Originally posted by Rhett Miller:The ones for phone services that will give you a phone even if your current service was turned off because of your "cousin"…
What commercials directly target-market an African-American audience?
Running Diary: MTV After Hours
Originally posted by Rhett Miller:I'll deal with your first inquiry in minute as it will take a bit more to write and apparently nobody gets my humor so I will have to be delicate. Think Colt 45 and other Malt Liquors. Now they do the same with soft drinks, fast food (less blatantly) and clothing (much more blatantly). Racial profiling is only illegal for the police - companies are paying millions of dollars to market to audiences based on race and gender. Do you think it was only a coincidence that after Denny's got into trouble for negatively profiling african-americans as customers, that their commercials started predominantly featuring african-americans?
My wife was convinced that you must have been stoned when you wrote it. Probably if I had smoked more weed back in my youth, I could hazzard a guess at to the truth of that belief.
Anyhow, never smoked a day in my life - not a cigarrette or weed. I was suffering from cabin fever intensified by Live Wire (the new Mountain Dew).
It was stream of consciousness that was intended to be humorous. That's all.
Originally posted by Celeste:That's a prime example of a commercial that came on repeatedly during MTV After Hours.
QUOTE]The ones for phone services that will give you a phone even if your current service was turned off because of your "cousin"…
Originally posted by vansmack:Do you think it should be illegal to advertise to target markets?
Racial profiling is only illegal for the police - companies are paying millions of dollars to market to audiences based on race and gender…
Why would somebody's phone service be turned off because of their cousin?
Originally posted by Rhett Miller:I think that it is more common for African Americans to have larger extended families than caucasians and the suggestion is that one of many "cousins" may have come in and run up the phone bill, or that perhaps the person holding the account blamed a "cousin". Blacks often seem to have alot of "cousins".
Why would somebody's phone service be turned off because of their cousin?
Originally posted by Celeste:Absoltuely not. And that's the joke I was making - MTV did not think that the consumer market that I fit in would be watching the first 45 minutes of the MTV After Hours Show. It wasn't until Metallica came on, the MTV news piece, and the ensuing commercials that I felt MTV, Viacom and Comcast Cable thought maybe I was watching. Why? I'm not sure, it but it was absolutely intentional.
Do you think it should be illegal to advertise to target markets?
It's no different than the disproportionate amount of Tampax commercials that come on during Surf Girls. When I make a joke about that, some people laugh, but nobody thinks it's sexist. Everybody just says, you're not the target market for Surf Girls (not blatantly at least). If I notice a similar pattern and make a joke about it using race, some people think that's racist. The truth is, it's the same thing so I laugh when people accuse me of racism for pointing it out, especially when I do so in a joking manner.
The thing is, I don't really believe that hip hop videos are necessarily going primarily for the black demographic. Hip hop record sales are overwhelmingly propped up by white suburban kids, and the black hip hop culture has merged with white youth culture so much that the plain fact is that in mainstream music, hip-hop is what's cool for everybody. Go to any club where 50 cent is playing and see the white girl to black girl booty-shaking ratio. You just can't divide it up that way anymore. Which is why I get very annoyed at all these Bringin' Down the House movies. The square-white-guy saying "Shizzle to my nizzle" is just not funny anymore, if it ever was. Youth culture isn't black/white so much as greyish now. So, that was my biggest reaction to your review: they aren't targeting the black market. They're targeting the youth market.
Originally posted by Celeste:Common misnomer. Religion is a bigger indicator of family size than race. And I would make a Catholic joke here to prove my point lest somebody not get it and take offense….
I think that it is more common for African Americans to have larger extended families than caucasians and the suggestion is that one of many "cousins" may have come in and run up the phone bill, or that perhaps the person holding the account blamed a "cousin". Blacks often seem to have alot of "cousins".
