A study from Nielsen reveals that the majority of Black audiences (67 per cent) surveyed pay more attention to ads in media that reflect their culture. In addition, Black audiences demonstrate loyalty and trust to the brands and influencers they believe in compared to other segments. Over half (52 per cent) of Black audiences agreed they’re more likely to purchase when a brand partners with creators connected to their fandoms and interests compared to 45 per cent overall.

The The Black Influence: How Black Culture & Identity Drive the Market leverages Nielsen insights to underscore the profound cultural and commercial power of Black audiences. This marks the 15th year Nielsen has released its Diverse Intelligence Series reports, as Nielsen’s nationwide panel of more than 100,000 people representative of the US population gives it the ability to produce insights on a range of demographics and identities.

“Our new report clearly defines that authentic representation has an increasingly impactful influence on attention and purchase behaviors,” said Charlene Polite Corley, Vice President, Inclusive Insights, Nielsen. “It’s more than just simply checking a box. It’s about actively engaging with Black audiences, reflecting their interests and culture in an effort to build a stronger business for brands.”

In 2026, Black buying power is projected to top $2 trillion, according to Selig Center for Economic Growth projections. Understanding the impact of Black culture across audiences is a path to growth. Most members of the Black community in the advertiser-coveted 18-34 demographic (74 per cent) agree with the statement “I wish I saw more representation of my identity group when I consume content.”  That number ticks up to 79 per cent when measuring the Black LGBTQ+ audience. In fact, 7 in 10 (70 per cent) of Black consumers will stop buying from brands perceived as devaluing their community.

Nielsen’s report underscores the fact that representation in both content and in ads acts as a beacon for Black engagement, affinity and purchase. As an example, 60 per cent of Black consumers expect the retailers they buy from to support the causes they care about while 56 per cent prefer to buy brands that advertise on programmes that reflect their culture. Also of note, 57 per cent of Black consumers agree if a company mistreats employees, they will no longer use them.

Black America’s engagement and cultural influence are driving growth in key sectors of the media landscape that every advertiser wants in on. The common denominator for Black consumers’ attention and brand alignment is inclusion of experiences that move beyond tokenism to embrace authenticity.

The majority (71 per cent) of Black consumers feel misrepresented in the media, playing a significant factor in their content choices.

There is also a strong opportunity to reach Black audiences on TV and streaming, as new Nielsen data shows:

• Black 18-49 year olds average nearly seven and a half hours more per week with Connected TV than their counterparts of the same age group

• Black audiences are 13 per cent of the TV population but drive nearly a third of FAST engagement at 31 per cent audience share

• Black viewers were the most likely to want to watch events live as they air or become available on streaming services

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Categories: Advertising, Articles, Broadcast, Consumer Behaviour, Research

Tags: advertising, Black, FAST, nielsen, usa