Did BMW Really Snub Black Radio?

This married couple flew over to Germany two years ago to pick up a pair of special ordered Bimmers.

While its not uncommon for an advertiser to snub a particular group or demographic, its rare that they leave a paper trail at the scene of the crime. BMW is the latest to join the ranks of major companies being called on the carpet for their actions with the urban radio market , according to Target Market News. BMW is also the sixth most popular brand with African Americans.

Although many companies want you to buy their products, they don't necessarily go out of the way to spend ad dollars on black radio or with the black media (websites, magazines, TV or sponsorships). At what point will African Americans stand up to make sure we're counted? Just think for a moment: Have you heard any national automotive companies or the government advertising the 'Cash for Clunkers' program on any urban radio formats? (We must note there is one major automaker advertising the fuel efficient government program with one of the urban syndicated shows.) Unfortunately, not everyone in the community listens to this show, although it has become very popular recently. As we referenced in a recent article about automakers using car designers or entertainers to appeal to us, we're not a monolithic.

And, just like many of us are totally disengaged from the health care public forums, we're allowing for others to shape the debate. Yes, we're included. We haven't used our voice to help the debate. However, look for us to share our voice soon. Furthermore, we've found the best source to stay informed is not necessarily listening to the local or national news sources like CNN, FOX, MSNBC or the three major news networks. They simply don't do an adequate job of sharing a balance perspective.

In fact, we've found the best place to get a fair and balance perspective on most issues is when we tune into PBS or NPR. Yes, while these two public outlets maybe geared toward a crowd less focused on being entertained and more concerned about the facts, you'll rarely be left uninformed.

Ok, getting back to the subject at hand ... we've sat through a number of meetings where key senior level executives have literally said they were targeting their ad dollars toward the general market and the Hispanic market. Its almost as if a diverse group of individuals aren't in attendance when such statements are made. Just imagine if the script was flipped and we did a role reversal. Would the non-minority participants accept this, if the gay community or the Hispanic community were being bias - focusing on their groups only? Probably not! Do African Americans realize their spending power? Are we more concerned about maintaining the status quo?

If you closely take a moment to examine your favorite radio station, its easy to tell who's really spending ad dollars - more specifically on urban radio. Many advertisers believe the urban market is so unsophisticated that our community will invest our dollars with them, without them having to invest any dollars with us. We guess in a sense we wouldn't spend money courting a market that will buy regardless of how they're being ignored. At what point will we require more out of the folks we support or will we continue to be taken for a ride? Ironically, BMW works with a black owned ad agency. Conversely, we're not aware of how they are involved in this matter. To view the latest trouble BMW has literally driven into, click here.