The New Mainstream Podcast

Multicultural consumers comprise about 40% of the U.S. population and are important to brands searching for growth outside of saturated markets. Essential to penetrating this consumer group is understanding the nuances of it. Sample providers fulfilling census-representative sample requests or requests for multicultural sample, in general, must build out their panels to include multicultural perspectives from a broad spectrum of respondents across ethnicity, gender, income levels, and other factors. This ensures they obtain functional insights into the diversity of attitudes, interests, and lifestyles that define this multifaceted consumer.

But sourcing sample providers who are well versed in the complexities of fielding multicultural data are few and far between. Panels are often underfunded and under supported. Not enough resources are invested in attracting, engaging, and retaining multicultural respondents due to factors like budget. This underinvestment is especially problematic when sourcing hard to research audiences like Gen Z, who make up the lion share of multicultural consumers in the U.S. today. With limited access, vendors struggle to strike a balance between over and underusing minority samples or have trouble finding minority respondents who aren’t survey or sample fatigued.

This week on the New Mainstream podcast, Joi Gladman, Vice President of Field Operations at Edge Research, discusses ways the sample industry can attract and retain more multicultural respondents and tackles top issues affecting the integrity of sample data collection.

At 13% of the U.S. population, Black Americans are key drivers of mainstream cultural trends. From music to sports, fashion, and the latest Tik Tok dances, the influence of Black American culture is evident in almost every facet of daily American life. But unlike other multicultural groups, African Americans are often still treated as a monolith by marketers. Faulty sampling methods and inadequate segmentation give marketers an inaccurate view of the Black American experience. And while social justice movements have pushed the needle of change forward for D&I initiatives, the complexities and nuances of Black American subculture are still widely misunderstood.

To gain deeper insights into Black American need states and content consumption habits, marketers must fully immerse themselves in the “Black experience.” They must study Black television, movies, and literature to understand Black American interests and purchasing behaviors better. Marketers must also immerse themselves into the communities and spaces where Black Americans spend their time if they are to understand their pain points, motivations, and expectations.

This week, we welcome Bianca Pryor, Vice President of Consumer Insights, Content Strategy, and Optimization at BET, to the ThinkNow New Mainstream podcast to discuss how marketers can meaningfully engage Black American consumers, create more inclusive representative samples, and become cultural anthropologists of Black American culture.

Multicultural audiences are significantly driving mainstream identity and influencing emerging trends. According to UM’s Annual Cultural Dimension study, two out of five general population consumers indicate being influenced by Latino, Black, and Asian segments when it comes to passion points like music, fashion, hair care, food, sports, and more.

As consumer behavior shifts in response to cultural identity and increased exposure to cultural norms via the internet and social media, brands work overtime to cultivate relationships steeped in the remix culture, which is primarily defined by a mindset, not the consumer. This paradigm shift is changing the fabric of what we know today as American culture.

This week, Oscar Allain, VP, Group Partner, Cross-Cultural Strategy & Research at UM Worldwide, joins the New Mainstream podcast to discuss the growing influence of remix culture and the action steps brands must take to stay relevant among a changing demographic.

From search to content consumption, purchase to advocacy, Hispanic consumers take a unique collective approach to e-commerce. The ethos of this collectivist culture greatly influences brand experience and purchasing behavior. Hispanic consumers conduct searches to assist spouses, friends and family members, both inside and outside their household. Marketers and advertisers need to learn how to better engage the “digital Sherpas” within Hispanic communities.

To guide us, Maria Twena, Global Head of Consumer X at 9th Wonder Agency, returns to the New Mainstream podcast to discuss new research conducted by ThinkNow and 9th Wonder Agency on the dynamics of Latinx purchase behavior, including their online shopping habits – from the digital touchpoints they choose to the products they buy and their collective spend – and what it takes to facilitate brand fandom.

Financial literacy among U.S. Hispanics is lower, on average, than the general population. Numerous factors are contributing to the gap, such as youth, language barriers, lower income, and fewer assets. As a consequence, many Hispanics have a limited understanding of personal finance and how to build wealth, especially among Spanish dominant consumers.

In this week’s episode of The New Mainstream podcast, we sit down with Francisco Javier Arceo, Founder and CEO of Unidos, to discuss financial literacy in Latino communities and how technology can make personal finance simple and accessible to Hispanic consumers.

Forty percent of American consumers are ethnically diverse, yet only five percent of advertising dollars are allocated to environments that are contextually relevant to these audiences.

As racial injustice protests accelerate conversations about inclusion marketing, brands must contend with the fact that fielding multicultural data is no longer optional. It is now necessary to create equity with these communities, extending far beyond sales to corporate social responsibility.

This week, Latoya Chrisitian, Marketing Partner at GroupM, joins us to discuss multicultural marketing strategy and how to use multicultural data to quantify opportunities and create culturally relevant content on the right platforms.

Marketers looking to gain deeper insights into multicultural audiences must first move beyond blanket assumptions. Essential to doing that is leveraging data and understanding the value of audience segmentation. Some marketers, however, are uncertain as to how to find the data needed or adequately use the data when found to segment their audiences effectively.

This week, Demetrius Parker, Integrated Marketing and Communications Strategist at the CDC, joins us to discuss the power of think tanks, data aggregator tools, and the elements of culture marketers can tap into to build deeper connections with multicultural consumers.

Influencer marketing has the power to fuel brand buy-in. But its brands that work to progress culture in ways that inspire and contribute to society that endear themselves to pop culture. 

This week, we sit down with Marco Valadez, Partner at ID Agency and Executive Producer of “LA Originals” on Netflix, to discuss the benefits and examples of influencer marketing, its impact on community, and why it’s essential to building brand loyalty.

Multicultural consumers are poised to be at the forefront of economic recovery in the U.S. Due to COVID-19, minority women-owned firms are pivoting to innovative strategies to continue delivering value to their clients. In many cases, they are discovering more profitable ways to do business. Essential workers, who are predominantly multicultural, are working on the front lines in healthcare, municipal services, and retail to sustain our communities. Yet, diversity and inclusion within the fabric of these communities is still elusive.

This week, Yai Vargas, Diversity & Inclusion Consultant and Founder of The Latinista, joins the New Mainstream podcast to discuss the challenges women of color face in business, the importance of diversity and inclusion to business growth, and how multiculturalism will lead America’s economic recovery.

Before the pandemic, Latina owned businesses were among the fastest-growing in the United States. Now, many are facing the threat of permanent closure.

Access to funding continues to plague Latino business owners, as 91% were unable to obtain funds from the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program. Hispanic women-owned businesses, in particular, are absorbing the lion’s share of these financial losses, as they make up the majority of microbusinesses within this demographic.

Lucy Flores, CEO and Co-Founder of Luz Collective, joins us on The New Mainstream podcast to discuss the unique challenges Latina business owners face and how COVID-19 has impacted their viability.