Reach Multicultural Consumers this Holiday Season with Audio

When you think of the holidays, do you immediately think of Christmas? Do the lively beats of Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" start playing in your head? You’re not alone. But there’s more than one way to celebrate the holidays. And for brands, taking a one-dimensional approach to the holiday season may leave a major audience behind: multicultural consumers (and their $7T in purchasing power).  

The holidays look different across audiences. For many multicultural consumers, not only are they often celebrating mainstream holidays, but they're also celebrating cultural holidays like Las Posadas or Kwanzaa. Throughout the season of celebrations, digital audio is the one certainty in Asian, Black, and Latino consumers’ holiday routines. Whether they’re creating a music playlist to set the vibe for a party or co-listening to a podcast around the fire, multicultural listeners lean on audio to enhance the holiday atmosphere and connect with their loved ones.

Get ready to celebrate all the cultural differences that come with the holiday season (and add nailing multicultural marketing to your list this year).

Asian Consumers Are Most Likely to Host or Attend Holiday Gatherings

The holidays tend to come with a calendar full of reunions and gatherings. And 71% of Asian listeners ages 18 and up stand out among multicultural listeners for their higher likelihood of hosting or attending any gathering. It comes as no surprise that 63% of Asian listeners agree that “music enhances the holiday atmosphere,” outranking other demographics.

In addition to their affinity for holiday events, Asian listeners are 29% more likely to have traveled during the season. Whether they’re visiting family, friends, or a new destination, audio is their travel companion—with this group overindexing for listening to a podcast while traveling.

Holiday gatherings, check. Seasonal travel, check. But it’s holiday gift giving that really gets consumers excited, and Asian audiences are no different. In fact, compared to other multicultural groups, Asian gift purchasers over-index for spending the same amount or more on gifts compared to previous years and taking advantage of key sales dates. The takeaway: They have their wallets at the ready, and they’re waiting for your message.

How to Reach Them

With Asian listeners over-indexing for spending more on gifts and looking for a good deal, you can be sure that they’re open to hearing gift inspiration from ads. In fact, over eight in 10 Asian listeners took any action after hearing or seeing a holiday ad, like exploring brand websites and researching products before visiting a store. With this group reaching for their smartphone the most for holiday listening, brands can get in their ears with mobile advertising solutions on Pandora. Pick among display, video, or rewarded ads to boost web traffic and improve brand recall. Whether this audience is decorating, hosting, or traveling, you can make your brand message a part of their holiday activities on mobile. 

Black Holiday Consumers Start Shopping Early

Black communities embrace the holiday season with traditions and preferences that go beyond standard American norms. To some, December means celebrating Kwanzaa, and for others, it means practicing self-care in solitude. No matter what’s on their calendar, audio sets the vibe. This demographic overindexes for listening to podcasts while cooking a holiday meal and tuning in to holiday music while shopping for gifts in stores.

Speaking of holiday shopping, 77% of Black gift purchasers are most likely to start early—spreading out their purchasing over 60 days. For brands, this means starting your messaging early as well as offering up gift inspiration ideas and potential discounts. After all, three in four Black listeners took any action after hearing or seeing a holiday ad, including visiting a brand’s website or putting an item on their wishlist.

How to Reach Them

With over seven in 10 Black listeners tuning in to holiday music during the season, reach them with Pandora’s Sponsored Stations—from Soulful Holidays, to R&B Holiday, to Smooth Jazz. This solution is a turnkey way to resonate with diverse audiences in the culture-rich environments they’re already seeking this holiday season. As your target listeners jam to classic hits from Boyz II Men and Whitney Houston, take your message even further with welcome interstitials, a Pandora solution that offers your brand full-screen visibility as listeners open the app. Sweeten the deal for this group with a discount, as Black listeners over-index for being influenced by rewards/loyalty perks and ads.

Latino Holiday Consumers Celebrate Various Winter Holidays 

December and January bring much more than Christmas and New Year’s, especially for Latin communities, who celebrate cultural holidays like Las Posadas, Noche Buena, Tamaladas, and Three Kings Day. Acknowledge the unique experiences of this community, and speak their language with audio—the heart of the holidays to many. This group ranks highest compared to other diverse groups when agreeing that music connects them to cultural traditions and memories (46%), and music connects them to family and friends (47%).

Latin consumers surround themselves with loved ones during the holidays, which means plenty of co-listening opportunities for brands. Over nine in 10 Hispanic listeners spend the holidays with family, while holiday music is the common denominator when they’re gift shopping, traveling, or dancing at family gatherings. Find them listening to festive Pandora stations like Navidad Latina, Navidad Dominicana, or Navidad Mexicana. 

When shopping for the holidays, this audience is ad-receptive, with over seven in 10 listeners taking any action after hearing or seeing a holiday ad. Plus, a whopping 87% have made a change in their shopping behaviors due to inflation. The TL;DR: give them a holiday deal that’s too good to pass up.

How to Reach Them

Music isn’t the only audio that’s in Latino listeners’ ears during the holidays. This audience loves podcasts, especially genres like comedy and society & culture. With our Hispanic storytellers bundle, you can enhance your brand’s presence with culturally resonant shows like El Show de Piolin and Erazno y La Chokolata. Leverage tailored ad reads in these bundles, which are designed to celebrate diverse communities’ traditions and stories. 

Up the Authenticity and Relevance of Your Campaigns

As you make your list and check it twice, make sure you have all these bases covered for holiday campaigns that reach diverse audiences successfully. 

Be a Part of the Community

Your campaigns are only as strong as your team. When you’re looking to speak to the community relevantly and conversationally, enlist the help of Studio Resonate and our diverse slate of talent. Throughout the creative process, it's key to work with multicultural copywriters, voice talent, podcast hosts, and music artists. A melting pot of opinions and expertise minimizes the chances of stereotyping and typecasting while boosting a dose of authenticity.

Address Key Cultural Moments

It’s worth repeating, Christmas isn’t the only winter holiday. Jewish communities celebrate Hanukkah, Latin groups celebrate Noche Buena and Tamaladas, Black audiences celebrate Kwanzaa, and Asian communities celebrate Lunar New Year. With Hanukkah starting as early as mid-December and Lunar New Year occurring as late as February, brands should think beyond solely December when it comes to holiday campaigns. Just as consumers get a headstart on their holiday shopping, kicking off your campaigns early (hint: that means yesterday) only means more time to get it right. 

Multicultural Marketing Is the Gift That Keeps on Giving

With diverse listeners over-indexing for holiday spending and listening, they should be at the top of any brand’s list this upcoming holiday season. Ditch the one-size-fits-all approach, and let digital audio do the talking. 

Ready to unwrap the rewards of multicultural marketing? Let’s chat. 

But Wait! There’s More Holiday Advertising Opportunities