St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1954-01-08

ftH ana lIupTUNeu lhTm pihSbicec
red the economic status OF both
I worried about the competition fom
the white press. circulation-wise.
IT'S getting too strong"
Radio Network Formed
These grass-roots sanpling OF
opinion are confirmed In the ma
tons centers Of advertising and
| merchandising. In Chicago, for
example. marketing consuitant
Leonard Evans has organized Ma
tional Negro Networks. Inc. the
country's first nationwide Negro
radio hookup. He has signed up
two sponsors Pet Milk and Phil
| 10 Morris for a 15-minute week
day radio show, The Story of
Ruby Valentine" which will be
launched this month. The new net
work will include 40 stations from
Miami to Los Angeles, including
outlets here In South Carolina.
we have definite outlet In
Grccnviile. and l hope to sign up
stations In Columbia and Charles
ton" says Mr.. Han.
The number OF radio stations In
the u. s. now bcaming broadcasts
at the Negro population stands at
about 2T0 out of a total Of 1880
stations. In 1943. only four radio
stations were aiming at the col
ored audience.
In New York. Batten, Barton,
Durstine a Osborne advertising
agency has made it's Negro con-
sumer marketing section per-
manent part OF It's special market
ing department. It's expanding
that section by hiring a second
Negro marketing man who viii
Join BID. a O. on January IL.
Lyle Purcell. vice president In
charge OF tho agency's market
ing and research explains; I'VE
started n year.and-a-half ago with
Just handful OF clients actively
trying TO sell the Negro market.
Now, that part OF our business has
grown 80 much we've had TO add
another man"
Associated Publishers and In
terstate United Ne wspapers,
which between them serve about
100 Negro newspapers. have cor
rallied advertisers like Armour n
Co. Chryslcr Motors, Budweiser
beer. Upton Tea and Sal Hepatica.
Such Negro magazines an Our
World and Ebony list Ipana,
Revere Camera and rlorsheim
shoes among their advertisers.
Moro Income Than Canadians
All this interest in the Negro
market doesn't mean that Me-
groes have attained anything APP
preaching economic parity with
the white population. For the u.
s, as a whole, Negro families
make up about 99s of the total
population. but get only about
5ge of the total money income
The median family income of
Southern Negroes averages be-
tween $500 and Si,is9 year
about half that of the median
white family, Median! The middle
item In series arranged by size
Latest census fiugrcs show the
nations 10 million Negroes now
have an annual income exceeding
SIS billion. about 81 billion more
than the entire national income OF
Canada. Marketing specialists APP
pear TO be unanimous in the opin-,
ion that the Negro market is
special one that must be reached
by sales messages slanted toward
eolorcd people. One Negro econo-
mist explains;
Because OF neglect and gen
era lack OF attention. Negro
buyers have become sensitive to
in-treatment. That sensitivity is
the selling key 10 the Negro mar
kot. It's iust waiting for an invita-
ton to buy"
Or, Joseph T. johnson, OF the
department of economics and
business administration of Lin
coin University. a Negro college,
says. In an effort to show ITS
status generally, the Negro mar
ket tends To be exceptionally
brand-conscious Especially. u
buys those brands the use OF
which Il believes carries prestige
and indicates status In the COM
munity."
Negroes In this area, and else
where In the nation. surprisingly
enough are often good customers
for luxury autos and expensive
clothing. despite their low In
comes The chief reason they
spend less for shelter and enter
taiument than the average white