A new report from Katz Multicultural entitled “The Importance of the Black American Consumer” says that in the contemporary marketing landscape, reaching out to Black Americans has become an essential strategy.
“This life-group represents not just a significant portion of the population but also wields considerable economic power and cultural influence,” the report says. “Understanding and effectively engaging with Black American consumers can lead to robust business opportunities as well as cultivate brand loyalty and lasting relationships.”
It’s a golden opportunity for radio. Black listeners, who are twice as likely to want to try a brand’s product advertised on local radio, are seeing rising populations in major markets. Their collective buying power is soaring, and the demo is making gains in key economic categories.
Above and beyond all else, no medium reaches, engages or influences more Black U.S. consumers than radio. According to Nielsen data from Q3 2024, AM/FM radio reaches 79% of Black adults 18+ each week, second only to Smartphone App/Web (84%) and ahead of TV+DVR (77%) and PC Internet (59%).
And within the realm of audio, AM/FM trounces other players, including YouTube Music, Pandora, Spotify and Amazon Music — among listeners 18+, 18-34, 35-49 and 50+, according to Scarborough data.
The average Black Adult 18+ listener, the report says, spends 11 hours and 17 minutes weekly with radio. That’s 22 minutes more per week than the total U.S. average.
Radio also connects with Black adults during daily windows where marketing messages are most actionable, including in the car, where two-thirds of out-of-home listening takes place, according to National Regional Database research from last year.
Even during traditional non-working hours, more than half of radio listening among Black consumers happens out of home: 57% from 6am to midnight listening on Saturday and Sunday is OOH. On Monday through Saturday 6am to midnight, that number jumps to 64%.
“Genuinely engaging with Black consumers in an environment that focuses on community, cultural identity and authenticity is a must for marketers to build lasting relationships, leading to higher conversion rates and brand loyalty,” the report says. Marketers can get even more granular by targeting Black consumers based on their format of choice: Urban Adult Contemporary (30.5% share), Urban Contemporary (19.5%), Rhythmic CHR (5.4%), Adult Contemporary (4.9%) and Pop CHR (4.2%).
Radio also sets the pace when it comes to the fundamental issue of trust. Seventy-eight percent of Black Adults 18+ consider radio to be “very trustworthy” or “trustworthy,” followed by newspapers (77%) and television (71%). Only 41% say the same about social media.
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