The Impact of Black Influence on Culture and Advertising
March 5, 2019
By Nidia Serrano
African Americans are a cultural force in the U.S. The latest chart-topping hits, fashion trends, dance crazes, and product trends all bear the fingerprints of a culture that is rich, innovative and constantly tuned into what’s now, new and next. With a growing population of 46 million1 and a spending power of over $1.2 trillion dollars,2 African Americans are a considerable source of growth for many industries and brands. According to Nielsen, these consumers represent more than 50% of the overall spending in key product categories,2 and are therefore the key to winning the masses.
At Pandora, we have personally witnessed the impact Black consumers have on ad campaigns, especially if those campaigns accurately reflect the Black cultural experience in the U.S. Campaigns targeted to Black consumers guarantee reach against this influential audience and exceed engagement benchmarks by over 70%.3
Because of the immense, overwhelming power of Black consumers, we’ve joined forces with Burrell Communications Group to shine a light on Black influence in music, advertising and popular culture.
“At Burrell, we believe music has the power to help brands connect with Black consumers: a unique, powerful, non-homogenous group of people whose shared experiences and values need to be understood to earn their respect and brand loyalty.” —Lewis Williams, EVP, Chief Creative Officer, Burrell Communications Group
Our long-standing relationship with Burrell has led to the development of a joint quantitative and qualitative study on the influential power of African Americans and the role that music and culture play in their lives. Our goal is to not only demonstrate the value of engaging the African American segment, but to also give marketers the tools they need to connect with them in an authentic and effective way.
We’ll be releasing findings from the study over the next five months through a variety of content that will help you as an advertiser better market to one of the most powerful segments in the country. You can look forward to insights like: What genre do Black listeners enjoy most and why? How do music preferences match consumer behavior? Which artist has the most persuasion power? What are best practices when creating a campaign targeting the African American market? Remember, your audience is listening—create powerful campaigns that truly make an impact.
- U.S. Census Bureau
- Nielsen, Black Impact: Consumer Categories Where African Americans Move Markets, February 2018
- Pandora Internal Data
