Press Play: Music, Culture, and the Power of the Black Audience

In an attempt to understand this paradox and the inherent opportunity Pandora in partnership with Burrell recently released a report titled quotPress Play Engage Influential Black Audience Through The Power of Audioquot The report itself as well as the subsequent webinar discussing its findings is a mustread and mustlisten respectively Both manage to peel back the curtain on the fastmoving black cultural set and provide insights to brands that are willing to engageThe sheer numbers behind the black community are impossible to ignore There is a growing population 48 million increasing spending power 12 trillion and consistent cultural cache Once you combine this with their relative youth 2nd youngest racialethnic group digital usage and platform savvy it isn39t surprising that this is fertile ground for brands seeking engagement Music is a natural conduit but it still requires an understanding of the African American community to be effectiveThe report makes an important distinction that contrary to popular belief black culture is not monolithic Taking note of several subcultures amp8212 Afrofuturism blerd culture and Soundcloud rap amp8212 the report shows that although creativity is constant the way it is expressed is multifacetedThe emphasis on creativity and variance of culture goes handinhand with the idea of discovery Nicole Buchanan multicultural sales director at Pandora and a participant in the recent Pandora webinar point outs for example quotGen Zs are getting older the artists they39re listening to now are the ones you should be paying attention toquot Brands have to lean into the discovery process and be willing to take the journey with black consumers Discovery has the power to be a shared value proposition between the black audience and brandsThe quotPress Playquot study identified music not just as an entertainment medium but also as a vehicle for the black community to express their values Music is a source of inspiration motivation and mood elevation This is a useful conduit for information as messaging expressed through musical sites are likely to reach a receptive audience Eightyone percent of black consumers connect with ads featuring music relevant to them and are 25 percent more likely than other consumers to buy products with ads featuring musicBrand messaging can find a home online through digital sources as well as offline via musical festivals such as Afropunk and Essencefest Festivals are a physical manifestation of the diversity within the black community they provide a way for people to convene and to express their styleTo benefit from the relationship between African Americans and music and leverage the resulting cultural perspective brands must make a significant shift in both their outreach and allocation of resources Akim Bryant RampampB programming at Pandora makes the argument for the increased inclusion of black expertise During the webinar Bryant says quotI don39t believe that there is a story that could be told about any particular culture without involving that cultureamp8230 We have to be in the room We have to contribute to the idea and feel part of the entire planquot Participants and experts in the culture are the best advocates for how to make inroads that will end up being relevantPandora39s quotPress Playquot study outlines a few quotdo39squot for brands to recognize1 Respect and empower the culture2 Make an authentic connection3 Research and rely on insightsOnly by being strategic can brands hope to be relevant in cultural spaces In essence Pandora is suggesting that what brands have done in the past amp8212 a mostly passive and sporadic connection to culture amp8212 will no longer be effective When dealing with culture there is a chance that brands will get it wrong It is impossible to be perfect when culture is fluid and fastpacedGiven those circumstances brands would do well to remember some basic quotdon39tsquot1 Don39t avoid engagement because you39re scared2 Don39t jump3 Don39t rush4 The culture is not monolithicUsing the do39s and avoiding the don39ts provides a useful roadmap on potential engagementStudies such as quotPress Playquot provide critical insights data and perspective that in turn illuminate just how rich the African American cultural opportunity can be Uncovering value requires a commitment to the market and a willingness to embrace nuance The market opportunities that exist within the cultural diaspora are boundless Brands need to press play and thoughtfully engage to reap the benefitsDon39t stop now Stay in the know on audio and listener trends with more from Pandora InSitesClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNetamp160

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Press Play: Music, Culture, and the Power of the Black Audience

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Philip McKenzie

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