Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Definition
Executive Summary
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- The insights
- Blacks’ purchase intent and desire for new tech eclipses the general market
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- Figure 1: Intent to purchase hardware and services, by all and Black, January and March 2017
- Virtual reality devices may be seen as next generation gaming among Blacks
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- Figure 2: Interest in VR headsets, by all and Black, January and March 2017
- Anywhere, anytime television and video choice drives advanced television ownership
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- Figure 3: Household ownership of TVs and streaming devices, by all and Black, January 2017 and March 2017 vs April 2015
- Black men are the tech purchase decision makers in the household
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- Figure 4: Blacks’ household ownership of select technology products, by married/partnered men, March 2017
- The opportunities
- Showcase advanced functionality to fuel device upgrade purchases
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- Figure 5: Blacks’ interest in new tech – Select items, March 2017
- Identify areas of desired efficiency and connectivity not met due to lack of device ownership
- What it means
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Blacks are becoming a part of the digital mainstream
- TV viewing across people in the home drive set ownership
Expenditures on Television, Computers
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- Blacks’ spending on televisions, computers and peripherals under par
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- Figure 6: Spending on televisions, computers, and peripherals, by all and Black consumers, 2015
The Black Population by the Numbers
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- Black population represents 13.3% of the total US
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- Figure 7: Total US and Black population estimates, 2012-22
- 60% of the Black population is a Millennial or younger
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- Figure 8: Distribution of generations by race, 2017
- Black population will continue to skew female
- Blacks more likely than other groups to live with adult family members
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- Figure 9: Family groups, by race and Hispanic origin, 2015
Market Factors
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- Median household income of Blacks below $50K
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- Figure 10: US median household income distribution, by all and Black, 2015
- The digital divide is closing, but many Blacks still do not have internet access at home
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- Figure 11: Broadband internet subscription at home, by race and Hispanic origin, 2013-15
- Television viewing is Blacks’ leading leisure activity; gaming, computer usage lags behind the average
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- Figure 12: Time spent per day in leisure and sports activities, by race and Hispanic origin, 2015
Market Perspective
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- Seven in 10 Blacks have home internet service
- Blacks use the same providers as the general market, but with less fragmentation
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- Figure 13: Household internet service provider, by all and Black, October 2015-November 2016
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- Figure 14: Xfinity “X1 Triple Play” internet, television and cable bundled service offer, April 2017
- Weekday and weekend internet usage mirror each other
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- Figure 15: Blacks’ household internet usage, by daypart, October 2015- November 2016
Key Trends – What You Need to Know
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- Blacks are up to date on what new devices are available
- Television set ownership indicative of higher-than-average viewership
- Blacks’ screen time driven by produced content, but gaming is gaining traction
- Device ownership increasing across traditional and new hardware
- Low-cost mobile is bridging the internet connectivity gap among Blacks
- More than half of Blacks visit Facebook every day
What’s Working and What’s Struggling?
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- Televisions
- Blacks own more, yet smaller, televisions vs the average
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- Figure 16: Household television ownership and number of sets, by all and Black, October 2015-November 2016
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- Figure 17: Size of television in the household, by all and Black, October 2015-November 2016
- Streaming devices gaining traction among Blacks
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- Figure 18: Household streaming device ownership and type, by all and Black, October 2015-November 2016
- Single-function devices trending toward obsolescence
- Gaming
- PlayStation is the favorite system among Black gamers
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- Figure 19: Video game system ownership/playing status, by all and Black, October 2015-November 2016
- Mobile
- Blacks’ smartphone ownership on par with the average, but purchase cheaper phones
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- Figure 20: Smartphone ownership by brand, by all and Black, October 2015-November 2016
- AT&T is the category leader, but Blacks are more likely to subscribe to discount carriers
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- Figure 21: Personal subscription to cellular/smartphone carriers, by all and Black, October 2015-November 2016
- Blacks’ preference for cell service contracts influence when they will upgrade their device
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- Figure 22: Cell phone/smartphone contract type and expected device upgrade, by all and Black, October 2015-November 2016
- Social
- Facebook is number one among Black adults but platforms with culturally-relevant communities are preferred
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- Figure 23: Social media sites visited on a daily bases, by all and Black, March 2017
What’s Next?
