“Let Me Explain Black Again” by Pepper Miller Delivers Powerful Insights and Proven Strategies on Engaging Black Consumers

Nationwide — “Pepper, I didn’t know.” This admission is an all-too-common response to preeminent market researcher Pepper Miller’s illuminating workshops and presentations on how to reach the Black consumer market. It is also a reveal by corporations that have sought out the award-winning Miller — President of Hunter-Miller Group — to find answers and strategies that will capture the loyalty and the coveted dollar of the Black buyer.

Armed with decades of researching Black America, observing trends and studying nuances, Pepper has earned an industrywide reputation – and an array of awards — for her keen insights and observations. She possesses an innate ability to gauge trends and transform them into brand-boosting strategies. Her advice and proven results have made her a much-sought-out counselor to corporations like AARP, CNN, Bravo, BET, P&G, Walgreens, The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and more.

These observations and illuminations are captured in her book, Let Me Explain Black Again, an intriguing read and a valuable reference that industry leaders are hailing as a must-read, especially when considering that Black History has become a topic for erasure.

The issues that drive Let Me Explain Black Again are:

• Millennial power: They surpassed Boomers in growth; they desire a nation of equality and are on the front lines of political and cultural change. Black Millennials drive Black progress and identity and continue to be highly influential in American culture, language, music, and style

• Three American disrupters: Trump/COVID/George Floyd. Collectively, they have contributed to America’s A-ha moment about race and how they look at different audiences

And of course, the four-word lament: Pepper, I didn’t know.

With a jaded prism through which to view Black America, many uninformed corporate deciders turn to the default phrase: They speak English, don’t they?

This dismissive retort speaks to mainstream America’s long-standing biases and their beliefs that language is a cultural identifier. This narrow view is also cited as a reason not to advertise in Black media nor retain Black agencies with the wherewithal and sensitivity to create campaigns that entice Black buyers.

Responding to the question, Pepper defiantly fires back: “Yes, I speak English, but are you talking to me?”

How to talk to and how to reach Blacks lie at the core of Let Me Explain Black Again, which is hailed as the first book that comprehensively zones in on the “whys,” “hows” and “how-tos” of understanding and reaching the Black consumer in its totality.

Miller shares SEVEN BLINDSPOTS that prevent business leaders from getting it right with their Black customers. And she introduces readers to CULTURAL SHAPESHIFTERS within the Black community who not only influence and support the Black community but are also redefining mainstream cultural norms.

Driven by a mission, Miller invites readers to rethink their perceptions of Black by guiding them through topics that focus on Black identity in its various iterations. Each is dissected, analyzed, and parsed.

Her overarching hope is that the reader will ‘get’ the sensitivities, and Black cultural nuances that yield authentic connections and win/win relationships with the Black consumer. And by grasping this, the reader will make the leap from “Pepper, I didn’t know” to “Hey Pepper, I ‘get it!’”

About the author
Pepper Miller is a highly-acclaimed/highly-respected marker researcher, author, subject matter expert, thought leader, and speaker. Previous books she’s authored are What’s Black About It (2005), which she co-authored with the late Herb Kemp, and Black Still Matters in Marketing (2012), which she authored. For more information on Pepper Miller, log on to PepperMiller.net.

Let Me Explain Black Again can be purchased from Amazon, where all books are sold, or by ordering the book by logging on to ParamountBooks.com.

(Editor’s Note: This article first appeared in Black News.)