Receptiveness of Black Americans to outdoor advertising

Abstract

Outdoor advertisements, billboards especially, represent important advertising vehicles yet they receive little attention from marketing researchers. Many managers assume that the medium has limited segmentation potential beyond geographical, yet this study reveals major differences. Based on two sets of focus groups and a survey of over 1600 users of heath service facilities in Louisiana, Black Americans appear significantly more receptive than White Americans to billboards, using measures of awareness, information conveyance, influence, and overall views. These differences persist across most education/income level combinations; significant interaction effects emerge between receptiveness, race, education, and income. The authors draw from socialization theory to explain some of the difference but suggest the high exposure of Black Americans to billboards, plus their greater openness to advertising, also contribute. Many advertisers target Black Americans and this targeting is a subject of public policy concern, giving these findings implications for marketers, researchers, and policy makers. © 2010 Elsevier Inc.