Comprehensive report dispels myth of a homogenous African American population through segmented insights ahead of the 2010 Census

NEW YORK – BET Networks today released “African Americans Revealed,” the comprehensive report on today’s diverse black American population that dispels the myth of a monolithic group through segmented insights. According to the findings, the importance of family, relationships, empowerment, spirituality and access to education and opportunity is still a common thread throughout the American black experience, the distinct voices of African American families and individuals provides a “viable roadmap” to reach a segment of the population whose disposable dollars and cultural influence have played a crucial role in American society.

“African Americans Revealed shows us that the black community should never be referred to as one homogeneous population,” said Matthew Barnhill, Senior Vice President of Corporate Research at BET Networks. “We hope this report will help organizations better connect with an audience and intimately recognize all of its complexities.”

BET Networks analyzed data from more than 80,000 consumers to understand the values, interests and lifestyles of African Americans and the relationship their personal aspirations, family structures, media preferences and product consumption serve. The approach for “African Americans Revealed” is unique from other reports on the black community as it recognizes distinct segments of individuals and unique family structures within the black community to calculate the trends, aspirations and habits of today’s African Americans. This flagship study identified consumers and families whose lifestyles, interests and consumption of brands, media and broadband provide actionable intelligence for businesses.

“BET has the platform and resources to understand the cultural nuances and psychographic characteristics of the African American community more than any other network,” said Louis Carr, President of Broadcast Media Sales at BET Networks. “Advertisers and corporations can now do away with the ‘one size fits all’ approach to African Americans as this report sheds light on the many different ways we consume, contribute and support the broader society.”

AFRICAN AMERICAN INDIVIDUALS

“African Americans Revealed” illustrates the unique aspects of and multiple dimensions within the black individual. The results uncovered that there are seven segments of African Americans identified within the population at large that are defined by similar influences, buying power and habits, media consumption and psychographic characteristics. The segments are as follows: Strivers, Conscious Sisters, Tech-Fluentials, Bright Horizons, Urban Dreamers, Inner Circle Elites and Survivors.