national organization dedicated to strengthening
African American businesses will launch a new chapter in Charlotte this month.The National Association of Market Developers is a professional organization dedicated to providing a positive
change for African Americans within their communities, and specifically those with businesses that provide goods and services for African-Americans by African-Americans.
Today, a core group of marketing, management and public relations executives from several businesses around Charlotte will be hosting an interest meeting and reception
in order to drum up support for this new chapter and to educate Charlotte's African-American business community on the mission of this forty-six year-old organization.
"We, being a group of people in advertising and marketing in Charlotte sometimes see businesses that may not realize how to market their own business correctly, and don't realize
that they have to market for success," says Fran Farrer, advertising and marketing director at The Charlotte Post and one of the 10 core members helping to establish this new chapter.
"And a lot of times its not due to the lack of wanting to, but the lack of knowledge necessary to market successfully within their own communities and each other," Farrer said. What the
NAMD provides for businesses who lack this knowledge is a network of members who mostly work in the areas of marketing, management, advertising, sales, and public relations.
By recognizing each individuals role in each of these areas, the NAMD offers these business leaders, and entrepreneurs a platform where they can share ideas and exchange vital
knowledge, experience, in order for local businesses to provide quality service to their communities.
"Our desire", Farrer says, "is to have economic empowerment by doing business with other
African American businesses rather than enlisting the help of outside marketing sources not primarily for African-Americans."
NAMD members are able to achieve the national goals of the organizations' Five Point plan to which NAMD pledges to:
- Serve as a national African American consumer resource;
- Provide professional support to the community, support students through education and guidance programs, and
- Increase NAMD's exposure through National Public Affairs and develop national liaisons with other organizations.
With all of this in mind, the ten core members of this organization, which include Joetta Talford, editor in chief of Cultural Calender, and Carolyn Mason who owns
Balloon-O-Grams and several other businesses have extended invitations to businesses and organizations to attend their interest meeting at Southern Renaissance restaurant. On hand will
be NAMD national chairman Clyde C. Allen, who will share the Urban Consumer Marketing Report. There will also be an opportunity to network apply for membership during the reception.
"We're looking at between 50 to 100 people attending the reception," says Farrer, "And we are very interested to see who from the business community will be attending, and from there
we can measure the possibilities."
A national organization dedicated to strengthening
African American businesses will launch a new chapter in Charlotte this month.