Princeton, N.J. – September 24, 2026 -- Refuel Agency has introduced Afro-Latino consumers as a standalone research segment for the first time, finding this group leads all measured multicultural audiences in AI tool adoption at 31%, using platforms such as Gemini.
Afro-Latino consumers combine top AI adoption with strong home-centered habits
Despite ranking highest in AI tool usage, 58% of Afro-Latino respondents live in households with children and show a strong preference for entertaining and cooking at home, according to the 2026 Multicultural Explorer study. Refuel's analysts said this combination of digital-forward behavior and traditional household patterns made the segment impossible to keep classified under a broader "other" category.
Study data separates Afro-Latino audience from Hispanic and Black datasets
"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. He said the segment's distinct media habits, technology adoption and purchase behaviors require deeper understanding from brands seeking authentic engagement.
Hispanic and Afro-Latino respondents show lower single-person homeownership rates
Both Hispanic and Afro-Latino respondents reported a greater likelihood to rent and the lowest single-person homeownership rates measured in the study, a finding Refuel says carries implications for housing, financial services, retail and local-market planning strategies.
Refuel scales Afro-Latino sample to 2,600 respondents, matching other segments
Refuel built a full standalone Afro-Latino track for 2026, fielding 2,600 respondents to match the scale applied to its Hispanic and Black segments this year. The agency said the expanded sample size reflects growing demand for proprietary data from state and federal organizations as well as brand and agency clients.
Digital researchers among Afro-Latino consumers show high brand loyalty
The study found Afro-Latino consumers research products aggressively online yet remain loyal to brands once chosen, contradicting marketer assumptions that heavy digital researchers switch brands more readily. Refuel said this data now feeds directly into its proprietary audience AI models, sharpening targeting, planning and performance measurement for multicultural campaigns.