Big idea
Marketing reports indicate that Black consumers need to feel authentically represented in promoting campaigns, particularly Black women. Black female consumers outperform other consumer groups in several spending categories, particularly personal care and hair products, but Feel unappreciated by top brands.
This line of pondering raises several questions. For me: With the fairly recent launch of Pantene's Gold Series collection, an ethnic corporate product line, are black women feeling the love? When faced with selecting between this latest corporate option and Shea Moisture, a brand considered black-owned, where do their loyalties lie? And If what people buy is an expression of their identity., then which brand best reflects Black female consumers' true sense of self? Our study builds on a conceptual model to look at these questions.
Why it matters
Scholarly literature on Black consumer identity is sparse, or mostly focused on highlighting essential but troubling research insights – equivalent to the connection between Targeted, high-calorie food marketing and health disparities. There is a deep connection between black women. Style their hair., Their personal identity, their self-esteem And Their health. This is very essential when considering methods. Black hair is politicized. And Police in public places.
Hair is tied for black women. Racial and gendered psychological trauma And Happiness. It can also be particularly essential that recent scientific findings show that black women are on a Increased risk of many diseases Because of the toxic chemicals commonly present in dark hair care products.
How we do our work.
Under the guidance of Sylvia Chan OlmstedDirector of Media Consumer Research on the University of Florida, my colleague. Brett Ball, Kelsey Ann Adams And I made a progress. A conceptual model, which is a visible representation of a social or physical process. Our goal was to define a particular user experience.
We began with the concept individuals and types have unique identities that construct on one another. This means that folks buy services or products that Appeal to their values and beliefs.While brands Attract customers who support identity. Their purpose is to present to the general public. The literature uses the term “consumer brand identity” or CBI to explain this synergistic relationship. We believed that strong CBI would result in positive attitudes toward the brand, which might increase the likelihood of buying the brand's products. We collected data to check our model.
Because an incredible deal of promoting research that focuses on black women is affected by disparities – equivalent to lack of visibility in promoting, gender and racial bias, etc. Our approach included Black women as participants to prioritize their voices and preferences. More than 300 women who self-identify as black answered questions on their personal attachment to culture and products from each of the 2 brands. Women in our study A much preferred product from Shea Moisture. We conclude that their preference is related to stronger CBI.
What isn't yet known.
We still don't understand how a Multicultural focus in advertising Influencing Marketing Investments for Black Consumers, or Can Diverse Leadership in Brand Management Extend Identity-Based Communications to Broader Audiences. Interestingly, these results appeared together Controversial response from Shia Nami campaign About self-acceptance featuring white and mixed-race models. We are usually not sure how our participants perceived this misconception or how Black consumers usually are negotiating their identity in a more multicultural marketplace. Also, Pantene has been around for ages, but we don't know if our participants were as conversant in the Gold Series products as with Shea Moisture products, which have been around longer.
What's happening.
Although our research was very specific, reactions to black hair are wide and deeply mixed. An identity-affirming, artistic representation equivalent to an Oscar-winning film “Love Hair” The exact opposite exists. Discrimination hair policies. And despite Solange's melodic appeal, Uninvited hands Blacks are still making their way over women's heads, as seen on this. Viral Encounter.
However, with such laws there's hope The Crown Act And states are moving forward. Enforcing hair safety policies To compete Bias in the workplace.
What's next for you?
That is our hope. Our work It will help initiate more inquiry about Black consumers that results in the creation of more desirable messaging, content, products, policies and programming.
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