African Americans: courting the 13 percent of the population that African Americans represent can help position candy products for sweet success.(Selling to Today's Consumer)

Candy marketers seeking to pitch their products to younger, trend-setting consumers will want to consider targeting African Americans. Many trends originate in the African American community, thanks to the leading roles African Americans play in the fashion, music and sports arenas.

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If younger African Americans embrace a product, it definitely bolsters its "cool factor," points out Tiffany Morrison, president of Lane Marketing LLC, a Los Angeles-based strategic marketing firm.

The African American population skews younger than the mainstream population. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, in 2002, 33 percent of all Blacks …