Posts Tagged ‘ Coca-Cola ’

Paying Tribute: Moss Kendrix and the African American Market

Moss Kendrix was an innovative public relations practitioner and a vocie for the African American community. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he  graduated from Morehouse College  and  was member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.  In 1944, he founded a PR firm, The Moss Kendrix Organization.

At a time when  major companies such as Coca-Cola  did not understand the importance of African Americans as a target market, Kendrix recognized the issue. To help Coca-Cola capitalize on this venture, he wrote a proposal and pitched it to executives. Because of this, he was hired by Coca-Cola on a retainer basis and became the first African American to obtain a major corporate account.

While working for Coca Cola,  he had the opportunity to work with celebrities and entertainers.  He dealt with product promotions as well as designing the promotional ads.

Because of his efforts, companies today have a diverse market and are open to targeting minorities using various tactics and advertising strategies.