Captivating Connections.

nyc pet boom.

The NYTimes has a great slideshow looking at the boom in pet retail, claiming that "New Yorkers may be purchasing fewer luxuries for themselves in this recession, but they seem reluctant to skimp on Fido and Fluffy. As a result, there seems to be a small explosion of pet retailers in New York City."

Check it out (as well as the cute pups!)

bet & mtv come together.

BET and MTV Networks has launched Centric, “a new basic-cable network aimed at African-American adults.”

 

So what does that mean to both networks?

 

“BET is rebranding its nearly 32 million subscriber BET J network under the Centric moniker, which will target African-American viewers with music and lifestyle programming, according to Centric general manager Paxton Baker.

 

The BET and MTV Networks venture was first announced this past April during BET's upfront presentation to advertisers. Both programmers are owned by Viacom.

 

BET J (formerly BET on Jazz) has deals with such key distributors as DirecTV, Time Warner Cable and Cablevision Systems.

 

During the upfront, BET executives projected the network would have 45 million viewers at launch. At the time, sources close to network said that Centric would also inherit the lion's share of subscribers from MTV digital channel VH1 Soul to meet its announced distribution goals.

 

But BET Networks president and chief operating officer Scott Mills told Multichannel News that Centric -- handled by MTV Networks' affiliate-sales team, but otherwise run by BET -- would instead work with affiliates to reach 45 million subscribers by 2010.”

can video games impact healthy eating?

That's what one new study seems to be claiming...

"Children who play an online game promoting healthy foods and beverages appear more likely to choose nutritious snacks than those who play a game promoting unhealthy products, according to a new report.

Obesity rates among U.S. children and youth have tripled during the past 40 years, according to background information in the article. 'One potential contributor to the rise in obesity is media exposure, primarily because television advertising markets high-calorie foods and beverages that have little nutritional value,' the authors write. 'We know far less about how newer media influence children's food preferences, but Internet use is a very popular activity among youth aged 8 to 18 years. Marketers have taken notice of this online revenue-generating opportunity in which exposure to products costs less than traditional television advertisements and legal restrictions and regulations are virtually non-existent.'

Advergames—online computer games developed specifically to promote a brand, often featuring logos and characters—are present on many food and beverage Web sites. Tiffany A. Pempek, Ph.D., and Sandra L. Calvert, Ph.D., of Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., conducted a study involving 30 low-income, African American children age 9 to 10 years."

So, what happened?

"The findings suggest that public concerns about online games that market unhealthy foods are justified, the authors note, but also that the technology could be used to promote nutritious foods. 'Eating patterns established during childhood affect health throughout the lifespan. Thus, it is important that we find ways to promote a healthy lifestyle for our children from an early age, particularly those who come from low-income neighborhoods where the risk of obesity is greatest,' the authors write.

Despite concerns that low-income children do not have Internet access, children in the study reported being online daily or at least several times per week. 'Overall, our results suggest that reaching low-income African American children via the Internet is feasible and that the use of advergames is a potential way to alter their eating habits in favor of more nutritious foods,' the authors conclude.

AdAge has a great interview with Yolanda White, assistant VP of African-American marketing at Coca-Cola, discussing their dedicated African-American marketing group and how they are innovating when it comes to marketing.

It's a great read with a lot of insightful thoughts. Check it out here, and check out some highlights below:

Ad Age: What trends do you see in the African-American market?

Ms. White: All consumers right now are experiencing some struggles and strife. We are seeing some of that accelerating with the African-American consumer, in terms of the way that they have to manage time and how they have to manage their family, given that they're maintaining more jobs and balancing at home issues. ... The Obama effect is another trend we're seeing in the marketplace. That's helping African-Americans feel more in tune with Americans and more a part of American society. Another general trend that we are seeing is the fact that multicultural consumers are sharing more of their culture with the total population.

BET launches new cable channel.

Is now the right time to launch a new media property? Viacom seems to think so...

"Viacom, the owner of BET, is forming a new cable television channel for middle-aged African-Americans, heightening the competition for the minority viewing audience.

