Why AAPI consumers are valuable activation targets for marketers

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the contributions and achievements of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States. This year, we're looking at the 2023 MRI-Simmons Winter USA Study to learn more about this fast-growing population and why they are important to advertisers.

A Sense of Connection

One of the things that stands out about the AAPI community is their strong sense of connection. They are connected to their heritage, their families, and their friends. For example, 76% (129) of AAPI respondents agree that their cultural/ethnic heritage is an important part of who they are, and 67% (113) agree that it's important to them that their children continue their family's cultural traditions. This connection is also evident in how AAPIs use social media. 51% (111) of AAPI respondents agree that without access to social media, they would feel less connected to other people, and 57% (110) prefer to follow people who think the same way they do. They also use social media to support causes they care about (45%, 116) and to stay informed about important issues (48%, 121).

A Sphere of Influence

AAPIs are also a highly influential group. This is because they are often asked for advice by their peers and are trusted sources of information. For example, 34% (143) of AAPI respondents agree that their friends often ask for their advice before buying electronic equipment, 31% (125) agree that people ask their advice regarding financial matters, and 25% (114) agree they're the first of their friends to try new products or services. As a result, AAPIs are an audience open to influence and, in turn, will influence others, making them a powerful group for advertisers to reach.

A Digitally Connected Community

AAPIs are a digitally connected community. 29% (145) of AAPI respondents are heavy Internet users, 24% (122) are heavy social media users, and 33% (115) listened to a podcast in the last 30 days. AAPI's are less likely to watch traditional TV, with 37% (175) reporting to be Cord Nevers, people who have never subscribed to Cable TV. AAPI's favored streaming TV medium is YouTube 73% (129). They are digitally connected, heavily using Discord, FaceTime, Teams, WhatsApp, and Zoom. These metrics show AAPI's are early adopters of new technologies and are comfortable using digital media to stay informed and entertained.

Activate This Influential Audience

Through MRI-Simmons' activation solution, ACT, marketers can leverage trusted and nationally representative data to target and reach a consistent audience from planning through measurement, across all media channels (linear TV, digital, mobile, social, and CTV). Curate your audience with over 60K consumer elements: 1000+ attitudes, opinions, and segmentations; 6500+ brands in 600+ product categories; and 260+ proprietary segments.

From the analysis above, we see that the AAPI population is diverse, dynamic, connected, and influential, which makes them a key target audience for advertisers. Marketers can activate this digitally connected community, including more granular subsets such as social media influencers, and send to the DMP, DSP, SSP, MVPD, or programmer of choice to reach them directly.

The benefits of activating with MRI-Simmons include:

• Accurate & Trusted - drive campaign performance with trusted, accurate data that is privacy-compliant and annually audited by a third party.
• Nationally Representative - powered by a sampling methodology that ensures a nationally representative view of the US consumer, avoiding biases inherent in competing datasets.
• Consistency Across Platforms - MRI-Simmons audiences are linked to identity sources, so they can be used consistently across screens, including linear, digital, and CTV campaigns
• Interoperability Across Currencies - Audiences built with MRI-Simmons can be matched to a variety of viewership datasets, including Nielsen, Comscore, and VideoAmp, for planning and transacting.

To learn more about the MRI-Simmons USA Study, the Asian American and Pacific Islander community, and how to activate on this influential audience, contact us.