Ford, State Farm, and McDonald's To Sponsor CNN's "Black In America 2"

Although we're in an economic crisis, more and more companies are realizing that African Americans still maintain a strong buying power. Apparently, CNN is having no trouble getting sponsors for their upcoming "Black In America 2" special.

Marisa Guthrie of Broadcasting & Cable Magazine reports:

Ford has signed on as a major sponsor of CNN's Black in America 2. The African-American-focused news special attracted a diverse and relatively large audience when the first installment premiered last summer.

CNN has leveraged the program's viewer base to bring Ford on board, as well as insurer State Farm, which has not advertised on the network for several years. McDonald's is also a returning sponsor.

Black in America 2 -- a four-hour, two-night examination of African-American innovators and leaders -- is scheduled for July 22-23. Sponsor deals are integrated across television and the Web, with billboards and tagged tune-ins during all Black in America 2-related content as well as pre-rolls, co-branded banners and display ads on CNN.com. Branded promos will begin airing in June.

Ford has extended its Black in America 2 buy to Essence magazine, a Time Inc. title and a co-producer of the special "CNN & Essence: Reclaiming the Dream". The program will be filmed in July at New Orleans' Essence Music Festival and premiere on CNN Aug. 1.

CNN's recent primetime ratings challenges -- the network finished fourth in prime in the demo for April -- has not had a significant impact on ad sales, according to Greg D'Alba, executive VP and COO of CNN ad sales and marketing. He says these deals are the realization of the value mandate in a recession-battered economy.

For the full article, visit:
www.targetmarketnews.com/storyid05040901.htm