Nielsen Highlights Digital Dominance of Black Audiences

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, January 29, 2025 | 8:20pm CT

Nielsen

A recent study by Nielsen reveals that Black Americans spend significantly more time on digital platforms compared to the general U.S. population, highlighting potential areas for brands to engage more effectively with this demographic. According to the "Engaging Black Audiences: How Brands Impact, Grow, and Win with Inclusion" report, Black consumers average 32 hours per week on smartphone and tablet apps and websites-two hours more than the U.S. average.

Charlene Polite Corley, Vice President of Diverse Insights & Partnerships at Nielsen, emphasized the importance of understanding the unique ways Black consumers interact with digital media. "While reaching Black consumers may not be a challenge, genuinely connecting with them requires an understanding of the platforms that foster meaningful conversations and connections," she stated.

The report also sheds light on the media consumption habits of Black millennials, who lead all adults in social media usage by nearly an hour per week. Additionally, Black adults show high engagement rates with both radio and podcasts, matching TV in terms of weekly reach-each medium reaches an average of 27 million Black adults.

The influence of digital platforms extends to purchasing decisions, with 63% of Black consumers saying they are more likely to consider new brands after seeing social media ads or content, compared to 58% of the broader population. Podcast ads also have a strong recall rate among Black listeners, with 73% able to remember a brand name after exposure to an ad.

Television remains a strong venue for reaching Black viewers, who spend about 46 hours and 13 minutes per week watching TV-11 hours more than the general U.S. population. Streaming services are particularly popular, with Black adults allocating 46% of their TV viewing time to these platforms. YouTube stands out as the top platform among Black audiences, who spend 13% of their total TV viewing time there.

Sports also provide a valuable avenue for brand engagement, with Black viewership for events such as the WNBA All-Star Game and NCAA Women's Basketball Championship showing significant increases. This heightened interest in sports is creating opportunities for brands to convert fan loyalty into brand loyalty, especially among Black consumers, who are 7% more likely to purchase a brand after seeing its sponsorship activations.