According to MEE (Motivational Educational Entertainment),
a company that has been documenting African-American youth’s buying patterns
for years, African-American youth, whom rank among the highest media consumers
today, are setting
the buying trends for the rest of the world.
Between February and August 2002 MEE conducted
a survey across nine U.S. cities of nearly 2,000 African American youth between
the ages of 16 and 20. The survey focused on urban youth lifestyle and media
consumption patterns, including whom youth favor in the movie, music, sports
and comedy industries.
"What we found out from these youth could
significantly enhance the way advertisers market their products today,"
William Juzang, MEE’s VP for Business Development, told AllHipHop.com in a statement.
"Reading and analyzing the survey findings will provide advertisers with
new ideas about how to devise culturally relevant and ethnically sensitive campaigns
to influence the buying decisions of this hard-to-reach audience."
The survey report, "Inner City Truth: Beyond
the Media Hype," provides marketers with an in-depth look at the most opportune
methods and times to promote their products, services and lifestyle choices
to the urban youth market. Key survey findings include:
MEE first reached national prominence with the
publishing of its first primary research study, "The MEE Report: Reaching
the Hip Hop Generation in 1992." The 25-employee firm now has offices in
Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, DC.
Here were some key findings of the survey:
— The popularity of hip-hop/rap music decreases with age. While 54% of Black
16- and 17-year-olds choose hiphop/rap as their favorite musical genre, the
percentage drops to 40% among 19- and 20-year-olds. On the other hand, the popularity
of R&B music rises as youth get older. R&B is chosen as the favorite
musical genre by just 31% of Black 16- and 17-year-olds, but the percentage
rises to 40% among Black 19- and 20-year-olds.
— There is a striking gender difference in
music preferences. Young Black males prefer hiphop/rap music at a rate more
than double than that of their female counterparts (65% to 32%). Young Black
females, on the other hand, prefer R&B more than males do, by a 50% to 19%
margin.
— Movie-going continues to be a popular pastime
for Black urban youth. A total of 62% of those surveyed say that they go to
the movies two or more times a month; more than a quarter (27%) of youth say
they go once a month.
— Comedies and films with action/violent themes
are the favorite genres of urban youth. Females preferred both drama/romance
and horror/scary movies over their male counterparts. Males overwhelmingly preferred
action/violence movies.
— When asked whom they thought were the "top
two" types of celebrities in the entertainment world, Black youth chose
"male hiphop artists" and "male sports athletes." NBA star
Allen Iverson and the late rapper/actor Tupac Shakur ranked as their two top
celebrities overall.
