.

1. Family and Community

• Family Ties: Family is central to African American culture, often extending beyond the immediate nuclear family to include extended relatives, close friends, and even community members. Strong family bonds and a sense of collective responsibility are highly valued.

Potential Clients:

Pediatricians/Dental Care/Healthcare/Physicians

Family-friendly establishments -restaurants, entertainment

Preschool/Day Care

Party Supply Rentals for large gatherings, reunions, anniversaries, etc 

2. Faith and Spirituality

• Religious Commitment: Faith, particularly Christianity, has played a significant role in African American history, offering strength, hope, and a sense of purpose. Churches often serve as central hubs for social and cultural activities, as well as sources of spiritual guidance.

Potential Clients:

Faith-Based businesses

Christian Bookstores

Churches

Clothing outlets (dressing up for church is a big deal)

3. Education and Achievement

• Educational Success: Education is often seen as a pathway to empowerment and social mobility. African American communities traditionally place a high value on academic achievement as a means of overcoming systemic barriers and achieving personal and communal success.

Potential Clients:

Charter Schools/Parochial Schools

Colleges and Universities

Alumni Organizations

Fraternity/Sorority functions -reunions, fundraising events

4. Social Justice and Equality

• Empowerment: Empowering the next generation and ensuring that future African Americans have more opportunities and face fewer obstacles is a driving value, manifesting in activism, mentorship, and community leadership.

6. Resilience and Perseverance

• Overcoming Adversity: Resilience is a deeply ingrained value, stemming from a long history of overcoming systemic oppression and adversity. This perseverance is celebrated in stories, traditions, and everyday life.
• Hope and Optimism: Despite challenges, many African Americans maintain a strong sense of hope and optimism, believing in the possibility of progress and the eventual realization of equality and justice.

In Conclusion: Rework the Call to Action.

No matter what it is the client wants to happen, it should not sound like a command. This segment of the market likes to feel invited and, when possible, made to sound like it’s exclusively theirs.

For instance:

Nuance Furniture Galleries invites you to see their vast selection of designer, name-brand furniture and décor online at Nuance Galleries dot com. While you’re there, download and print your personal invitation for an exclusive tour by one of our in-house designers.

 

Respectfully,

Mike -The Reel Architect.