Hollywood once dominated the domestic entertainment market, while foreign content had its niche in art houses and with ethnic broadcasters. That era has ended, and the fastest-growing entertainment segments are now coming from Asia. From Korean dramas (K-Dramas) to Bollywood, anime, and pop music, Asian entertainment is experiencing an unprecedented boom. But this didn’t happen overnight. This genre’s rise has been a steadily growing cultural force that, in the TikTok era, has captivated Americans of all ethnicities and backgrounds.
But what's fueling this phenomenon, and how is it changing how we consume media? To delve deeper into the increasing popularity of Asian entertainment among American audiences, ThinkNow tapped into our online market research panels and conducted a nationally representative quantitative survey of 2,000 adults, yielding intriguing findings.
Download the report here.
The internet, particularly the explosion of social media platforms, has been a catalyst for the proliferation of Asian media. These platforms offer a constant stream of bite-sized content that transcends language barriers. Compelling snippets of Korean Pop (K-Pop) dance routines, Japanese anime and Bollywood films have ignited curiosity among American audiences.
Japanese anime and Korean dramas are the most consumed content by 46% and 40% of Americans, respectively, followed closely by Chinese movies, Korean music and Bollywood movies. Gen Z is leading in consumption, with 62% consuming Japanese anime, followed by nearly 50% of Millennials who are also anime fans. In music, K-Pop reigns supreme, with 34% of Gen Z listening. Women, in particular, are driving the growth of both K-Pop and K-Dramas in the U.S. Their consumption of these two forms of entertainment surpasses male consumption by 10 percentage points each.
So, what exactly is drawing audiences in? The answer lies in the unique appeal of Asian entertainment. For Asian Americans, the connection might be rooted in heritage or family ties, while others discover it through organic exploration on social media or through word-of-mouth recommendations. For the mainstream audience, the allure is multifaceted. They are attracted to the addictive nature of K-Dramas, with 53% stating that the storylines hook them.
Accessing Asian entertainment is a challenge for some consumers. While streaming services have contributed to the diffusion of this content, 20% of consumers face difficulties accessing it, primarily due to limited availability on some streaming platforms. Netflix, however, remains the leading platform for video content, while Spotify and YouTube Music dominate the music scene. The survey reveals an emerging trend of viewers subscribing to multiple platforms to satisfy their Asian entertainment needs. A considerable portion of consumers expressed willingness to pay for a dedicated Asian content streaming service, particularly among Gen Z. As more platforms add Asian content, its consumption will likely increase among other key demographics.
Plot and storylines are the primary drivers of viewership, followed by genre and recommendations. However, the most significant takeaway is the overwhelmingly positive perception of Asian entertainment's influence on the broader market. Viewers across various ethnicities and age groups reported a sense of cultural connection and appreciation for the positive values often portrayed.
As Asian entertainment continues to expand its global reach and influence, it is becoming increasingly clear that it’s not a passing trend. Music groups like Korea’s BTS and BLACKPINK, and series like Squid Game and anime/manga/games from Japan like Dragon Ball, Pokémon and Naruto as well as popular content from China, India, The Philippines and Malaysia promote cross-cultural understanding and are poised to create a lasting legacy of positivity within the media landscape. The future of Asian entertainment looks bright, with content poised to continue captivating American audiences as its availability grows.
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Financial curveballs sent many American families reeling in 2023. Household budgets were squeezed by rising interest rates, surging prices on everyday goods, and a stagnating housing market. Consumers were feeling strapped. That sentiment, however, appears to be waning. The question is, to what extent?
To take the pulse of consumers’ feelings about their financial well-being ahead of a highly anticipated election, ThinkNow conducted a nationally representative quantitative survey. The survey highlights consumers’ hopes and anxieties as we move into 2024. Let's unpack the key findings to gain insights about where we stand.
Download the report here.
Nearly twice as many respondents in our survey anticipate an improvement in their financial situation (both personal and family) for 2024 (38%) compared to those expecting a decline (20%) when compared to 2023. And, around two-thirds of respondents feel confident managing their finances moving into 2024. African Americans and Baby Boomers lead in this category, while Gen Z lags behind. This gap highlights a potential need for targeted financial education initiatives, especially among younger consumers.
The financial optimism isn't shared equally. Hispanics, non-Hispanic Whites, and Millennials top the list of those feeling financially overwhelmed. While N.H. Whites worry about retirement more than African Americans, both groups face significant pressure. Interestingly, Baby Boomers seem the most grounded, with the lowest reported stress.
Compared to last year, almost half of the respondents have reported a significant increase in their financial anxiety—notably, women, N.H. Whites and Gen Xers are at the forefront of this trend. Despite these challenges, optimism isn’t lost. Approximately two-thirds of respondents believe their finances will improve in 2024, with Gen Z and Millennials emerging as the most optimistic.
