AANHPI consumers are leading the way, report says

By Akemi Tamanaha, Associate Editor

The Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander population is growing in the United States, and a new report from Nielsen suggests that brands should start investing in AANHPI consumers and audiences.

On Wednesday, Nielsen, a firm measuring American media audiences, released “Breakthrough ROI: Investing in Asian American audiences and media.” The report argues that AANHPI consumers are driving major shifts in digital commerce, sports engagement, and beauty trends.

“For brands looking to future-proof their strategies, investing in authentic engagement with AANHPI audiences is not just smart—it’s essential,” Stacie M. de Armas, Senior Vice President of Diverse Insights & Intelligence at Nielsen, said in an email interview with AsAmNews.

The report pointed out that a majority (83%) of marketers were planning to invest more money into digital channels, shifting money away from other strategies. AANHPI consumers could be a good captive audience.

Nielsen found that AANHPI consumers spend an average of 9 hours and 6 minutes a week on their computers, almost an hour more than all U.S. adults. They also engage more with digital advertising. The report found that 43% clicked on a social media ad compared to 36% of the general population.

“They’re more likely to find ads on retailer websites helpful for product discovery and are actively engaging with shoppable and interactive content,” de Armas said.

AANHPI consumers care about the values of the brands they support. According to the Nielsen report, 59% of AANHPI consumers expect brands to support causes they care about, compared to 51% of the total U.S. Additionally, 70% of AANHPI millennial consumers said they would stop buying from “brands that
devalue their community.”

De Armas said that young AANHPI consumers specifically are “informed, values-driven, and leading in digital behavior.”

The report also highlighted two key areas in which AANHPI consumers could be influential: sports and beauty.

AANHPI audiences spent 15% watching live sports than the general public and were also 33% more likely to subscribe to sports streaming platforms. De Armas says there are several factors driving the growth of AANHPI audiences in sports media, like rising representation, cross-cultural fandoms, and increased digital access to sports content. She pointed to the 146% spike in AANHPI viewership of the World Series in 2024, when Shohei Ohtani was playing, as an example of the impact of representation.

AANHPI women could be an important consumer base for the beauty industry. According to Nielsen, they are 83% more likely to have spent over $500 on skincare than the general population and 53% more likely to have spent the same on cosmetics and perfumes. They are also more likely to download apps for beauty retailers like Sephora or Ulta.