Washington, D.C. – (September 16, 2019) – My Village Votes, a new market research firm for multicultural communities, has launched during the 41st Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Leadership Conference in Washington D.C. September 12-15, 2019.
Poised to improve consumer and civic engagement, education and experience within communities of color, My Village Votes guides organizations through the processes of research campaign creation, political/civic engagement, audience segmentation and audit, social listening, and data analysis and education. The firm partners with civic, advocacy and non-profit organizations to curate unconventional exploratory experiences catered to the data and insights of multicultural communities.
“We know the communities of color are uniquely positioned in the changing landscape of the U.S. demographic base. As the face of America evolves and multicultural consumers represent the majority of the expected growth in the United States, we are launching My Village Votes to support organizations in their desire to use data to gain authentic access and establish an organic connection with communities of color” said Dr. Aerial Ellis, chief executive officer of My Village Votes.
Based on the communal concept of a ‘village,’ My Village Votes themes its work around increasing data equity for communities of color. “We define a village as a common cultural identity, and it’s no secret that a village is a powerful force. With historical inequities in data and research among communities of color throughout society, we can miss the true value and the influential voice that uniquely belongs them. We know that data can inform, illuminate and supplement our consumer decisions and public policies, and we aim to approaching research with the moral imagination that can support and protect the village,” said Ellis.
Ellis and her team introduced My Village Votes during a launch event and listening session at In3, the District of Columbia’s first space focused on inclusion, innovation and incubation. The listening session was conducted to share the results of the firm’s inaugural consumer engagement study and garner feedback on the key policy issues effecting communities of color that could be supported with greater data analysis and social listening as the 2020 U.S. Presidential election approaches.
The study, “From Bank to the Ballot: The 2019 Consumer Engagement Report,” focused on determining how communities of color have engaged as consumers since the 2018 U.S. midterm election.
Key findings revealed an increase in U.S. voter engagement among communities of color during the midterm elections of 2018, and an increased awareness of the relationship between consumer behavior and politics. It especially revealed that black women are showing up at the polls and consist of a higher middle-class tax bracket. Nearly half of the respondents indicated that they voted for a candidate of color in the midterms and were highly likely to stop purchasing from a business/brand if it misrepresents their race and/or gender, and that politics do play an influential role in their spending cycle.
Following the listening session, Ellis delivered a talk introducing the firm and the results of the study at a public policy session hosted by the New Leaders Council Black Caucus during this year’s Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Leadership Conference. “It was important for us to introduce our work and our study at a moment of significant political importance with the upcoming 2020 Presidential elections. Communities of color hold great power in the U.S and this is a critical time for us to be aware of their influence,” she added.
The inaugural Consumer Engagement Report was conducted in partnership with The Equity Alliance, a Tennessee-based nonpartisan, non-profit organization that seeks to equip citizens with tools and strategies to engage in the civic process and empower them to take action on issues affecting their daily lives.
My Village Votes will conduct a second installment of the study along with The Equity Alliance this fall tracking civic knowledge and media participation among voters of color.
“From Bank to the Ballot: The 2019 Consumer Engagement Report” powered by My Village Votes can be downloaded at www.myvillagevotes.com
