NEW YORK, Oct. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Black Millennials
are 11.5 million strong and leading a viral vanguard that is
driving African-Americans' innovative use of mobile technology and
closing the digital divide. Nielsen highlights this group in a new
report called "Young, Connected and Black: African-American
Millennials Are Driving Social Change and Leading Digital
Advancement." With $162 billion in
buying power and undisputed cultural influence, Black Millennials
are using their power to successfully raise awareness of issues
facing the Black community and influence decisions shaping our
world. Media and brands are taking notice, creating campaigns and
content that target this increasingly influential demographic with
greater ad spends and more diverse programming.
The sixth in Nielsen's Diverse Intelligence Series focused on
Black consumers, "Young, Connected and Black" paints a picture of a
Black diaspora that is tech-savvy; socially and civically engaged;
growing in population (46.3 million or 14% of the U.S. population)
and buying power (nearly $1.2
trillion in 2015); and optimistic about the future.
"We have entered a new era whereby technology has become a great
equalizer," said Cheryl Grace (née
Pearson-McNeil), Senior Vice President, U.S. Strategic Community
Alliances and Consumer Engagement. "Black Millennials are leading
the way in their use of technology to impact change and get their
voices heard."
The 83.1 million U.S. Millennials are considered a key voting
bloc this November. Black Millennials represent 14% of all
Millennials and 25% of the total Black population. The top five
markets for Black Millennials (by population) are New York, Atlanta, Chicago, DC and South Florida (Miami/Ft.
Lauderdale). Weeks before the 2016 presidential race, the
power of the Black electorate is a particular point of interest
given the records set in 2012 when, bolstered by its Millennial
population, African-Americans had the highest rate of voter
registration and voter turnout of any demographic group in the
U.S.
"African-American Millennials are blazing trails to the center
of the debate over matters that are paramount to their future
success and safety—all as their influence over mainstream consumers
grows," said Deborah Gray-Young,
Managing Partner, D. Gray-Young Inc., a multicultural marketing
consulting firm and Nielsen External Advisory Council member.
"Nielsen continues to be the definitive source of independent
third-party insights on consumers of color. This annual report is
an essential tool for organizations looking to develop a deeper
contextual understanding of the influence and economic power of
Black consumers."
The 2016 report delves into the spending and viewing habits of
African-Americans overall and credits a voracious appetite for
television content with the dramatic increase in diverse television
programming. Between 2011 and 2015, broadcast network TV ad spend
focused on Black audiences (defined as ad dollars placed on
programming with greater than 50% Black viewers) increased by 255%.
The Top 10 TV shows among Black Millennials 18–24 and Blacks 35+
all had predominately Black casts or lead actors who are key to the
storyline (e.g. "Empire," "How to Get Away With Murder," and "The
Walking Dead").
Some other key highlights from the report:
African-Americans are Closing the Digital Divide
- African-American Millennials are 25% more likely than all
Millennials to say they are among the first of their
friends/colleagues to try new technology products.
- As smartphone owners, African-Americans (91%) are second only
to Asian-Americans (94%).
- 91% of African-Americans say they access the Internet on a
mobile device, an increase from 86% in 2015, which further cements
their status as digital leaders.
A Viral Vanguard: Social media engagement
- 55% of Black Millennials report spending at least one hour a
day on social networking sites, which is 6% higher than all
Millennials, while 29% say they spend at least three hours a day,
9% higher than all Millennials.
- 28% of African-Americans age 35+ say they use social networking
sites for at least one hour per day, which is 2% higher than the
total population in this age group. Ten percent of
African-Americans age 35+ say they use social networking sites for
at least three hours per day, which is 2% higher than the total
population age 35+).
Voracious Content Consumers
- African-American Millennials watch nearly 33 hours of live and
DVR time-shifted television per week, about 12 and half more hours
per week than total Millennials.
- African-American Millennials spend about two hours more per
week (eight hours and 29 minutes versus six hours and 28 minutes)
using the internet on PCs, and about an hour more weekly (three
hours and 47 minutes versus two hours and 33 minutes) watching
video on PCs than total Millennials.
Education advancements of Black Millennials
- 89% of African Americans ages 25–34 completed high school,
compared to 77% of Black Americans ages 55 and older.
- 21% of African Americans ages 25–34 have an associate's college
degree or higher, versus 17% of those who are 55 and older.
African-American incomes and spending power
- Overall Black spending power is projected to reach $1.4 trillion by 2020.
- From 2004 – 20014 the number of Black households with annual
incomes of $50,000 - $75,000
increased 18% compared to 2% for the total U.S. For Black
households earning $100,000+ annually, the increase between 2004
and 2014 was 95%, compared with 66% for the total population.
- The share of Black households with an income less than
$25,000 declined from 43% in 2004 to
37% of the total African-American population in 2014.
Media Alert: Nielsen's Cheryl
Grace, Senior Vice President, U.S. Strategic Community
Alliances and Consumer Engagement, and Andrew McCaskill, Senior Vice President,
Communications & Multicultural Marketing, are available for
media interviews.
For more details and insights, download the 2016 report, Young,
Connected and Black: African-American Millennials Are Driving
Social Change and Leading Digital Advancement.
Join the conversation on Facebook (Nielsen Community) and
Twitter (@NielsenKnows) using #NielsenKnows.
About Nielsen's Diverse Intelligence Series
In 2011,
Nielsen launched the Diverse Intelligence Series, a robust
portfolio of comprehensive reports that focus solely on diverse
consumers' unique consumption and purchasing habits. The series has
become an industry resource to help brands better understand and
reach ethnic customers. To learn more about Nielsen's Diverse
Intelligence research series, visit www.nielsencommunity.com.
About Nielsen
Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE: NLSN) is a
global performance management company that provides a comprehensive
understanding of what consumers Watch and Buy. Nielsen's Watch
segment provides media and advertising clients with Total Audience
measurement services across all devices where content—video, audio
and text—is consumed. The Buy segment offers consumer packaged
goods manufacturers and retailers the industry's only global view
of retail performance measurement. By integrating information from
its Watch and Buy segments and other data sources, Nielsen provides
its clients with both world-class measurement as well as analytics
that help improve performance. Nielsen, an S&P 500 company, has
operations in over 100 countries that cover more than 90% of the
world's population. For more information, visit
www.nielsen.com.
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