Refuel Agency Launches 2026 Multicultural Explorer Study, Revealing Distinct AI, Search and Purchase Behaviors Across Hispanic, Black and Afro-Latino Consumers

PRINCETON, N.J., Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Refuel Agency, an enterprise-grade media and marketing agency with more than 35 years of experience reaching culturally specific audiences at scale, today announced its 2026 Multicultural Explorer study. The research examines Hispanic, Black/African American and general-market consumers, while introducing Afro-Latino consumers as a standalone segment for the first time.

The data led the way in building out this new segment for the Refuel research team. Reviewing prior fielding, powered through Influyente by Refuel Agency, analysts noticed Afro-Latino respondents behaving like neither the Hispanic nor Black audiences they'd been grouped with in a broader "other" category. At 31% adoption of AI tools like Gemini, the highest of any segment measured, Afro-Latino consumers emerged as the most AI-forward multicultural audience in the study, even as they rank among the most family-centered in leisure behavior, with 58% living in households with children and a strong preference for entertaining and cooking at home. That contradiction (digitally leading-edge, culturally traditional) was consistent enough that it could no longer be filed under "other."

"We found that Afro-Latino audiences were behaving in ways that neither the Hispanic nor Black datasets could fully explain on their own," said David Mesas, Head of Multicultural Markets at Refuel Agency. "Their distinct media habits, technology adoption and purchase behaviors make a deeper understanding of this audience essential for brands that want to engage them effectively and authentically."

The study demonstrates why Hispanic and Black audiences cannot be treated as a single multicultural media strategy. Hispanic and Afro-Latino respondents both showed a greater likelihood to rent and lower rates of single-person homeownership, a finding with implications for housing, financial services, retail and local-market planning. The research also tracks differences across Hispanic audiences by identity, language, media behavior and purchase patterns, reinforcing the need for nuanced approaches to a diverse consumer population.

Refuel built a full standalone Afro-Latino track for 2026, fielded at a total 2,600 respondents, matching the scale applied to Hispanic and Black segments this year. The larger samples reflect a shift toward rigorous methodology as Refuel fields growing demand for proprietary data from state and federal organizations, alongside brand and agency clients; demand sharpened by real gaps the study surfaces, including Hispanic and Afro-Latino respondents both skewing toward renting, with the lowest single-person homeownership rates measured.

Afro-Latino consumers are the most digitally advanced, AI-forward segment in the study, yet also the most loyal and hardest to poach. Marketers often assume heavy digital researchers are quick to switch brands. Afro-Latino consumers break that pattern: they research aggressively but stick with the brands they choose.

This research directly feeds Refuel's proprietary audience AI models, sharpening how the agency targets, plans, and measures performance for multicultural campaigns.

Learn more about how Refuel's research helps brands reach youth better than any other agency at Refuel Research & Intelligence.

About Refuel Agency

Refuel Agency is an enterprise-grade media and marketing agency with more than 35 years of experience helping brands reach hard-to-reach, culturally specific audiences at scale. Learn more at refuelagency.com.

SOURCE Refuel Agency