While television continues to be primary media used by Asian Americans, it is now being driven by a-la-carte streaming services over conventional, linear TV.
That’s a key finding from a newly released study of the Asian American consumer landscape from multicultural marketing firm PCA, which also looks at Radio use.
The PCA study, conducted in partnership with market research agency Sengo Insights, sampled over 3,000 native speakers of various Asian languages in key markets including San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York.
And, when it comes to visual entertainment, 57% of respondents are using YouTube while 43% are using Netflix.
Meanwhile, two-thirds of Asian audiences are watching TV via their mobile devices, and that’s driven by younger viewers. Two-thirds of all respondents consume TV programming via a phone or tablet device. But, a considerably larger majority of Asians under the age of 45 uses a phone/tablet — 80% — compared to just over-half of Asians 45+.
Music is the leading Radio programming listened by both Younger and Older respondents (70% and 80%, respectively). However, mirroring the total market, significantly more Older listeners listen to the News via Radio (43%) compared to Younger listeners (33%).
Meanwhile, PCA finds that, despite the increasing “digitization” of media, in-language/in-culture media persists as a major part of the U.S. Asian consumer diet. This is particularly true for TV viewers, where the vast majority continues to access programming and content in their native languages.
In fact, PCA declares that television remains a cornerstone of entertainment for Asian households, with 92% of respondents reporting daily TV consumption. The study showed that the majority of older Asian Americans (ages 45+) who watch in-language TV are:
- Chinese (84.5%)
- Filipino (86.4%)
- Vietnamese (61.0%)
The study also uncovered generational differences in media consumption, with older Asian Americans favoring traditional cable TV and younger generations gravitating towards streaming platforms.
Despite the rise of digital media, traditional forms of entertainment remain popular, with dramas and news programs emerging as the most-watched TV genres across all ethnic groups.
RADIO LEADS THE ASIAN AUDIO STORY
Some 73% of respondents listen to the radio, PCA found.
And, approximately one-quarter of all Radio users consume radio programming for three or more hours per day.
The majority of older Chinese respondents (aged 45+) listen to in-language radio (61.6%) and a large portion of older Vietnamese consumers polled (aged 45+) listen to in-language radio (39.0%).
The study also highlights how advertising plays a crucial role in influencing purchasing decisions within the Asian-American community, with 76% of respondents acknowledging its impact.
Commenting on the study, Giancarlo Pacheco, CEO and Founder at PCA, said, “As an agency, we are striving to set a new benchmark when it comes to including multicultural resonance using strategic insights. After not being able to find the data we needed via the major research houses, we have taken it upon ourselves to fund this study aimed to dive deeper on Asian American media consumption habits and online behavior across key markets.
“These findings offer unprecedented insights into the media consumption habits of Asian speaking communities, underscoring the importance of culturally relevant content and targeted marketing strategies. We want to highlight that brands that embrace these insights will be better positioned to engage and resonate with Asian American consumers both now and in the future.”
To access the study in full, please visit https://www.plancagency.com/media-survey/.