The channel, to be named Centric and scheduled to make its debut in October, will be formally announced at an event for advertisers Thursday night. Centric will complement BET, executives say, by appealing to an older and more affluent audience.

The 29-year-old BET, available in 89 million homes, is the dominant network for black audiences. It attracts roughly four times as many viewers as TV One, its main competitor, which is owned by Comcast and Radio One and available in about 47 million homes. BET, with its reality shows, movies and music videos, primarily draws a teenage and young adult audience."

can michelle move mags?

AdAge takes a look at whether or not Michelle Obama can help move magazines. So far the reviews are mixed...

"Vogue's March cover story on Michelle Obama called her 'The First Lady the World's Been Waiting For.' No doubt she's been embraced by the media world, appearing on cover after cover, from Us Weekly to Newsweek. But when it comes to sales, Ms. Obama may not yet be general-interest magazines' new Princess Diana, who regularly helped the industry sell more copies at newsstands.

A Michelle Obama cover doesn't hurt a general-interest magazine, the numbers suggest, but it doesn't produce more than an occasional lift either.

New York magazine's March 23 issue, with a cover story about 'The Power of Michelle Obama,' looks like it produced 'average' sales, New York said April 3, although the numbers remain subject to change.

When Ms. Obama appears on the cover of a magazine directed toward African-Americans, however, or when she appears with the president, sales really do seem to jump."

bye bye digital divide.

The digital divide seems to (finally) be shrinking after all of these years:

"eMarketer estimates that nearly one-half of the African-American population—over 19 million people—uses the Internet at least once a month, and in four years, 56% will be online."

It's important to understand that "trends in African-American Internet usage generally mirror those of the US Internet population as a whole."

So why now, you ask?

According to  Lisa E. Phillips, eMarketer senior analyst, “Younger black Internet users are most comfortable with all forms of digital communication: visiting social networks, downloading and streaming music and videos, blogging and playing games. Black boomers are online in high numbers, but mostly for e-mail and news. Black seniors ages 61 and older are least likely to go online and are more likely to read magazines and newspapers, as well as watch news on television.”

Here's what's interesting:

"African-Americans’ spending power is strong, estimated at $913 billion in 2008.

Yet...African-Americans were least the likely Internet user racial or ethnic group to make a purchase online.

The study also found that African-Americans made fewer online purchases than other minority groups. Twenty percent had made five or more online purchases in 2007, and fewer than 11% bought 12 or more things online."

This points to an excellent opportunity for brands and marketers to tap into this marketplace online.

leveraging the tools of empowerment.

For those who STILL live in the dark ages of thinking technology is made for men, think again...

"Black women are more likely than other female consumers to spend time using technology, and they view cell phonesand the Internet as tools of empowerment and self-expression, a study finds.

Compared to other women, five times as many black women -- 36 percent -- use cell phones for three or more hours a day, according to research by Time Inc.'s Essence magazine. Black women also spend more extended time using iPods, computers, high-definition TVs and DVD players.

The findings defy an image of technology consumers focused on young men, said Carmen Bryant, director of consumer research for Essence."

who you gonna call? myth busters!

Radio One and Yankelovich have come together to produce the Black America Today research report:

"The survey of 3,400 African Americans is the largest marketing-research study ever done of Black Americans. It is also the only study to wisely include Black teens and seniors (ages 13 to 74), because Black consumer opportunities don't exclusively begin and end with 18- to 34-year-olds.

The study shatters many other myths, including assumptions about Black identity, optimism, the hip-hop generation's respect for elders, discrimination and saving.

Importantly, the survey, representing 30 million Black Americans, identified 11 specific segments within Black America today, ranging from Connected Black Teens, Digital Networkers and Black Onliners at the younger end to Faith Fulfills, Broadcast Blacks and Boomer Blacks at the older end."

This myth busting report is an excellent read and a great testatment to what so many people have already proposed and thought.

how in vogue.

July's Italian Vogue featuring all black models is anticipated to be such a hit, "a spokeswoman for Condé said the company increased newsstand distribution of the special issue by 40 percent in the U.S., and will reallocate Italian copies earmarked for returns to the U.S. The company will also print another 10,000 copies to meet the demand for the issue."