The African-American Internet Summit

Target Market News is holding its first ever African-American Internet Summit today in Chicago.  If you can’t make it we’ll be there and Tweeting live, follow us @BlackWeb20 for updates. The agenda for the event looks a little something like this:

8:45
Welcome and Introductions
Ken Smikle – Target Market News

9:00
The Latest Research on African-American Internet Usage and Preferences
This session will offer presentations of new research data on how African-Americans are engaged with computing and the Internet. Our panel will offer analysis of the latest statistics from The Media Audit, Synovate, Target Market News and others and examine the trends revealed by these studies.

Presenters: Denise Marks, Vice President of Diversity Research, Synovate

Hugh Brown, Director of Urban Marketing, The Media Audit

10:00
Measurement Metrics: Setting Standards for Counting Black Web Traffic
Web sites that target African-American audiences are facing the same challenges that traditional black media outlets have long had to address. This panel will look at whether the means being used by Nielsen Net Ratings, ComScore and others are fair and accurate when applied to the African-American segment.

Presenters: Nielsen Online (TBA)

ComScore (TBA)

11:00
Multicultural Marketing in the Digital Space: A Google Perspective
As clients’ budgets shift more and more to online efforts, the need for marketers to develop multicultural marketing expertise in the digital space has never been more important. New tools and applications developed by Google, some only a few months old, now make marketing to these consumers more precise and measurable than ever. This discussion will center on some of these tools as well as key digital strategies to reach this important consumer segment.

Presenter: Donald Moore, Agency Team Leader, Google

12:00
A Networking Lunch for Summit Attendees

A Presentation from RushmoreDrive.com

1:00
Selling to Black Consumers Via the Net: The Advertisers’ Perspective
What is it that advertisers and their ad agencies are looking for from African-American Web sites? What kind of digital marketing strategies are agencies initiating on their own? We’ll ask a panel of those marketers that are already tapping the power of the Internet to discuss their strategies and considerations.

Presenters: David Rudd, Vice President, The Axis Agency
Clients: American Airlines, General Motors, U.S. Army, Rush Card, Macy?s

Adam Goldman, Director of Interactive, UrbanForce/UniWorld Group
Clients: Ford-Lincoln-Mercury, Burger King, Home Depot

Janet Rolle, Executive Vice Pres., Chief Marketing Officer, BET Networks

Carl Izzi, President, Energi/GlobalHue
Clients: Wal-Mart, Chrysler, U.S. Navy

2:00
Content vs. Community: How to Build a Successful Black-Targeted Web Site
What’s the key to creating a Web site that’s able to achieve financial success? How much traffic do you need to appeal to advertisers? Which is more important, content or creating social networks? This panel of varied black-targeted Web site operators will talk about what it took to get where they are.

Presenters: Barry Cooper, Vice President of Interactive, REACH Media

Denmark West, President, Digital Media, BET Networks

Dante Lee, Partner, LeeMoss Media / President, Diversity City Media

Eric Easter, Chief of Digital Strategy, Johnson Publishing Company

Smokey Fontaine, Chief Content Officer, Interactive One

3:00
Creating Your Advertising Sales Strategy
What should you consider before and after you sign up with an advertising network? Would you be better off being your own sales rep? Listen to the experiences of panelists that have taken both paths to learn what will work best for your Web site.

Presenters: Susan Morgan, Accountant Executive, Gorilla Nation

Jemilah Barnes, Vice President, AllHipHop.com

4:00
African-Americans and Digital Media: The Next Big Thing
Since African-Americans are traditionally early adopters of new technologies, can they make a difference in the success of cellular/mobile or VOD as the next marketing opportunity? Will streaming video lead to viable mass media alternatives for advertisers? How will online consumer research grow? We’ll wrap up our Summit with a discussion of these possibilities.

Presenters: Bryan K. Mattox, Vice President Urban Marketing, Burrell Communications
Group. Clients: Toyota, McDonald’s, Procter & Gamble, General Mills

Cheryl Mayberry McKissack, President and CEO of Nia Enterprises

Jason Smikle, Director, TUVOnline

Quincy Newall, President, Codeblack Interactive

Markus Robinson, General Manager, BlackWeb 2.0

About the Author
Angela Benton is the Founder and Publisher of BlackWeb20.com. Her experience spans a variety of industries including consultative relationships with companies such as UPS, Bizjournals.com, Realestate.com, and Lendingtree.com.
See all posts by Angela.