It is proven that only 9% of American consumers say they feel represented in advertising. That percentage is really low for an industry that spends so much time, money, besides talent on targeting consumers.

The question is why is there such a disconnect between the reality of American culture today and the messages that advertisers reflect back at us?

Let’s go through this report and understand how the American consumer has changed over the last few years and continues to evolve in the poignant cultural moment we find ourselves in.

The New American Consumer: 32% of Americans Do Not Trust Traditional Media Anymore

According to the new American Consumer research, 4 in 10 Americans say they distrust social media companies. The following chart shows the percentage of internet users who don’t trust the following media institutions at all.

• According to the chart, 34% of White people don’t trust the media, with 44% who don’t trust social media companies.
• Along with 33% of Black people who don’t trust social media companies as well, on the other side, only 24% of them don’t trust the media.

• 29% of Gen Z don’t trust the media.
• However, when it comes to Millennials, only 31% don’t trust the media, on the other side, 33% don’t trust social media companies.
• Moreover, 34% of Boomers don’t trust the media, along with 53% who don’t trust social media companies.

Advertising to Reflect Both Culture And Visibility: 

American consumers were asked about ads that reflect their culture. The following chart shows the percentage of Americans who agree with the statement “I prefer ads that reflect my culture”

Based on the new American consumer research, both culture and visibility in advertising are important to diverse audiences.

On the other hand, the following chart shows the percentage of Americans who agree with the statement “I prefer brands that feature celebrities who look like me on TV”

For Black Americans, for example, a key difference we see is across age. On the other hand, older Black Americans report a stronger desire for advertising to reflect their culture. Younger Black Americans, on the other side, express a stronger concern for visibility – seeing celebrities, actors, and influencers who look like them.

This is an important distinction, also for brands who are looking to craft multicultural marketing strategies aimed at youth vs. older generations of different groups, it can shape a more sensible and well-informed approach.

Make sure to check the full new American consumer research here.

The Table of Content of “The New American Consumer” Report:

• Foreword
• Why we need to take another look
• The changing American household
• Diversity 2.0
• Revisiting the “American Dream”
• Age of activism
• Methodology
• More from GlobalWebIndex

Number of Pages:

• 34 pages

Pricing:

• Free

Methodology:

All figures in this report are drawn from GWI USA, GlobalWebIndex’s online research among internet users aged 16+ in the U.S. Because we conduct our research online, we represent the internet-using part of the U.S. population only. According to our own projections, 90% of the U.S. population aged 16+ are internet users.