Debt looms large, with half of the respondents burdened by it. While Asians and Gen Z carry less debt, Millennials and Gen X grapple with debt, especially credit card debt, the most. Making payments is a struggle for many, with African Americans, Gen Z, and women the most impacted. Rising interest rates add another layer of anxiety, particularly for African Americans and Baby Boomers. Previously sustainable debt levels can become overwhelming as interest rates rise.
As per the headlines, inflation is the top financial concern across the board, followed by unexpected expenses and housing costs. Gen Z worries less about inflation and the economy compared to older generations, but housing affordability and saving for the future weigh heavily on their minds.
Fortunately, over half of respondents actively seek support when stressed about finances, especially Gen Z and Millennials, known for being more open and vocal about their lives. While most respondents are likely to reach out to family and friends for advice, the willingness to openly talk about finances is still somewhat taboo. African Americans and Baby Boomers are ‘very uncomfortable’ talking about their finances with others.
Finally, the survey emphasizes the importance of financial education, with an overwhelming majority acknowledging its crucial role in financial well-being. This underscores the need for financial literacy programs accessible across all demographics to empower individuals to manage their finances confidently.
America's financial landscape is diverse, with different groups facing unique challenges and holding varying degrees of hope. Recognizing these disparities and fostering financial literacy across all generations and ethnic groups is key to building a more financially secure and resilient economy.
For deeper insights into the ThinkNow 2024 Consumer Financial Wellness Report, download it here for free.
The 2023 holiday shopping season kicked off strong, with Adobe Analytics reporting a record $9.8 billion in Black Friday online sales, up 7.5% from 2022.Cyber Monday numbers were even stronger, with consumers spending $12.4 billion, a 9.6% increase over last year. So, what does this mean for December sales and the rest of the holiday shopping season? ThinkNow recently conducted a nationally representative quantitative survey of 1,500 consumers revealing insights into what Americans buy and spend for the holidays. From shopping habits to spending patterns, let's delve into the top five trends shaping the 2023 holiday shopping season.
Download the report here.
The changing consumer landscape presents challenges and opportunities during the holiday season. Our findings suggest that businesses should focus on the following strategies to engage multicultural consumers during this time to build goodwill that could spill over to other peak spending seasons:
The 2023 holiday shopping season is starting strong, with several key trends emerging. Early birds are taking advantage of extra discounts and promotions, while spending sentiments are mixed due to economic uncertainties. Online shopping continues to dominate the landscape, with over half of consumers planning to purchase online. This presents a unique opportunity for businesses catering to multicultural consumers who are expected to drive significant growth during the holiday season.
Download the full report here for a deep dive into the findings and more cultural insights.
The beauty industry has transformed in recent years driven by consumer demands for products that align with their cultural values and personal beliefs. While the top cosmetic brands continue to be L’Oreal and Estee Lauder, they are being challenged by younger, edgier brands like Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty, Rihanna’s Fenty and e.l.f. Cosmetics. Consumer opinion, however, is not homogeneous. There are significant differences in preferences based on ethnicity, age, income and gender. ThinkNow uncovered some of those differences in our recent Inclusive Beauty Report based on a nationally representative online survey of 2,800 respondents.
Download the full results of the survey here.
The era of conscious consumerism has brought about a major shift in the beauty industry. Increasingly, consumers seek products that align with their values, whether minimizing harm to animals, supporting sustainable practices, or promoting inclusivity. This has led to a growing demand for cosmetics and beauty products that are cruelty-free, meaning they are not tested on animals and that are considered inclusive.
Interestingly, while nearly half of cosmetic consumers want cruelty-free brands, 88% of them are still not cruelty-free. However, the fastest growing brands like e.l.f. and Rare Beauty are both cruelty-free and vegan. Legacy companies that want to compete in today’s market are being pushed to adopt these practices in their formulations and testing processes.
While the market as-a-whole is trending towards conscious consumerism, there are significant multicultural differences. For example, the demand for all-vegan cosmetics appears to be driven by non-Hispanic White consumers.
Additionally, since non-Hispanic Whites are, on average, ten years older than multicultural Americans, 42% of them choose brands based on how they address age-related needs vs. 30% of Hispanics who value age-related needs. Asians value products that offer solutions for different skin tones (37%) vs products that are endorsed by celebrities (15%) while Black and non-Hispanic White consumers are more likely to value brands that have a variety of price points. Understanding and addressing these specific preferences, as supported by cultural consumer insights, is crucial for building a loyal customer base.
One might assume that younger consumers would be most interested in conscious consumerism. Gen Z however, is much less likely to seek out vegan cosmetic brands (19%) than Millennials (33%) or Gen X (31%). Gen X is more likely to seek out organic/natural ingredients (41%) than the 36% average for other age groups.
