Women of color play a very large part in mainstream culture. Whether it’s fashion, television or music, the influence is increasing day by day. Some of the biggest networks, streaming services, record labels, sports leagues, and consumer product manufacturers are starting to take notice. The impact of diverse consumers has risen the most in the past decade. Spending power has grown, thus creating a cultural shift toward social change.
Nielsen, a global information, data, and measurement company, recently launched a study focused on the impact and influence of women of color consumers called the Nielsen Diverse Intelligence Series.
This three-part series outlines the economic and cultural influence of three key demographics: African-American, Asian, and Hispanic women. “With 92% of the population growth in the US over the past 15 years coming from ethnic minorities, it's important for content creators, media platforms, manufacturers, retailers and marketers to understand their future success depends on their ability to appeal and market to a multicultural world,” said Andrew McCaskill, Senior Vice President, Global Communications & Multicultural Marketing, Nielsen.
“That’s where Nielsen data and insights come into play. Our goal is to help our clients make better decisions when engaging multicultural communities.” Last year was a huge glass ceiling shattering moment for women. The context of these reports align perfectly with the type of impact women are making economically and culturally.
African American Women
First, let’s discuss African American (AA) women. The digital sphere saw huge domination from AA women with the expanding of such movements as “Black Twitter.” The report analyzed data that saw that women of color, particularly AA women, had the most economic control, with spending power being in the trillions.
If African Americans alone were a country, they would be the 15th largest economy in the world, with AA Women controlling the lion's share of it. This is a very important thing for consumer goods and media companies to get a handle on as this proves the need for more multicultural strategies. Another thing seen in this report was that shows depicting a diverse cast were the most successful ones amongst all shows on television. Shows such as “This Is Us” and “Blackish” are enjoyed and watched across all ethnic lines, which can only mean having a more diverse cast equals strengthening of viewership.
Asian Women
Asian women who don’t see themselves represented look at outlets such as YouTube to see those like them as influencers in industries such as beauty and fashion. Asian women seek inspiration from Korean and Chinese beauty trends in big box retailers, with major brands tapping these women who are viewing YouTube videos for advice on how to better suit their purchasing needs. US-born Asian women were most interested in products catered specifically to them.
Latina Women
With Latina women graduating at higher rates and entering the workforce in large numbers, their multigenerational influence gives more insight into how they are spending their money. The study showed that Latina women saw themselves as 100% American and at the same time 100% Latina. Though they are modern and adapt to trends they see in the country, they are keen on keeping tradition intact.
The Nielsen Diverse Intelligence Series, available to clients across many industries, has been downloaded more than 3,500 times. There is an ever-growing shift being seen in the nation from grocers who are stocking shelves with products that were once only available at specialty stores in diverse neighborhoods, to the influx of diverse content being shown on the big and small screens.
Such shifts are due in part to the impact of diverse consumers and mainstream culture. Women of color, in particular, are now playing a huge role in how women perceive themselves, which gives them influencing power.
The Nielsen Diverse Intelligence Series brings to light exactly what the general market is missing and the need to listen to multicultural women in order to not only shift the way brands are and inspire their consumers to be forward-thinking about these demographic shifts, but also ensuring their product offerings are relevant in this ever-changing consumer landscape.
We live in a time period where there should be no more accidents relating to multicultural campaigns and commercials that miss the mark. There is direct research, studies, and focus groups that give important insight into the consumers that brands are aiming to reach, so that targeted groups will become consumers of their products.
If brands don’t have diverse representation at the table when it comes to planning and developing multicultural campaigns (which they should), then just head on over to the Nielsen Diverse Intelligence Series that will provide insight into the consumer habits of African American, Asian, and Latina women. There should be no more excuses. Now is the time to be informed and now is the time to act.
