July 2-3 marked the eighth annual Black Consumer Research and Advertising Summit held in downtown Chicago; the only industry conference devoted exclusively to African-American marketing, media and consumer research.  For the first time ever, this year’s summit included Black print media underscoring the increasing popularity and readership of Black newspapers.  

Robert Bush, vice president, Ethnic Print Media Group, delivered a powerful presentation emphasizing the effectiveness of advertising in Black newspapers. Bush shared the results of EPMG’s second nationwide Black newspaper readership study revealing African American grocery store spending habits, coupon usage, banking characteristics and vehicle purchasing habits. The presentation made a strong case for including Black newspapers in African American media plans.  

Other topics covered throughout the summit included The Buying Power of Black America, Understanding Black Consumer Attitudes and How to Buy African American Media.