The move toward ethnic marketing - includes related articles on marketing to minorities and sources of marketing data

Nation's Business, July, 1992 by William Dunn

"We are no different from any other company, with one exception. We identified these gaps, and we came up with the solution," says Ghafouri. "It was bound to happen. And, when it happens, people usually say; |Whoa, how come I didn't think of it?' And I always say, "Why didn't I think of Hula-Hoops?'"

Pleasant Co. spokeswoman Andrea Ernst says the firm's development of its first black doll "is a recognition of the fact that America is a diversified country. We wanted to reflect that for the children and their parents."

The new black doll will be the first nonwhite doll in the company's historical collection, which includes four dolls from eras ranging from Colonial times in Williamsburg, Va., to the 1940s. Pleasant's New Baby Collection, introduced in 1990, includes a black doll, an Asian one, and a white doll. The company has been manufacturing dolls for seven years. The dolls clearly are targeted at an upscale audience; they sell for $88 apiece, and each comes with a hardcover book about the doll. Company sales topped $65 million last year.

Another firm tapping into a minority market is Pyramid Books. Like many other types of specialty stores, Pyramid takes the hassle out of tracking down products not routinely stocked in a mass-market store.

"We're a specialty store. That's our niche," says Hodari Abdul-Ali, 37, founder of Pyramid Books. "There is enough room for us to grow even within that niche." Because Pyramid doesn't have the resources that the major chains have, Abdul-Ali says, his competitive edge is his company's service. "That means that we have to do that little bit extra to keep our customers happy."

A big part of that is detective work--knowing where to track down elusive books and how to obtain them quickly.

"The African-American community is a market that is crying out for attention," Abdul-Ali contends. Offer attention and a good product, he says, and the customers will flock to your door.

Following that advice, African Eye recently attracted a thousand women to a fashion show at Prince Georges Plaza. The show featured the latest creations by Alfadi, a high-fashion Nigerian designer, who also hosted the show.

African Eye offers dresses and outfits that blend African and Western influences and are priced at $50 to $600. Says Mozella Perry Ademiluyi, the 38-year-old president and co-founder of African Eye: "Our customer is professional, 30 to 65, has an income level of $30,000-plus, and often is well-traveled. They don't just want to wear something that is African. They want something that is well-tailored, unique, and creative as well." She opened the Prince Georges Plaza store last December.

Less than three miles from Prince Georges Plaza is the bustling Asian Village International Supermarket, a 2-year-old grocery store. Its principal edge over large chain-store competitors is that it sells "all kinds of vegetables and meats you wouldn't find in a regular supermarket," says the manager, Jesse Tanchanco, a 34-year-old Philippine immigrant.