Authentically Engaging Black Consumers: Marketing Efforts Beyond Black History Month

With an anticipated buying power of $1.8 trillion by 2024, not respecting and engaging Black consumers isn’t the smartest business move.

We’ve just finished Black History Month, the time when many brands begin thinking about Black consumers. But let’s keep it real: Black consumers should be top of mind all year round as they have tremendous buying power and are an increasingly important demographic for brands to target. However, many brands struggle with how to authentically connect with Black consumers beyond Black History Month.

Marketing to Black consumers: missed opportunities and missteps

According to Nielsen, a global leader in audience measurement, Black consumers are projected to have a buying power of $1.8 trillion by 2024, yet they are underrepresented in advertising and marketing materials. A recent study (subscription required) found that “while non-Hispanic white people comprise 59% of the U.S. population, white actors accounted for 72.5% of people who appeared in TV and digital video ads in 2022.” With only 27.5% of actors in advertisements being people of color, the percentage of Black actors must be even lower. This lack of representation, while sadly nothing new, is particularly concerning, as it can lead to perpetuating negative stereotypes and communicate that Black consumers are not valued by brands

In addition, many brands have been criticized for missteps in their attempts to connect with Black consumers. In 2018, H&M faced backlash (subscription required) for an advertisement that featured a Black child wearing a hoodie with the text, “Coolest monkey in the jungle.” The ad was incredibly tone-deaf and insensitive, and H&M apologized for inadvertently perpetuating racist stereotypes. Similarly, in its Fall/Winter 2018 line, Gucci sold a sweater that resembled blackface, which resulted in widespread condemnation and calls for a boycott of the brand. And let’s not forget Walmart’s 2022 Juneteenth ice cream debacle.

These are just a few instances that demonstrate how important it is for brands to be culturally competent and more proximate to their Black consumers to avoid perpetuating negative stereotypes. Brands should also be transparent about their policies and practices, particularly when it comes to issues of diversity and inclusion. When a brand takes the time to listen to Black consumers and make changes in response to their feedback, it shows that the brand genuinely cares about their opinions and values their input.

Commitment and representation: Keys to success

Another key way to build trust with Black consumers is by showing genuine and consistent support for the Black community. Brands that simply make shallow gestures or tokenize Black culture during Black History Month, without any real commitment to supporting the Black community, will fail at building trust with Black consumers. In order to authentically connect, brands must be willing to invest in the Black community in meaningful and consistent ways. This can be done through things like partnerships with Black-owned businesses, charitable donations and other initiatives.

And let’s not forget representation! Just like anyone, Black consumers are more likely to trust brands that they see themselves in and that use authentic representation in their marketing, rather than resorting to stereotypes or tokenization. Brands should strive to showcase a diverse, non-monolithic range of Black people in their advertising and marketing materials, and should be mindful of the cultural context in which they depict Black people. This will help build trust and brand loyalty with Black consumers, as it shows that the brand understands, respects and cares about the Black community.

Beyond the ethical considerations, let’s talk about pure business sense and the economic benefits of authentically marketing to Black consumers. As stated above, Black consumers have an anticipated buying power of $1.8 trillion by 2024, so statistically not respecting and engaging such a group isn’t the smartest business move. Additionally, Black consumers, specifically Black Millennials, are early adopters of new products and technology, making them an important demographic for brands in the tech industry to target.

Final thoughts

As a Black man, as well as co-founder of a marketing agency, I am passionate about providing solutions to this obvious problem. The inability of brands to authentically engage Black consumers is nothing new, and the opportunity is vast for those who are willing to not just consider but implement what has been shared. In my own company, I have seen how the above principles apply regardless of the target audience or consumer group.

So simply stated, and in closing, please understand that authentically marketing to Black consumers is crucial to any viable business year-round. Your efforts can’t start and stop with Black History Month if you aim to be successful.