Is there something stopping us from spending on promotion?

Yes! Why don’t we? We never had to. Forty years ago everything we needed was on one street. Remember Davis Avenue, The Boulevard, Mt. Vernon Avenue and Main Street?

The harsh effects of Jim Crow caused Black folk to depend on each other for their goods and services. Very rarely did Black folk venture out beyond the safety of their own communities. Therefore, everyone knew where everyone was and what they had to offer. This was an advantage to the bottom line of Black owned businesses. No real advertising budget was ever needed. This turned out to be a true double-edged sword.

After the Civil Rights Act of 1964 took affect, conducting business in the black community took on a complexity never seen before. The mailboxes of Black consumers began to be bombarded with flyers and coupons advertising various sale prices at stores across town. It became very obvious; someone saw the advantages of advertising to consumers in the Black community.

As with the roll of the dice, there is another combination to consider. Investing and reinvesting must be learned by all of our business owners. Just as many of us exercise our faith on Sunday morning, we must sow our mustard seeds when it comes to our dollars Monday through Saturday. It doesn’t take much faith to go out and purchase the things you, your friend and neighbors can see with the proceeds of your labor.

Wearing the latest fashions, a Rolex watch or purchasing an SUV will not give you a return on investment. Bling Bling and Ballin are not cool; investments and retirement accounts are. The desire for immediate gratification has been the downfall of many individuals in our neighborhoods and society.

Creating an advertising budget and becoming a savvy investor of your advertising dollars will produce new customers, repeat business, a healthier bottom line and longevity in your chosen profession. In todays global economy, we can no longer use the same marketing strategies we did 40 years ago. Our client base is larger than the five mile radius surrounding our stores.

I’m reminded of what those wise and beautiful ancient ones said in church when I was a boy. “He may not come when you want Him, but Hes right on time!” So it is with success in advertising.

Untold is not just another male magazine to join the already crowded shelves. It is the only, and the first, lifestyle magazine for UK-based black men.

Untold is different from the current black press – our tone is confident and knowing,

While our mood is celebratory. We want to help give black men the release they need.

Give them the breath of fresh air they thoroughly deserve. Make them cry. Iaugh and feel great for simply being who they are.

Untold is an exploration into a market ready to fragment into different categories, rather than subdivide within what is, essentially. the same homogeneous group. Untold is the complete black lifestyle magazine. Progressive. adventurous and fun, Untold has attitude, is innovative and challenging. It reflects and enhances the new. sophisticated black man who has evolved despite the negative barrage of views against is character No title yet meets the requirements we will match. No publication yet; celebrates the pain. passion and frustration of the mature, intelligent UK black male.

British black men are synonymous with style. UK black men are at the cutting edge of fashion. We buy the same records, watch the same films, wear the same clothes, eat the same food, have the same interests as our white counterparts.

Black men are preparing for the Millennium, as old attitudes are slowly replaced with the new.

Times are a-changing and we have moved on. Yes, we still face problems but none are new. We are much better equipped now. We don’t ponder on things that stand in the way of us getting on – we just get on. Many black men have university degrees, and have the money to spend on the things they want.

Untold is about articulating this unashamed black man, and celebrating his differences at the same time as understanding his common culture. Untold is a means of communication for aspiring blacks – a magazine with empathy about a black UK community that exists, but is largely ignored, as a strong marketable audience.

Welcome to Untold magazine.