When it comes to marketing, many luxury brands may be missing out on gaining brand loyalty within a whole segment of the affluent audience. According to a recent article in AdWeek, many luxury marketers are missing the mark by not effectively reaching Affluent African Americans (AAAs). The article's commentary comes from a review of the yet to be released book, Black is the New Green: Marketing to Affluent African Americans, which is scheduled to be in bookstores on March 16, 2010.

According to this new book, luxury marketers are making a mistake by not connecting with this audience who hold roughly $87 billion in purchasing power. AAAs are typically 28-44 years old, and comprise of more than 340,000 households, which are headed-up by professionals who have annual incomes of $150,000 or more.

Two Common Mistakes Marketers Make When Trying to Reach AAAs:

    1) The Hip-Hop Approach
Often times, marketers take a hip-hop approach to try to connect with this market. While that may be the right strategy for companies such as McDonald's, it probably isn't the right strategy to take for a luxury product or service.

This shift in thinking where many marketers are missing the mark, is mainly because the audience is growing older and acquiring new tastes. One example of a luxury brand that got it wrong is Gucci. It ran a campaign featuring hip-hop star, Rihanna, in its ads. Even if the AAAs listen to and enjoy her music, they still don't personally identify with her. They want to look at the messaging and see someone that they can relate to, someone who motivates and inspires them. The article went on to mention that it may have been a better choice for Gucci to feature someone like Hallie Berry, Phylicia Rashad or even an unknown model from Africa in its ads to establish a stronger connection with this audience.

2) Different Generations are Taking the Lead
Unlike the generations of their parents and grandparents, today's AAAs grew up in a time with lower race barriers to break through. That's not to say they don't appreciate all that older generations had to go through. It's just no longer a main concern for this successful market. They are very proud of where they came from, but their focus lies in where they are today and where they're headed in the future. One of the book's authors, Andrea Hoffman, wrote,

"However, as luxury brands begin to embark on or ramp up their efforts, their touch points might be very different. Occasions [i.e. Black
History Month and Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday] do have a place in the hearts and minds of African Americans as a whole, but what differentiates the AAA audience is that while they respect and value their legacy and heritage, they are not constrained by it."

What Can You Do As a Marketer to Connect With This Market?

    1) Establish the Connection Through Their Interests and Passions
The book cites Lexus as having a successful campaign that coupled the audience's growing concern about environmentalism and their new hybrid models. Lexus held a "series of 'listening lounges' that featured an up-and-coming recording artist alongside one of their luxury hybrids", as well as "the first-ever green issues of two African American media partners."

    2) Make Sure Your Message is in the Right Places
Media placement is crucial in correctly reaching out to AAAs. Because this audience consumes general-market media and those that target them specifically, marketers need to be sure to have their messages in both places. The book mentions that AAA's notice "when luxury brands that fill the pages of Vogue and Vanity Fair are absent from ethnic media." If they see your ad in a publication like Vogue, but not in a publication like Uptown, you might be able to convince them to purchase your product once. However, you will not have created that ultimate goal of having them become loyal to your brand.

Have you seen any other examples of where luxury marketers got it right? Examples of where they got it wrong?