I don't know about religion, but these figures
http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/race/black/tabs96/tab06-96.txt
seem to indicate that 11.3% of white households have more than 4 people, whereas 20.1% of black households have more than 4 people in them. Seems like blacks do have larger households.
http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/race/black/tabs96/tab06-96.txt
seem to indicate that 11.3% of white households have more than 4 people, whereas 20.1% of black households have more than 4 people in them. Seems like blacks do have larger households.
Originally posted by vansmack:
Originally posted by Celeste:Common misnomer. Religion is a bigger indicator of family size than race. And I would make a Catholic joke here to prove my point lest somebody not get it and take offense….
I think that it is more common for African Americans to have larger extended families than caucasians and the suggestion is that one of many "cousins" may have come in and run up the phone bill, or that perhaps the person holding the account blamed a "cousin". Blacks often seem to have alot of "cousins".
Originally posted by SueAndNotU:There in lies the joke, now doesn't it? I agree with you completely. If it were true it wouldn't be as funny (for the two of you thought it was funny). MTV has it all wrong. They should have been targeting the youth, but they weren't. They were blatantly targeting a different market.
The thing is, I don't really believe that hip hop videos are necessarily going primarily for the black demographic. Hip hop record sales are overwhelmingly propped up by white suburban kids, and the black hip hop culture has merged with white youth culture so much that the plain fact is that in mainstream music, hip-hop is what's cool for everybody. …. They're targeting the youth market.
When MTV first came out, it was all new wave for suburban kids. Then Yo MTV raps came on, then head bangers ball and they began to segment to different audiences. It seemed wise at the time, but eneded up being a disater. Remember when they tried to do blocks of videos? You would get 3 rap videos in a row with a little icon that said "Rock up next" and show a little clip of the rock videos that were coming up. they were trying to appease the marketers who wanted to target to core audiences. It was a disaster. MTV couldn't keep anybody's attention and their rating s plummetted. That's why they switched to shows instead of videos - they could keep more peoples attention for longer periods of time.
That's also why Carson Daly/TRL was so ingenius - they went after an age group and not a race. every attempt MTV has made to do videos correctly has failed and I was trying to point this out less illustratively in the Diary. I didn't give enough credit to my audience, obviously. I was going the humor route and now the serious route.
Originally posted by Rhett Miller:Marketing Companies don't look at statistics that broadly any longer. Gee, they must want bigger couches and tables too because they have more people? Nope. It's a myriad of things these days including location, religion, income and age demographics as well as race. That commercially is targeted more for an income level and not a race, though, and in some people's eyes wrongly, uses an african-american actress as the person who's phone is out. I happen to think for marketing purposes, she was used correctly.
I don't know about religion, but these figures
http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/race/black/tabs96/tab06-96.txt
seem to indicate that 11.3% of white households have more than 4 people, whereas 20.1% of black households have more than 4 people in them. Seems like blacks do have larger households.
Smackie, I for one, got ever single word that you said and how it was intended. You have to remember though that you are in overly politically correct DC. A lot of these people have been very successfully brainwashed to jump on anyone who dares to even suggest the tiniest thing that goes against the PC party lines. The triggers have been deeply programmed into their psyches. They often assume all kinds of wrong ideas at the least little trigger without giving it any real thought as to the truth or intention.
As you stated later, no one has a problem with targeting young females for tampon commercials. And I would bet that if someone bitched that some commercial or video targeted the White community that no one would say that it was racist, unless it's to claim that it excludes Blacks. But the fact is, in real life, quite often, birds of a feather DO flock together…..by CHOICE and not by exclusion. Deal with it people. All groups do it, not just one or two. The marketers know this and are smart enough to find those niches and appeal to their wants, needs and desires. Diversity sometimes includes little pockets of like groups. Accept them instead of trying to break them up or we women will call out the PC police and force all of you men to watch as much Sex And The City as we do or call you a bunch of mysogynists if you refuse. :roll:
Where's Mankie? He'll love your work and take it for what it's worth…and nothing more.
