A new definition of "urban marketing" has come into play: reaching out to a new demographic transcending both geography and ethnicity, hard to define and even harder to reach
with conventional PR tools.
Hip-hop inspired, ultra-cool, sometimes disdainful of the mainstream, this younger demographic cannot be approached with the usual PR tools. "It is difficult to go to this
market strictly with a media campaign," says Latraviette D. Smith, director of African-American Marketing at Edelman. Asked to generate urban-market buzz for the deodorant Axe,
Smith didn't see any point in sending out a press release touting the new product. She had to position Axe within the urban crowd and prove the deodorant could hang with the key
players. So the deodorant had a party - the Axe House Party in Miami - and hip-hop star Nelly was there.
The party got media coverage in several outlets, such as BET Online, Source Radio Network and Vibe, thanks to a round of press releases and follow-up calls touting the party,
rather than the product itself.
'Keeping it Real'
The new urban is all about 'keeping it real,' or 'staying true to your roots.' This demographic deems itself far too savvy to accept a PR pitch at face value. That's why the
house party had to precede the press coverage: In a sense, the event was needed to earn the PR effort its credentials. How to keep it real? Since the urban demographic is defined
by its tastes in music, sports and clothes, successful PR practitioners have targeted the grass roots in those areas.
"We have representatives in every city who are involved with us, whether they are working the clubs or are the local [music] promoters in each town," says Jameel Spencer, who,
as chief marketing officer for Bad Boy Entertainment, oversees all public relations aspects of Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, including the performer's Sean John line of clothes. "We have
an ongoing dialogue with these people and that is our value proposition. We are not people who have gone out and researched it and now we want to sell it to you. We have lived it.
We are it."
By staying in touch with the urban crowd at street level, Spencer is able to demonstrate the ongoing authenticity of Combs' offerings, be they in the realm of music or
haberdashery.
When it comes time to draw media attention Spencer will also look for event-oriented attention. At the MTV Music Awards, for example, Bad Boy hosted a party that drew major
media attention, especially when the press got hold of invitations specifing what clothing brands the guests could wear.
While such positive press coverage helps, Spencer has had his PR hands full during the many times in which Combs has drawn negative ink, such as his trial on gun charges a few
years back. In fact, Spencer says, his boss's arrest on a weapons charge required little response. "The urban marketplace and the youth marketplace, they loved him more because of
it," he says. "They celebrate those things. They like the fact that he is a regular person and that he may get in trouble from time to time."
Does this mean that the urban demographic applauds the kind of law breaking celebrated in its music? Not exactly, says Raul Garza, director of H&K Diversity at Hill and
Knowlton in Los Angeles. "To me it is all about contradiction and dichotomy," he says. "A lot of rap artists are interviewed about their lyrics and they insist that they don't
mean it; that when they say 'kill' they don't mean 'kill,' that when they say 'ho' they don't mean 'ho.' It is posing, it is pretension. But it is deliberate. It is style for the
sake of style, posing for the sake of posing."
Keep Cool
This is solid PR advice, not just social observation. In order to reach and influence this group, one must grasp these nuances. A demand for authenticity, paired with a passion
for posing? Absolutely. The urban chic is utterly ironic, yet corporate attempts at irony are viewed as potentially self-serving.
Terry Williams has found a way to strike this complicated balance in his efforts to build brand recognition for Tanqueray through a series of sponsored concerts called
"Tanqueray Soul Suite." Rather than appending the Tanqueray name to existing celebrities, Soul Suite events stake their claim to authenticity by spotlighting unrecognized artists
in the genre of neoclassical soul.
"It makes that brand new and hot and authentic - it does not show them as just jumping on the bandwagon. Young consumers know when you are just trying to get down and be cool
with them, so you have to be mindful that they are suspicious of that," says Williams, director of new business development at Persaud Brothers. "A lot of companies go out and
sponsor existing events, whereas this is about ownership. Now the Tanqueray Soul Suite is synonymous with emerging artists of neoclassical soul. They own that."
If it seems like music is the only thing that matters to the urban demographic, that is only partly true. As a group, most of the media they consume is skewed toward
entertainment coverage. Rolling Stone still makes the list, along with magazines like Details, Kronick, The Source, Vibe and XXL. On the small screen, BET rates high, along with
MTV. As one PR pro puts it, "MTV is the gospel in the urban world."
Reaching Urban
The new "urban" is young, skeptical and inspired by hip-hop music and culture. Some pointers on crafting PR for this market:
- This demographic demands authenticity, so meet the urbanites where they live. "You have to make sure you are connected, make sure you have your ear to the ground. Find
out when the next video is going to be shot. Find out who will be in the next cover photo for Details," says Ronn Torossian, president-CEO of 5W Public Relations. In short, know
who's hot and who's not. - Trendsetters carry a lot of weight here, and while they may be hard to reach, their impact can be significant. "We want to try to influence the core people, the leaders of
the youth culture and youth mindset. That means talking to disenfranchised young people, mostly located in the inner cities," says Terry Williams, director of new business
development at Persaud Brothers. By influencing trend leaders in various cities, PR can have a direct impact on the spending of urban-identified kids in the 'burbs. - Notoriously skeptical, the urban demographic can smell a fake a mile away, so know your audience before you make a move. "The challenge for many companies and brands often
comes not in the development of a PR or marketing plan, but in gaining a true understanding of the ever-fluid urban market to ensure they remain relevant," says Latraviette D.
Smith, director of African-American Marketing at Edelman. "It's that understanding which is key."
Contacts: Michael Fox, 203. 222.9013, [email protected]; Raul Garza, 323. 966.5747, [email protected]; Latraviette D. Smith, 212.704.8298, [email protected]; Jameel Spencer, 212.381.1580, [email protected]; Ronn Torossian, 212.999.5585, [email protected]; Terry Williams, 212.
333.4411, [email protected].