Income, however, is one of the factors that most affect cosmetic product preferences. For example, those earning more than $80K a year are significantly more likely to choose brands that are cruelty-free (53%) and vegan (42%) than those earning less than $40K annually (39%) and 21%), respectively. This insight-driven approach doesn't just enhance product offerings; it also builds trust and loyalty among diverse consumer groups.
The beauty industry's shift towards cruelty-free, vegan, and inclusive beauty products aligns with trends observed in multicultural consumer insights. Younger generations are the most statistically diverse in history and wield the power to affect change. They are communicating their expectations to brands or starting their own and challenging heteronormative stereotypes of “beauty.” Companies willing to adapt to these culture shifts will stay relevant as consumer tastes change and contribute to a more compassionate and diverse world.
The earth isn’t having a good 21st century. In terms of environmental health, the planet is deteriorating across all metrics, and most governments worldwide have failed to address this issue adequately. Politicians may be more willing to push for substantive policies on issues like climate change if they feel their constituents would support them, but they need the data. So, to commemorate Earth Day and Arbor Day, ThinkNow conducted a nationally representative quantitative consumer research study to identify sustainability policies that Americans support and to highlight their views on environmental concerns.
Download the study here.
Environmental concerns vary significantly by generation. For example, when asked about the importance of personally using renewable energy, 46% of Millennials said it was important, very important or extremely important (Top 3 Box response on a 10-point scale), whereas only 29% of Baby Boomers and 32% of Gen Z agreed. Millennial Americans were more likely to support and engage in every sustainability measure we asked about.
Millennials were also more likely to say they personally engaged in sustainability practices more than the general population and that those practices positively impacted the world.
However, sustainability can be expensive. Some policies increase the cost of goods and services, which is often cited as a reason politicians choose not to pursue them. But Millennials are willing to shoulder the expense more so than any other generation, with Gen Z a close second.
Some attitudes and behaviors surrounding sustainability appear to be influenced by ethnicity. Eighty-eight percent of Asian Americans, for example, say they take shorter showers to conserve water, whereas only 77% of non-Hispanic Whites say they do that. Non-Hispanic Whites were most likely to say they buy used/thrift items at 76%, while only 61% of Asian Americans were thrift shoppers.
Among the different ethnic groups, African Americans displayed the lowest level of concern regarding the planet's future, with only 68% expressing worry. On the other hand, Hispanics had the highest level of anxiety, with 76% expressing concern. This discrepancy could explain why Hispanics are also the group most willing to shoulder the financial costs associated with sustainable practices.
Income level is key in predicting an individual's likelihood to support or engage in sustainability practices. Opting to go green can get expensive, which explains why only 34% of individuals earning less than $40K per year believe that personally using renewable energy is important, in contrast to 50% of high earners who do. Additionally, certain practices, such as growing one's own food, are more feasible for individuals living in single-family homes than those residing in multi-unit buildings.
The infrastructure bill passed in 2021 aims to increase the number of electric vehicles (EVs) on the road. However, 52% of our representative sample said they would not buy an EV in the future. This presents a problem if the U.S. hopes to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels. At 64%, the main reason survey respondents gave for not planning to purchase an electric vehicle was cost. EVs are more expensive than their gas-powered counterparts. Range, on the other hand, was a barrier a few years ago, but only 15% of respondents cited that as a reason today. A lack of charging accessibility was the second most likely reason respondents would avoid EVs, with 34% stating they had nowhere to charge at work or home and an equal 34% stating there aren't enough charging stations.
Sustainability and environmental concerns are becoming increasingly important to Americans, particularly younger generations. Millennials and Gen Z are more likely to support and engage in these practices, even if they come at a cost. The passage of the infrastructure bill in 2021 represents progress in decreasing our reliance on fossil fuels. However, the cost of purchasing an electric vehicle remains a significant obstacle for many Americans. To effectively address environmental degradation, policymakers must consider their constituents' attitudes, behaviors, motivators, and barriers when formulating policies to tackle this crucial issue. Further action is necessary to ensure that sustainable solutions are accessible and feasible for all.
Gun violence in the U.S. is an intractable problem. A steady stream of mass shootings and increasing homicide rates do not appear to be motivating politicians to enact meaningful gun control laws. The recently passed bipartisan Safer Communities Act does little to solve the problem. Its provisions are so weak that few gun control advocates believe it will significantly impact U.S. gun-related deaths.
Democratic and Republican politicians have shied away from the problem because of the potential for electoral backlash. While more amenable to gun control, Democrats often attribute their loss of the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994 after four decades in power as a consequence of their passage of an assault weapons ban earlier that year. This led to years of anemic Democratic support for gun control while Republicans pushed to loosen gun laws under pressure from the NRA.
