According to a new report from Nielsen, Black stars are the world’s biggest influencers. The research and data company ranked public figures and calculated based on the dollar value of their social platforms, and unsurprisingly, Zendaya and Beyonce came out on top.
Rounding out the top of the list is TikTok phenom Khaby Lame, for example, can be seen in his hot streak of partnerships. Lame, who is the most-followed TikToker in the world, has leveraged his popularity into lucrative deals and collaborations with Meta, Pepsi, Hugo Boss, Binance, among others.
Coming in at #1 is Zendaya, which boasts a digital following of about 156 million and holds a social media value of about $3,262,216. Sitting at #2 is Khaby Lame, who has 151.6 million and holds an average social media value of $1,453,76. And Beyonce holds the #3 with an average value of $1,182,297 from her 281 million followers.
Nielsen reported “Black adults were 71% more likely to buy products endorsed by influencers on social media, along with improvement in brand recall, brand affinity, and purchase intent.”
“In the first half of 2022 alone, more than 6,000 advertisers invested over $1.2 billion to reach Black and African American consumers via traditional media including television, magazines and radio. More than half of Black viewers are more likely to buy from brands that feature someone from their identity group in ads,” said Stacie de Armas, SVP Diverse Insights and Initiatives at Nielsen, according to information shared in an interview with AfroTech. “Enlisting Black influencers as part of campaigns is one way that media and marketers can ensure that Black voices are included at every stage of the marketing funnel.”
The report also points out Black buying power in the U.S. is estimated to grow to $1.98 trillion by 2025.
“And while most brands acknowledge that Black consumers are critical to their growth and cultural relevance, earning Black consumers’ business can prove challenging as Black people around the world become more discerning of how, where and when brands are targeting them,” the report stated. “To try and make inroads with Black audiences, brands and advertisers are investing heavily. In the first half of 2022 alone, more than 6,000 advertisers spent over $1.2 billion trying to connect with Black and African American consumers across traditional media including television, magazines and radio.”