As you stated later, no one has a problem with targeting young females for tampon commercials. And I would bet that if someone bitched that some commercial or video targeted the White community that no one would say that it was racist, unless it's to claim that it excludes Blacks. But the fact is, in real life, quite often, birds of a feather DO flock together…..by CHOICE and not by exclusion. Deal with it people. All groups do it, not just one or two. The marketers know this and are smart enough to find those niches and appeal to their wants, needs and desires. Diversity sometimes includes little pockets of like groups. Accept them instead of trying to break them up or we women will call out the PC police and force all of you men to watch as much Sex And The City as we do or call you a bunch of mysogynists if you refuse. :roll:
Where's Mankie? He'll love your work and take it for what it's worth…and nothing more.
Granted that this is for the most part a lily- white folks board, I would be interested in hearing what other minorities think about topics like this that for whatever reason keep popping up on this board from time to time.
Originally posted by Jaguär:I'm completely on with Jaguar. I thought the MTV late night/early morning video block (or, commercial block with videos) was great, funny and highly amusing. What the hell has happened to MTV? And the sad part is that it's slowly infiltrating MTV2 (it's already taken over VH1).
Smackie, I for one, got ever single word that you said and how it was intended. You have to remember though that you are in overly politically correct DC.
Where's Mankie? He'll love your work and take it for what it's worth…and nothing more.
I was loving that MTV2 showed videos – diverse videos with no commercials – just a few years ago. That's being lost, though they did bring Headbangers' Ball back!
Question – how does VH1 have a weekly top 20 videos show when they never show any videos???
Originally posted by vansmack:Maybe if the Rock music market starts to sell as much product as the R&B/ Hip-Hop market, then you'll see more "white music" on that channel. Could also be the reason why MTV-X was replaced with MTV-JAMS. I don't think it get's any more complex than that.
Originally posted by SueAndNotU:There in lies the joke, now doesn't it? I agree with you completely. If it were true it wouldn't be as funny (for the two of you thought it was funny). MTV has it all wrong. They should have been targeting the youth, but they weren't. They were blatantly targeting a different market.
The thing is, I don't really believe that hip hop videos are necessarily going primarily for the black demographic. Hip hop record sales are overwhelmingly propped up by white suburban kids, and the black hip hop culture has merged with white youth culture so much that the plain fact is that in mainstream music, hip-hop is what's cool for everybody. …. They're targeting the youth market.
Originally posted by Joy Monster:Exactly. Or how about this article suggesting that Kobe Brynat's recent arrest for sexual assault will actually help his "street credibility" in the sports marketing industry - it suggests that he might actually sell more shoes because he may be considered a "bad guy" (but of course it would never be politically correct to say that).
Maybe if the Rock music market starts to sell as much product as the R&B/ Hip-Hop market, then you'll see more "white music" on that channel. Could also be the reason why MTV-X was replaced with MTV-JAMS. I don't think it get's any more complex than that.
http://espn.go.com/nba/s/2003/0707/1577650.html
Dollars and social dynamics are driving MTV's choices as well - especially in commercials and video choices being lined up together.
Originally posted by Joy Monster:Is that what you would call a vicious circle?
Maybe if the Rock music market starts to sell as much product as the R&B/ Hip-Hop market, then you'll see more "white music" on that channel.
Or is it because hip-hop is still relatively young and vibrant compared to dinosaur rock?
Or how about this article suggesting that Kobe Brynat's recent arrest for sexual assault will actually help his "street credibility" in the sports marketing industry - it suggests that he might actually sell more shoes because he may be considered a "bad guy" (but of course it would never be politically correct to say that).
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Out of curiosity, what would be the politically correct thing to say?
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Out of curiosity, what would be the politically correct thing to say?
Originally posted by Joy Monster:"An athletes 'Street Credibility' has nothing to do with sales."
Out of curiosity, what would be the politically correct thing to say?
That's what people want to believe and that's the outside voice of marketers. You can put just about anything in between the single quotes that is controversial and get the same response: race, beliefs, relgious persuasion, It doesn't matter. But we live in a country where these terms create issues, and it's not politically correct to state that these things matter.