But in my opinion, many of them are going about it all wrong. They are falling back on stereotypes that, instead of appealing to the masses, turn many people off. The more you try to cater to me through these clichéd phrases and actions, the more you make me determined to buy from black-owned businesses and those who truly appreciate their black patrons. Don't get me wrong, I love to see black and brown faces in commercials and print ads. However, it is as if advertisers don't realize that they can go a long way by simply using their minority actors in regular, every day situations.
[caption id="attachment_1297" align="alignleft" width="245" caption="Popeye's' "Annie the chicken queen." SMH"]
[/caption]I don't want McDonald's just because you have some pseudo-soul singer scatting about it.
A rapper won't make me want to drink Pepsi.
I'm not going to eat Popeye's just because the spokeswoman speaks in that "sista girl" language that you feel every black woman must relate to.
Want an example of a company getting it right? Check the Cheerios commercial with the father and son. It's dad & son, who happen to be black, in a normal situation that folks of all races and backgrounds can appreciate and get a little chuckle from. There's not some weird uncomfortable "Blacks only" dialect or attitude. It's authentic.
As far as an example of a company doing it wrong? Well shoot, take your pick... The most recent that I've seen was the ridiculous "When I say mango, you say pineapple!" shtick by McDonald's. In fact, McDonald's is a repeat offender in this category, so much so that I try hard to ignore their commercials. I'm sure that's not the effect they were going for!
To businesses and advertisers everywhere: thank you for acknowledging your African-American (and other minority) consumers. You've taken the first step. Now take another and realize that patronizing us may bar us from patronizing you.
aaaaaaaamen
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