Black American Subcultures Matter, Too

At 13% of the U.S. population, Black Americans are key drivers of mainstream cultural trends. From music to sports, fashion, and the latest Tik Tok dances, the influence of Black American culture is evident in almost every facet of daily American life. But unlike other multicultural groups, African Americans are often still treated as a monolith by marketers. Faulty sampling methods and inadequate segmentation give marketers an inaccurate view of the Black American experience. And while social justice movements have pushed the needle of change forward for D&I initiatives, the complexities and nuances of Black American subculture are still widely misunderstood. 

To gain deeper insights into Black American need states and content consumption habits, marketers must fully immerse themselves in the “Black experience.” They must study Black television, movies, and literature to understand Black American interests and purchasing behaviors better. Marketers must also immerse themselves into the communities and spaces where Black Americans spend their time if they are to understand their pain points, motivations, and expectations.

This week, we welcome Bianca Pryor, Vice President of Consumer Insights, Content Strategy, and Optimization at BET, to the ThinkNow New Mainstream podcast to discuss how marketers can meaningfully engage Black American consumers, create more inclusive representative samples, and become cultural anthropologists of Black American culture.