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- Blacks will upgrade existing devices, looking forward to the next big thing
- Gaming is huge among Blacks, and the sky is the limit in engagement
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Blacks’ device use mirrors the general market
- Mobile use rivals traditional computers across communication methods
- Black men are the digital gatekeepers of the household
- Black Millennials are tech enthusiasts and will drive future tech purchases
Blacks’ Personal Tech Ownership
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- Blacks demonstrate greater adoption of portable and entertainment devices
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- Figure 24: Personal ownership of technology products, by all and Black, January and March 2017
- Ownership of all-in-one mobile devices on the rise
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- Figure 25: Blacks’ personal ownership of technology products, April 2015 vs March 2017
- Device ownership similar by gender, but men gravitate to gaming and navigation
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- Figure 26: Blacks’ personal ownership of technology products, by gender, March 2017
- Black Millennials drive new tech device purchases
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- Figure 27: Blacks’ personal ownership of technology products, by generation, March 2017
- College-educated Blacks are more likely than other segments to own advanced tech devices
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- Figure 28: Blacks’ personal ownership of technology products, by educational attainment, March 2017
- Black parents’ device ownership may be driven by kids’ educational requirements
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- Figure 29: Blacks’ personal ownership of technology products, by parent status, March 2017
Black Households’ Tech Ownership
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- Black household device ownership on par with the average, skews higher for gaming
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- Figure 30: Household ownership of technology products, by all and Black, January and March 2017
- Ownership increases among all-in-one and add-on devices
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- Figure 31: Black households’ ownership of technology products, April 2015 vs March 2017
- Partnered Black men are the tech enthusiasts in their household
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- Figure 32: Black households’ ownership of technology products, by Black men’s marital status, March 2017
- Middle-income Black households most likely to own hardware to provide home entertainment for the entire family
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- Figure 33: Black households’ ownership of technology products, by household income, March 2017
Blacks’ Purchase Intent
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- Blacks’ love of tech fuels their desire for the most up-to-date offerings
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- Figure 34: Planned tech purchases in the next year, by all and Black, January 2017 and March 2017
- Black men’s awareness of tech trends drive their purchase intent
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- Figure 35: Blacks’ planned tech purchases in the next year, by gender, March 2017
- Black Millennials’ expectation of connectivity drive their purchase intent
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- Figure 36: Blacks’ planned tech purchases in the next year, by generation, March 2017
- Single Black men want tech devices for themselves, married men want tech for the household
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- Figure 37: Blacks’ planned tech purchases in the next year, by gender and marital status, March 2017
- Middle-income households’ tech purchase intent provides upgraded home entertainment options
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- Figure 38: Blacks’ planned tech purchases in the next year, by household income, March 2017
Blacks’ Methods of Accessing the Internet
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- Blacks are similar to the average in how they access the internet
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- Figure 39: Methods of accessing the internet, by all and Black, January and March 2017
- Anytime, anywhere access has increased vs 2015
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- Figure 40: Blacks' methods of accessing the internet, April 2015 vs March 2017
- Black men more likely to use advanced tech for online access
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- Figure 41: Blacks' methods of accessing the internet, by gender, March 2017
- How Blacks’ access the internet differs by educational attainment
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- Figure 42: Blacks' methods of accessing the internet, by household income, March 2017
Online Activities and Devices Blacks Use
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- Devices primarily facilitate communication, but gaming and personal expression is important
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- Figure 43: Devices used for online activities – Any device, by Black and index to all, January and March 2017
- Blacks’ device use is more varied vs the average
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- Figure 44: Devices used for online activities, by Black and index to all, January and March 2017
- Black men create a space online to make their voice heard
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- Figure 45: Devices Blacks use for online activities – Any device for any personal expression, by key demographics, March 2017
- Black Millennials dominate mobile use across all forms of online communication
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- Figure 46: Devices Black use for online activities – Tablet and smartphone, by generation, March 2017
Blacks’ Interest in New Tech
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- Blacks demonstrate a greater desire for new tech vs the average
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- Figure 47: Microsoft’s Kelsee and Nkeiru Explore Cortana on the HP Spectre x360 with Windows 10,” July 2016
- Figure 48: Interest in new tech, by all and Black, January 2017 and March 2017
- Multipurpose, smart technology leads the pack in desirability among Blacks
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- Figure 49: Blacks’ interest in new tech, March 2017
- Black Millennials have the greatest desire to own, but older generations want to know what’s new
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- Figure 50: Blacks’ interest in new tech products, by generation, March 2017
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Sales data
- Consumer survey data
- Direct marketing creative
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
Appendix – Key Trends
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- Figure 51: Household internet access, by all and Black, October 2015-November 2016
- Figure 52: Household internet service provider, by all and Black, October 2015- November 2016
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- Figure 53: Internet usage by daypart, by all and Black, October 2015-November 2016
- Figure 54: Smartphone ownership by brand, by all and Black, October 2015-November 2016
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- Figure 55: Personal subscription to cellular/smartphone carriers, by all and Black, October 2015-November 2016
- Figure 56: Cell phone/smartphone contract type and expected device upgrade, by all and Black, October 2015-November 2016
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- Figure 57: Cell phone/smartphone expected device upgrade, by all and Black, October 2015-November 2016
- Figure 58: Household television ownership and number of sets, by all and Black, October 2015-November 2016
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- Figure 59: Size of television(s) in the household, by all and Black, October 2015-November 2016
- Figure 60: Household streaming device ownership and type, by all and Black, October 2015-November 2016
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- Figure 61: Video game system ownership/playing status, by all and Black, October 2015-November 2016
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