Page 5 - WhitePaper_MC&I Benchmark in Covid19 Era

Disproportionate Impact of COVID-19 on Multicultural and Inclusive Segments

In addition to understanding the critical role that Multicultural and Inclusive segments play in
the market share, it is also crucial to note that MC&I segments have been and will continue to
be disproportionately affected by this pandemic.

Impacts of the pandemic on several MC&I segments:

For African-American consumers specifi cally, there is a series of alarming statistics that reveal
how disproportionately the pandemic is hurting this community. Underlying health disparities
such as diabetes and heart disease make African-Americans more vulnerable to COVID-19
complications (Why African-Americans May Be Especially Vulnerable to COVID-19, 2020).

Additionally, 40 percent of revenues from Black-owned businesses are generated in fi ve of
the most vulnerable categories: business & professional services, health and beauty, fi tness,
restaurants, and retail (United States Census Bureau, 2016). Since June, Blacks have been dying
at rates at least three times higher than non-Blacks (Pilkington, 2020). Thankfully, increased
community support and initiatives are making a difference and Black media has played a strong
role in drawing awareness to these issues, as well as in providing relief.

For Asian-American consumers, the pandemic has brought increased racism and hate crimes
directed towards them. In the face of discrimination, Asian-Americans are banding together
and looking to media and brands for support,
visibility, and a voice in their fi ghts against
xenophobia (Over 30 Percent of Americans
Have Witnessed COVID-19 Bias against Asians,
Poll Says, 2020). Media also plays a pivotal
role in access to information. With access to
Asian media (in-language and English), Asian-
Americans were armed with information
about what was happening globally; however,
enclaves like Chinatowns across the country,
were strongly affected due to the lack of
internet access and in-language communications (Shyong, 2020).

For Hispanic consumers, many attributes of this community have led to disproportionate
health and economic impacts throughout this pandemic. For one, Hispanics make up one in
four members of the service industry, making them the largest minority group to work in that
vertical (Unidos US, 2017). It has been diffi cult for many Hispanics to continue to maintain
their livelihoods because so many cannot work from home. Similar to African-Americans,
Hispanics are affected by chronic health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and asthma

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