April 4th, 2022, Hoang Nguyen
From factoring in their personal values to evaluating how their spending will affect the environment, many consumers now consider the social, economic and ecological impact of their purchasing decisions.
As the consumer population continues to grow and diversify, it’s critical for brands to reflect a range of backgrounds and life experiences in their marketing to effectively and authentically engage with future customers.
Zooming into the link between ads and the importance of diversity, a new study from YouGov finds that 52% of US consumers say it is very or somewhat important that brands commit to diversity in their advertising. This 52% represent Inclusive Consumers and this group tends to be comprised of people under the age of 34 (30%), women (57%), Black Americans (24%) and city dwellers (33%).
When it comes to advertising, roughly three in five Inclusive Consumers say online ads tend to catch their attention (59% vs. 48% of all US adults). This is group significantly more likely to say they notice ads on social networks (57% vs. 52%), online video (37% vs. 31%), music (22% vs. 18%) and video (43% vs. 36%) streaming services.
Out of home advertising, particularly that found on public transportation, may also be effective at reaching Inclusive Consumers as this group is significantly more likely than the average American to say they regularly travel on a bus (12% vs. 8%) or train (13% vs. 2%).
But winning over today’s Inclusive Consumers requires an understanding beyond their basic demographics and advertising preferences. Forging authentic connections with these consumers requires brands to look at how they are internally motivated.
YouGov’s analysis shows that 61% of US adults say it’s important that the brands they buy from reflect their own identify and personal values. This figure soars to 85% among Inclusive Consumers.
Two key topics for Inclusive Consumers are support for LGBTQ+ communities and Black-owned businesses.
Three-quarters of Inclusive Consumers say it’s important that the brands they buy from have a commitment to the LGBTQ+ community (vs. 43% of all US adults). What’s more, 78% agree it’s important that companies pledge to support Black-owned businesses (vs. 48% of all US adults).
When we asked what drives Inclusive Consumers to shop with Black-owned businesses, the number one factor was their desire to support local or small businesses (51% vs. 43% of US adults). Next was their desire to support Black-owned businesses (51% vs. 31%) followed by the perception that items and services from Black-owned businesses cost about the same as or less compared to those of other brands (27% vs. 21%).
Roughly a quarter of Inclusive Consumers also shopped or may shop with a Black-owned brand based on the brand’s story (26% vs. 19%) and a near equal share did so based on the recommendation of a friend or family member (23% vs. 20%). Lastly, nearly a fifth of Inclusive Consumers shopped with a Black-owned brand or would consider doing so after seeing someone post or recommend it on social media (18% vs. 13%).
Methodology
YouGov polled 2,000 US adults online on March 17, 2022 between 12:40pm EST and 5:41pm EST. The survey was carried out through YouGov Direct. Data is weighted by age, gender, education level, political affiliation, and ethnicity. Results are nationally representative of adults in the United States. The margin of error is 2.2% for the overall sample. Learn more about YouGov Direct.
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