Marketers seeking to engage multicultural audiences should invest in digital media, according to a new report from My Code and reported by MarketingCharts.
The survey found that 42% of multicultural US adults said they’re “spending a lot more time” on the internet compared to a year ago, in comparison to 27% of other US adult respondents.
Multicultural adults also are more likely than others – 75% compared to 67% – to use the internet while away from home, work or school, giving marketers opportunities to target them on the go.
Video, podcasts, gaming and social media are key
Some 71% of multicultural respondents watch digital video, which MarketingCharts says is “particularly strong” among Hispanic adults, at least once a day, compared to 57% of other adults, and 58% listen monthly to podcasts in comparison to 51% of other adults.
Among those multicultural podcast listeners, 39% of Asian American Pacific Islander consumers surveyed listen to podcasts 1 to 3 hours a day, compared to 36% of Hispanic adults and 34% of Black adults who said the same.
Seven in 10 multicultural adults play video games on a monthly basis, compared to 66% of other adults, while 50% identify as gamers.
In addition, 80% of multicultural adults use social media on a daily basis.
Marketers need to address issues that matter
Some 78% of multicultural adults say online racial hate is a major issue and more than half of respondents think social platforms aren’t doing enough to prevent misinformation.
“[B]rand safety on social media no longer means avoiding sensitive topics, but rather proactively considering brand involvement and responses to these issues,” the report states, noting, “Being prepared and having a playbook empowers brands to lead the conversation from a position of strength to help reinforce brand safety and authenticity.”
This advice to proactively tackle issues important to multicultural audiences is especially vital. The report found just 40% of multicultural adults say they feel understood by brands and companies but 70% are more likely to trust and buy from brands when they feel understood by them.
A fear of “getting it wrong” is a big barrier to more diverse and inclusive marketing, according to 64% of marketers who responded to an Unstereotype Alliance study covered in this SmartBrief article. The article also provides a roundup of tips on how marketers can overcome this fear and put in place strategies to minimize the possibility of “getting it wrong.”
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