Aspire’s Melissa Ingram on Reflecting African American Lifestyles on TV

Philip McKenzie amp160What39s been the most significant shift you39ve seen in the perception of African American programming in mediaamp160amp160 Melissa Ingram amp160That story begins with the genesis of the Aspire brand promise quotSee yourself herequot amp160A year and a half ago as a black independent network we made it a mission to think about what type of power we had via our programming amp160We found our viewers were hungry not only for more content but authentic content to the black experience amp160Knowing how important it is for people to see themselves positively reflected in media we felt Aspire could play a central part in forging that connection amp160Luminaries such as Oprah Winfrey Sterling K Brown and Spike Lee have all cited the importance of inclusion and representation to their perspective when growing up amp160Combined with the increasing demand for diverse stories in media we knew Aspire could be the home for the black viewer while allowing us to manifest our mantra of amp8220Eat Live Shop Play and Dreamamp8221amp160 amp160We instinctively knew there was a voidamp160 Our research and our viewers confirmed it and we were well poised to step in and deliveramp160McKenzieamp160amp160Tell me more about the Aspire programming promise of quotEat Live Shop Play and DreamquotIngram amp160Last year we created a black lifestyle research study to ask our viewers what they felt was missing from their programming options amp160We then used that research to frame Aspire39s programming amp160We want Aspire to reflect the values attitudes and interests of the black audienceamp160 We looked at Nielsen data and nearly half of Black Persons 2554 tune in to lifestyle programming cooking home design business competitions a month amp160Now we had to determine how many were satisfied with their current options and felt it reflected their perspectiveamp160 That is where the opportunity wasamp160viewers liked what they had but wanted to see more of themselves and their experiences amp160We intentionally wanted to reflect that back to our viewers amp160We wanted to inspire the audience to eat well live well shop with a purposeamp160and finally play and dream bigamp160amp160amp160amp160amp160McKenzie amp160It seems like there is more to the concept of representation than just having African Americanfronted programmingIngram amp160People want to be connected to their experience and although I might enjoy lifestyle programming it doesn39t mean my experience is being reflected amp160There is a nuance that is essential to creating programming that will resonate deeply with the African American audience amp160I often use myself as a test case because I am in the demo and I know it makes a difference when a show manages to hit the mark on cultural relevance and representationMcKenzie amp160Tell me about Butter Brown and why it has been so successfulIngram amp160Butter Brown initially established their success on Issa Rae39s YouTube channel before we started to develop the show for Aspire amp160We felt very strongly that the two stars Leslie Antonoff and Seth Brundle would perfectly personify what we aimed to accomplish with Aspire as we were building out a black lifestyle destination amp160They have amazing energy and we knew the flavor they provided would be entirely uniqueamp160 It is a show that challenges assumptions which I feel is very important amp160As a mother I often think what the world could be like if there weren39t engrained assumptions as to the diversity of the black experienceamp160 Brown Butter is now a part of that conversation amp160Both hosts are HBCU grads and have a way of talking and relating to one another that makes people feel like they are hanging out with friends amp160That rapport between the host and audience is heavily reflected on our social media accounts amp160We are educating and entertaining and the response has been overwhelmingMcKenzie amp160Why do you think that the industry has been so slow to recognize and develop programming focused on African Americans Ingram amp160The success of films like Girls Trip and Black Panther has certainly made the industry sit up and pay attention amp160It is obvious that the appetite for these stories and their subsequent influence is only growing amp160General interest entertainment companies were not well positioned to understand these trends because they were not familiar with the market amp160I remember discussing Butter Brown with production companies and they simply didn39t get it amp160There was a lack of faith that a show that didn39t sound and feel like what they were accustomed to would find an audience amp160That sentiment has been pervasive throughout the industry and is shifting very slowlyamp160McKenzie amp160How important is building a team that can recognize these opportunities Ingram amp160Having a diverse team and the incredible support of UP TV has made all the difference in the worldamp160 The Aspire staff consists of thirteen people of color and twelve of us are women amp160Our brainstorming our ideationamp160and our vision are all in service to our core audienceamp160 We know if programming will resonate with our audience because this is actually our lived experienceamp160 This is content for us by usMcKenzie amp160How do you stay successful in a constantly shifting media landscapeIngram amp160You have to remain laser focused and committed to your purpose brand promise and your audience amp160We have to understand their interests values and attitudes amp160We have to go where they live and we accomplish this with partnerships with the American Black Film Festival Blavity Summitamp160and One Music Fest just to name a few amp160We aren39t only on their screens but we are with them on the ground as they experience their livesMcKenzie amp160What is the impression that you most want your audience to have when they think of Aspireamp160 Ingram amp160Aspire lives at the intersection of black culture and lifestyle and we are expanding how we see ourselves and each other by celebrating reflecting and sharing authentic experiences of black culture and urban lifestyle amp160We want to enrich our community and inspire others amp8211 empowering our viewers to not just eat but to eat wellamp160not just live but to live their life as you only have oneamp160not just shop but shop with a purposeamp160not just work hard but play hard and most important not just to dream but to dream bigamp160amp160amp160amp160amp160 Source Nielsen 4Q17 92517123117 monthly avg Reach Black P2554 1 min qualifier COOK DLC DIY FOOD FYI HGTV TRAVClick the social buttons above or below to share this story with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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Aspire’s Melissa Ingram on Reflecting African American Lifestyles on TV

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Philip McKenzie

"About That with Carl Mayer": Involved Media Connected Audience Fall 2024 Report (Episode 5) - By Carl Mayer

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Aspire’s Melissa Ingram on Reflecting African American Lifestyles on TV

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Philip McKenzie

"About That with Carl Mayer": Involved Media Connected Audience Fall 2024 Report (Episode 5) - By Carl Mayer

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