Published: March 10, 2010

Black is the New Green: Marketing to Affluent African Americans

NEW YORK - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Black is the New Green, (www.blackisthenewgreenthebook.com), the exciting new book by Leonard E. Burnett Jr. and Andrea Hoffman (publication date 3/16/10) teaches readers how to best target the $87.3 billion buying power of the affluent African American community, a segment that can no longer be overlooked.

While blue chip brands including Gucci, Sony Electronics and Aston Martin have embraced this rich buying segment, other brands neglect to target this under-appreciated and overlooked demographic, leaving money on the table. Black is the New Green illustrates how to embrace this market, boost bottom line and accomplish this lucrative goal in an affordable, measurable way.

"This is an exciting time for Luxury brands. With research to support that they can reach affluent African Americans on and offline, affordably and measurably, the book helps readers avoid missteps, mistakes and misperceptions so that marketing efforts can translate into sales," said Co-Author Andrea Hoffman, founder and CEO of Diversity Affluence, a research, marketing communications and business development consultancy that helps executives market to affluent ethnic consumers.

"Current economic challenges have led smart marketers to focus on new consumers with untapped spending power," said Co-Author Len Burnett, co-CEO and Group Publisher of Uptown Media Group and VIBE Lifestyle Network. "The affluent African American community has been a well kept secret for too long."

Black is the New Green, published by Palgrave Macmillan ($35.00; Hardcover; ISBN-10: 0-230-61684-4; ISBN-13: 978-0-230-61684-4) hits bookstores on March 16.

To book an interview with Len Burnett or Andrea Hoffman, please contact Karen Hertz at Karen@squeakywheelpromotions.com or 914.393.6971.

Leonard E. Burnett, Jr. is co-CEO and Group Publisher of Uptown Media Group and VIBE Lifestyle Network. UPTOWN Magazine is a bi-monthly publication focusing on the lifestyle and culture of affluent African Americans. Len is a pioneer in the urban media space, transforming marketer's perceptions of the importance of reaching the underserved urban audience for twenty years.

Andrea Hoffman is founder and CEO of Diversity Affluence, a research, marketing communications and business development consultancy that helps brand managers, marketers, agencies, entrepreneurs and business development and media executives to understand and market to affluent ethnic consumers.