according to The Urban Institute, NUD (Non Urban Dictate) is the acronym for a very subtle and little-known marketing term specifically directed toward people of color. It essentially means that a company is not interested in the Black consumer. A NUD label means that a company does not want their marketing and advertising materials placed in media that claim an "urban" audience ("black people") as their main target. There are legitimate reasons for companies not using urban media. It may be that Blacks don't index high in certain categories or that a company's strategy is to market to the Black consumer down the road after they have established a strong position in their primary target. But, NUD usually means that a company is not interested in the Black consumer. Companies evade discrimination liability by embracing it as theory rather than policy. As a service to Black consumers, the Urban Institute will list all companies that have a NUD policy. Armed with this information, we feel that Black consumers will be able to make informed buying decisions.Here's a list of Companies with NUD policies:
1. Starbucks
2. Jos. A Bank
3. Comp USA
4. Weight Watchers
5. Keebler
6. Life Savers
7. Continental Airlines
8. Northwest Airlines
9. America West Airlines
10. HBO - Apollo Series
11. Paternal Importers
12 Calico Corners
13. OMScot
14. Pepperidge Farms
15. Ethan Allen
16. Busy Body Fitness
17. Mondovi Wines
18. Builders Square
19. Pottery Barn
20. Lexus
21. Aruba Tourism
22. Ciba Vision
23. Kindercare
24. Grady Restaurant
25. Eddie Bauer
26. Don Pablo
Please spread this information on to any other consumer that you consider a friend and advise them to do likewise. Remember, you CANNOT act wisely unless you are informed wisely.
The Urban Institute can be contacted at 2100 M Street, NW Washington,DC
UPDATE!!! [ this post is wrong. a little research confirmed it's based on a hoax. i posted a cool retraction here. loveyougottagobye!]
23 comments:
Thanks for this. There's no reason to give our business to those who don't want it.
ah well. The saga continues...
Thanks for the information. I nearly fell out of my seat at #26 Don Pablo. Back in the day (about 10 years ago), I was a manager there.
word.
i knew i needed to spread the word on this one!
I heard about the NUD before. For the most part its the companies loss. It's just like a company that does not market their products or services to women, they're losing out on so much potential revenue.
Wasn't Abercrombie that got sued a couple years back for not allowing a Black employee to work on the sales floor?
I knew I didn't trust those Keebler elves!
This list just makes me sad. When are we ever gonna get pass this?
Unreal.
It's almost as if Corporate America feels like every brotha and sista out there has got a malt liquor sticker on their ass! Of course, the irony of the list is that almost ALL names listed are in dire striaghts right now, due to the economic situ.
Ambercromie and Fitch will soon be 'A Bread Crumb and Fish' before too long. Damn good post, Samax!
This article makes an interesting point, http://www.lewrockwell.com/alston/alston39.html. That and apparently this list is no where to be found on the Urban Institute's website, http://www.urban.org. I at least couldn't find it. It at least is an interesting topic for discussion.
Racism is sTill alive and it is ashame, there should be no shock or confusion for we as a peole knew this was going on just didn't know the specific businesses thanx for the list...and to think I was a big fan of Starbucks.
This article just really shows me how much the world has changed over the last decade...IT HASN'T! It is just a shame that people treat BLACKS like we don't matter to the world. It's really upseting and I just wish we could quit waiting on the world to change because it's way past due for the world to change. RIDICULOUS IS THE WORD FOR THIS WORLD WE LIVE IN
I knew it...this is the same relationship towards the selective resumes and everything. If you have a 'black' name you're more likely not to get most jobs that are available just because of your name...I dont know. seems liek there's always something holding us back...
Notice that many of these businesses are suffering greatly due to the recession. I bet they want pueplw or green people to support them right about now lol!!! And most of them have no swag anyway lol!!
I would like to hear both sides of the story. I would say at least %25 of the people that worked at my store were black or hispanic. They went out of there way to put a Starbucks in a black neighborhood with a black manager and black assistant manager. Believe me, they want black money just as much as they want any other money. This list is suspect! This kind of thing only serves to spread confusion and ignorance.
http://www.dmnews.com/Lexus-targets-affluent-black-women/article/140512/
http://maggieshnayerson.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/new-york-sun-clips-shnayerson.pdf
thanks for your comments everybody!
@Jerome, i heard that Starbucks was working with Magic Johnson's company at one point, although i don't know what they were working on. i think it's a stretch to say i'm spreading ignorance. i'm happy to hear both sides of the story. i didn't make this list up, and there is definitely more to be said about it. it came from a press release from the Urban Institute.
i guess it IS fair to call it suspect. apparently they have since taken the list down, and i wouldn't be surprised if companies on it took offense (if not legal action). it was on a major black radio outlet, which i'm sure they didn't appreciate.
that said, there is a long history to this kind of policy (which could be misinerpreted, i guess) in american business, and in denying it when called out. stay tuned...
I'm sure this type of thing happens. Not surprising in the least. I only have 2 issues:
1) There is no link to the Urban Institute. If it's their story, it should be easy enough to link to.
2) Searching their website for NUD or the full term is useless. Nothing relevant comes up.
I didn't do an exhaustive search and could give 2 shits about these firms, but I like to see advocates for black folk have solid, verifiable information that travels well. At present, this information can't get on the bus.
I welcome any updates that you're able to get a hand on. Thanks.
as it turns out it was a hoax, and not a new one. after a little googling, i found webpages debunking this going back as far as 2002.
thanks to commenters who questioned me on this and sent me back to the lab.
here's my googling: http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=&oq=non+urban+dict&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GWYE_enUS268US269&q=non+urban+dictate+urban+insite
I over reacted by saying ignorance and suspect and all that. We should call out companies as needed, but some companies like Starbucks are really trying hard.
well Jerome, as it turns out, you were right! the press release i got was fake. after a little research, i found out as much. i posted a retraction here: http://ghettomanga.blogspot.com/2009/08/okay-they-got-me.html
so i guess, i WAS spreading ignorance (if unintentionally!)... like i said, i appreciate people questioning me, especially based on first-hand experience.
live and learn on all counts!
Thanks for posting the retraction. I actually heard Hill Harper's "sexy" Lexus commercial on a "urban" station here in southern california today. I was thinking that Ghetto Manga list just can't be right. Appreciate your honesty.
no problem. i'm a nerd, and i prefer to be right whenever possible, but i was wrong on this one.
it doesn't hurt me any to admit that.
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