USA Demographic Shifts The average age of the African American/Black population is 41 years. – The average age of the general market is 38.

2007 U.S. Race and Ethnicity - W/in Age Groups <18 81% White 74% White 62% White 61% White 57% White 09% Black 11% Black 18% Hispanic 17% Hispanic 21% Hispanic 07% Hispanic 10% Hispanic 13% Black 15% Black

There are over 41 million African Americans in the USA! African Americans/Blacks currently represent 13% of the U.S. population. More than 12% of foreign born African Americans are between the ages of % of African American population is under 25 The projected growth of African Americans is 35.3%

48.2% of AA households are headed by women AA women bring in almost half (48.9%) of total income in AA pop. vs.1/3 of the total income for other racial/ethnic groups African American disposable income is over $836 Billion and expected to exceed the $1 Trillion mark in 2012 Top % expenditures include: Housing ($203.8 Billion), Food ($65.2 Billion), Cara/Trucks $29.1 Billion), Clothing & Healthcare ($23.6 Billion)

African Americans make up a significant percentage of the U.S. urban population Over 50% of the African American population is located in the south. The West experienced the highest percentage growth. (10%) 9 out of the top 10 states with AA/B population are located in the south. – However, the top five Black metropolitan areas are New York-New Jersey, Washington-Baltimore, Chicago- Gary, Los Angeles and Philadelphia

African American culture has seen much crossover into the mainstream. Hip-Hop acts such as Will.I.Am making appearances on Sesame Street In turn Justin Bieber being nominated for a BET (Black Entertainment Television) award. Success of children television shows such as Yo Gabba Gabba, Beyonce Knowles acclaimed as top female artist of the decade.

Today’s role models have changed from athletes to Hip-Hop stars and they promote many products. The Gap – LLCool J, Missy Elliot Right Guard – Method Man, Redman Heineken – Jay-Z Coors Light – Dr. Dre Reebok – Jay-Z, Fifty Cent Cadillac – Snoop Dogg Coca Cola – Common Sense, Mya Twix – Usher Verizon – Tweet Lugz – Funkmaster Flex Cover Girl – Queen Latifah Got Milk? – Nelly Pepsi – Beyonce Knowles Dr. Pepper – LL Cool J, B2K

Communicating and Marketing to African Americans Culture

Internet penetration According to comScore, African American online population reached a record 21.7 million The growth of online users is projected to grow to 56% of the African American population. African Americans are projected to make up 11.8% of all US Internet users in 2011, up from 10.8% in Internet usage among African Americans Average time spent online : 18 hours per week (15 hours/week on TV) Internet access via PC : 93% Internet access via mobile phone : 76% Social Networkers : 50% Avid downloads of digital content : 66% But, despite the fact that the costs of computer equipment and Internet access have fallen over the last few years, there continues to be a significant digital divide between White and Black America.

Major Factors Affecting African American Internet Usage Education –> completion of H.S., college degree As of 2003, 78.6% of African Americans using the Internet have a High School diploma or higher – 45% have a Bachelor’s degree or higher. Younger African American demographic 56% of African Americans age use the internet About 53% of online blacks have a child under the age of 18 at home, Users often perceive gaining access to the Internet as an investment in the future and this seems especially true in African-American families SOURCE: Pew (December 2009)

Major Factors Affecting African American Internet Usage Socioeconomic status –> income Of the African-Americans who use the Internet: 43% live in households with incomes under $40,000 a year. 25% live in households with incomes between $40,000 and $75,000 15% are in households earning more than $75, % of blacks who entered the online world in the past year have incomes of under $40,000 a year

Social Media Facts Ethnic minorities visit social networking site more often than non- Hispanic whites. Younger people are more likely to adopt new technologies, especially those encouraging social connectivity. Hispanics tend to hold more collectivistic values and look to one another for help in making decisions 71% of African Americans cited as having profiles in online networking sites

Social Media Facts 13 hours: The average amount of time spent consuming any kind of media by Black and Hispanic Americans 8- to 18-years-old. 64: Percentage of Black teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17 who have a cell phone. 29: Percentage of Black and Hispanic Americans who on a typical day go online with a handheld device. 21 minutes Average number of minutes spent on social networking sites by Black Americans. 71: Percentage of Black Millennials who have created a profile on a social networking site.. 66: Percentage of Black Millennials who connect to the internet wirelessly when away from work. 53:Percentage of Black Americans who use Facebook at least weekly. 40: Percentage of Black Americans who use YouTube at least weekly. 26: Percentage of Black Americans who use Myspace at least weekly. 24: Percentage of the 17 million American Twitter users who are Black. 12: Percentage of U.S. bloggers who are Black.