Russell, Harvey C.

Adventures in Negro History. Promotion-Publicity Kit. [Cover title].

New York City: Pepsi-Cola Company, 1964-1965. Bi-folium, pocketed folder measuring 11¾” x 9½”. Folder contains 18 items of ephemera more particularly described below. Very good plus with minimal wear.

This is an unrecorded guide to marketing to African Americans by the Pepsi-Cola company which includes an earlier written guide on how to incorporate African American salesmen in the South.

The marketing effort was spearheaded by an important African American business leader, Harvey C. Russell. Russell was a Pepsi vice-president in charge of special markets and the first African American officer of a major United States multinational corporation. Pepsi now bestows an annual award in Russell's name to their employees most committed to advancing DEI principles.

The main packet includes a cover letter explaining how to use the materials related to Pepsi-Cola's promotional record and film strip, Adventures in Negro History (AINH). That letter was accompanied by 13 different tips/marketing approaches on different colored paper such as how to do a sales promotion, copy for a radio advertisement and a list of public places where AINH materials should be placed. The packet also included a sample bookmark-like item intended to be inserted into cartons of Pepsi as well as two sample print-ready newspaper advertisements. There's also a heavily illustrated sample window streamer, essentially a poster measuring 11” x 27”.

Importantly the packet includes a 1964 photocopied cover letter from Russell which was attached to a four page letter from a New Orleans bottler, Harry England with “observations [and a] detailed analysis of the problems and opportunities related to Negro market development.” It detailed what England believed to be the most important aspects of breaking into the African American market. That analysis began,

“The first advice that I can think of offering to a Pepsi-Cola bottler concerning the Negro market is to approach this market on the basis of dollar and cents rather than emotions or prejudices. The Negro market has been, traditionally, taken for granted by most bottlers and I am sure that some of them will be surprised to know that the per capita consumption by Negroes is, in most cases, greater than that of the white people.”

England went on to give insight into some of the challenges faced by having African American sales representatives such as,

“The selection of the Negro route salesman, and the preparation of the regular route group to accept this Negro route salesman, is the most important part of the entire project and the bottler should call upon his full resources as a manager and as a psychologist, and he must continually keep his own emotions in the proper perspective so that his attitude will be adopted by the route group . . .

It is important to carefully select your Negro sales representatives, and I am speaking now of special market representatives and route salesmen. These men should understand that a bottling company is not concerned with racial problems and the racial situation should be considered in a detached and unemotional manner. We have found that our white salesmen have more readily accepted Negro employees who have been successful in other departments. Having already enjoyed the status of an employee and having established a certain amount of rapport, the new Negro route salesman seems to flow smoothly without any friction into the regular route group. Obviously, Negro employees must be screened in many ways prior to being promoted to the route group, and I am sure that each bottler will understand what to look for before he promotes the individual.”

OCLC locates several items related to the AINH, but nothing related to this marketing kit. An important marketing kit, showing Pepsi-Cola's attempts at making inroads to the African American market. Very good +. Item #8744

Price: $1,250.00