Weak Democratic support and Republican antipathy towards gun control has worked politically, but it appears the electorate is shifting its opinion on this issue. ThinkNow recently collaborated with Team Friday to field a nationally representative survey of 1,200 registered voters and found that 66% believe the U.S. needs stricter gun laws. Our survey results match those released by Gallup earlier this year which also found that 66% of respondents want more stringent gun laws, up from a low of 44% in 2010.
According to our data, party affiliation strongly indicates whether a respondent supports gun control. Eighty-six percent of Democratic voters, 41% of Republicans, and 69% of Independents stated that gun laws should be stricter. While 41% Republican support might seem low, it’s an improvement over the past couple of years which measured their support in the low 20s.
This shift in Republican support could have implications in Texas and Florida where a clear majority of the electorate support stricter gun laws while their legislators are actively loosening them.
More interestingly, we found that gun owners, themselves, support stricter gun laws.
While there are differences in opinion based on party affiliation, we found there are four reforms that Americans across the political spectrum can get behind. Universal background checks, red-flag laws, raising the gun buying age to 21 and permits for concealed carry all garner more than 50% support among Americans that want stricter gun laws.
Politicians in Red (leans toward Republicans) or Purple States (similar support for Democrats and Republicans) who are interested in addressing the gun problem can presumably support the four measures above without the risk of electoral backlash.
At 74%, the primary reason Americans state for buying guns is to protect their home. No other reason exceeds 50%. This would suggest that gun legislation that does not infringe on individuals’ right to protect their home has a lower chance of creating voter backlash.
Interestingly, a policy that does not have overwhelming support, even among Democrats is allowing individuals to sue gun manufacturers.
It’s possible that Americans don’t support suing manufacturers because they fear this will put them out of business and restrict their access to guns for home protection.
It’s often assumed that gun rights and gun regulations are mutually exclusive. That’s not true. Clear majorities of Americans that support gun rights want better regulation. Americans, in general, are tired of the carnage and want something done about it. In 2020, voters listed attitudes towards guns laws as one of the reasons they were voting for president. Unfortunately, the problem has only gotten worse since then. Politicians who respond to this crisis can lead the nation to a future where mass shootings and unprovoked gun deaths are a thing of the past. Those interested in maintaining the status quo may find themselves without a constituency.
Join ThinkNow and Team Friday for a webinar discussing insights from the study on Wednesday, November 2nd at 10 AM PST/ 1 PM EST.
Click here to register.
Consumption has changed since the pandemic, as consumers consider their lifestyles more deeply. Companies and brands are following suit, studying how their actions, systems, and beliefs impact the consumer dynamic and striving to be more inclusive in their marketing and advertising. However, not all consumers feel seen.
Latinx consumers in the U.S. are not a homogenous group. Marketers are accustomed to segmenting these groups by factors like country of origin but often overlook the biculturalism that exists among niche groups, like Latinx consumers of Asian descent who immigrated from Latin America to the States in the past few decades.
In this episode of The New Mainstream podcast, Silvia Li Sam, founder of Slam Media Lab (Slam), talks about her experience as a Peruvian Chinese American and how marketers must leverage research to understand the complexities of the Latinx consumer market.
About Silvia Li Sam:
Silvia Li Sam is a Peruvian Chinese American founder, published writer, and expert on content marketing, web design, and SEO.
Li Sam was one of the youngest CEOs to start a multi-million dollar agency during the Great Resignation of 2021. Her award-winning agency, Slam Media Lab (Slam), focuses on SEO, Webflow, content marketing, and brand strategy for founder-led and mission-driven companies.
Before starting Slam, Li Sam was the first hire for digital & SEO at the XQ, the nation’s leading organization rethinking America’s high schools started by Laurene Powell Jobs. She scaled XQ’s marketing efforts from 0 to over 650,000 members in 3 years, and skyrocketed their SEO from 0 to 2MM searches. Li Sam has led multi-million dollar advertising and branding campaigns, managed and executed partnerships with all social media platforms, and led two successful TV shows (Graduate Together & XQ Super School Live) on the four major networks. The shows have reached over 2B people.
Li Sam is known for starting one of the largest startup publications in the world in three months, growing it from 0 to 250,000 readers with no budget.
Her work has been nominated for Webby and Peabody awards. Li Sam’s marketing strategies have been featured on Forbes, The Huffington Post, NBC, and more.
She is a Board Member at Wild Awake, a nonprofit that provides immersive outdoor learning experiences for youth and adults that bring us closer to the earth. She also serves as a tech and marketing advisor to two tech-focused nonprofits: Peer Health Exchange and LTX Connect.
Li Sam holds a B.S. in Business & Marketing with a minor in design from the University of Southern California.
She lives in the East Bay with her partner and her labradoodle and frequently bounces between San Francisco, Lima, Honolulu, Los Angeles, and New York.