Brands Are Missing Out on Revenue and Market Share Growth by Not Engaging Effectively With Diverse Communities & Media Properties, According to Research From Direct Digital Holdings

• Nearly 90% of Diverse / Multicultural Consumers Report Taking Positive Action as a Result of a Marketer Purposefully Investing in Their Communities, Including Switching Brands

• Majority Cite More Favorable Feelings About Brands That Advertise in Diverse / Multicultural Media; 4 in 10 More Likely to Notice Ads on Those Properties Compared with Mainstream Media

Direct Digital Holdings Inc., a leading advertising and marketing technology platform operating through its companies Colossus Media, LLC (“Colossus SSP”), Huddled Masses LLC (“Huddled Masses”) and Orange142, LLC (“Orange142”), released a new whitepaper, Dollars & DEI: Multicultural Consumers’ Insights on Brands’ Media Buying and Marketing Practices. The findings reveal that brands, at a time of economic uncertainty, are currently missing out on significant revenue and market share growth opportunities – and jeopardizing future growth – due to a lack of appropriate and purposeful focus on the Black, Hispanic / Latin, AAPI and LGBTQIA+ communities.

The whitepaper centers on exclusive research, commissioned by Direct Digital Holdings and conducted by Horowitz Research. An in-depth survey, the results spotlight the perspectives of diverse / multicultural consumers, a group that comprises two-fifths of the American consumer market, yet has not had proportionate attention from the advertising business.

The research tapped 1,342 U.S. adults 18+ from the Black, Hispanic / Latin, AAPI and LGBTQIA+ communities to share their attitudes and behaviors in light of the marketing world’s scattershot diversity efforts.

According to the findings, almost 90 percent of diverse / multicultural consumers report taking action because of a company investing in their community, including telling others about the brand, sharing their support on social media – or even switching to a brand, away from a competitor that does not invest in their community.

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Other takeaways have major implications and offer guidance to brands, including:

• 8 out of 10 diverse consumers said they feel more positively about brands that live up to promises to make a concerted effort of support to their communities, and alternatively, 8 in 10 say they feel negatively about brands that don’t live up to their promises.
• The large majority of diverse consumers, about 8 in 10, feel more positively about brands that advertise in targeted diverse/multicultural media.
• Nearly 7 out of 10 said that purposely investing ad dollars with media that is owned or focused on their respective communities strongly demonstrates support.
• 4 out of 10 of respondents said they notice ads more when they appear on targeted diverse / multicultural media channels versus mainstream media.

In addition, while ad spending was found to be one of the most impactful ways for marketers to demonstrate a commitment to these audiences, creating ads and content that are inclusive of diverse communities was cited as another strong demonstration of support. To put the findings into sharper focus, both came out ahead of simply sharing social posts.

“Given this compelling data for a growing U.S. economic market segment, there should be no more reason for brands to move slowly in diversifying their media allocations,” said Mark D. Walker, CEO and Co-Founder of Direct Digital Holdings, who penned the introduction to the whitepaper. “If we put aside all the rhetoric and platitudes, this is an industry that has always been and should still be about reaching customers and driving revenue.”

Alongside the survey findings, the paper includes insights from brand leaders from HP, McDonald’s and Visa; media and marketing agency executives from Mediahub Worldwide and One50One; publishers of diverse properties such as Black Enterprise, Glitter Magazine, ODK Media, NGL Collective and Pink Media; the architect behind the new DEI trade group BRIDGE; the chairman and CEO of MediaLink; and the head of Colossus SSP.

“Siloing multicultural and diverse audiences into a separate line item in marketing plans needs to be a thing of the past,” added Alejandro Clabiorne, EVP, Executive Director, New York, Mediahub Worldwide. “This whitepaper not only makes clear that these groups are critical to marketers’ bottom lines, but also provides the types of insights that will show brands how to effectively reach and resonate with these prospective customers, building traction and brand loyalty that can fuel growth.”

“The research demonstrates that across the board, diverse and multicultural consumers recognize, appreciate and have the disposable income to spend on brands that target their communities either through authentic ad messages or media,” said Lashawnda Goffin, CEO, Colossus SSP, the sell-side technology company within Direct Digital Holdings. “Brands that have intentionally and sincerely engaged with these audiences have seen the benefit – and those looking to grow their customer base need to follow suit.”

“Making the right consumer connections is about to take on factorial proportions and while values and outlook may hold groups of targets together, beliefs and aspirations will splinter them, requiring, as the research confirms, much deeper considerations for message tone, creative and of course media placement,” said Sheryl Daija, Founder and CEO, BRIDGE. “It’s time for our industry to move from DEI as a philosophy to inclusion as a core business practice and growth driver.”

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