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BIOS AND BACKGROUND
INFORMATION ON TARGET MARKET NEWS __________________________________________ KEN SMIKLE President, Target Market News  Ken
Smikle, president and founder of Target Market News, and editor
and publisher of its publications, is considered one of the leading
authorities on marketing, advertising and media directed to the
African-American market.The company's trade publication, Target Market News, covers business activities in advertising, marketing and media targeted to black consumers. Its annual report, The Buying Power of Black America, analyzes how African-American consumers spend billions of dollars in hundreds of categories of products and services. The company also distributes news and information on the latest developments in marketing and media through its Web site, news bulletin, research reports and conferences. Smikle has appeared on CNN, CNBC, CBS News, NBC's "Today" show, ABC's "World News Tonight," "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer," National Public Radio's "All Things Considered" and "Marketplace," and numerous other television and radio programs. He is frequently quoted in Newsweek, Time, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Advertising Age, Publishers Weekly and other leading periodicals. As a speaker, Smikle has addressed diverse audiences such as the Democratic Caucus Conference of the U.S. House of Representatives; employees of Nike, Pepsi Cola, Quaker Oats and organizations like the Association of National Advertisers, the National Newspaper Publishers Association, the Advertising Federation, the Food Marketing Institute, the National Association of Broadcasters, the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters, the National Alliance of Market Developers, the United Way and the American Booksellers Association. Prior to starting Target Market News in 1988, Smikle worked as an editor and publisher for a number of periodicals. He was senior editor for Black Enterprise, the leading magazine chronicling African-Americans in business. Smikle presently resides in Chicago with his wife, Renee Ferguson, an investigative reporter at WMAQ-TV, and son, Jason. Company History and Background Target Market News, Inc. was founded in 1988 with a mission to provide news, information and research on the nation's largest ethnic group, African-American consumers. Based in Chicago, it is the only company of its kind in the industry. The company publishes Target Market News, a monthly trade magazine. The publication features reports on advertising, marketing, research, public relations, media and the latest business developments and statistics related to the black consumer market. The Target Market News Daily Bulletin is an electronic newsletter that delivers up-to-the-minute developments in African-American marketing and media. Target Market News, Inc. also publishes The Buying Power of Black America, an annual report which details and analyzes the purchases made by African-American households in 500 categories of products and services. In addition to the national edition, individual reports are available for each of 30 largest black consumer markets. The report is the nation's most widely quoted information source on the spending habits of African-Americans. Target Market News hosts conferences and trade shows that present the most up-to-date research and trend data available on African-American marketing, media and consumer behavior. These events bring together corporate executives and companies with expertise in advertising, marketing, and media that target black consumers. These exchanges of information take place through panel presentations, workshops and informal networking sessions. Since 2001, The Marketing to African Americans with Excellence (MAAX) Summit (formerly the Black Consumer Research and Advertising Summit) has offered a two-day conference examining the latest research and trends in African-American marketing, advertising and research. The event, which takes places in Chicago, has attracted hundreds of key executives from major corporations. The Marketing to African Americans with Excellence (MAAX) Awards were introduced in 2006 by Target Market News. The awards program recognizes the contributions, innovations and exceptional performance of African-American professionals in the fields of marketing, advertising, media, public relations and consumer research. Eligible candidates are selected by the editors, writers and contributors of Target Market News, and are considered on the basis of the longevity of their careers and the professional accomplishments that distinguish them within the industry. The African-American Magazine Summit was founded in 2003. It is the only forum to bring together black magazine publishers and executives and the marketers that do business with them. Through this unique Summit, new insights and opportunities are being forged for black-oriented magazines and advertisers that target the African-American market. The African-American Internet Summit was launched in 2008 and is the the only such gathering of its kind in the nation. The Summit brings together leading consumer marketers, advertising agencies, and Internet-based companies in a long-overdue, comprehensive examination of how African-American consumers utilize the Web for information and entertainment. For the latest information, data and trends on African-American consumers, visit Target Market News online. By logging on at www.targetmarketnews.com, you can read news, excerpts from our reports, review black consumer statistics, as well as order publications and register for company events. For information on how we can be of service to your company, contact our office at Go to Target Market News homepage |
16th Annual Edition New 'Buying Power' report: Black consumers spend as economy grows Details $507 billion in expenditures  (November
1, 2010) African-American consumers are cautiously increasing their
spending in some key product categories, even as they continue to make
adjustments in a slowly growing economy. The finding comes from the soon
to be issued 16th annual edition of "The Buying Power of Black America"
report. In 2009, black households spent an estimated $507 billion in 27 product and services categories. That's an increase of 16.6% over the $435 billion spent in 2008. African-Americans' total earned income for 2009 is estimated at $836 billion... Story continued...  _________________________________________________________________________________________ |
