The New Mainstream Podcast

Today’s discerning consumers crave personalized marketing experiences in which they feel seen and heard. The paradigm has shifted, and brands looking to stay ahead of the curve are working

While traditional advertising revolves around reaching

Yet, disparities between corporations and communities persist. There lies a need for adaptive strategies that bridge these gaps, ultimately culminating in enriched consumer experiences.

In this episode of The New Mainstream podcast, Dr. Raymona H. Lawrence, founder of Dr. Raymona H. Lawrence Coaching, LLC, explores the intersection between brands, communities and marketing strategies.

The American ethos of “individualism,” which prioritizes self-reliance, independence and frugality, has tremendously impacted general

Interestingly, when Hispanics search online, they prefer to search in English, particularly among the highly acculturated. Marketers may

To effectively engage with the bilingual-bicultural Hispanic market, brands must embrace and understand the importance of community, family, and shared experiences. Rather than solely focusing on individual benefits, marketers should emphasize these cultural values in their marketing campaigns. Highlighting how a product or service contributes to the collective well-being and fosters connections can resonate more deeply with Hispanic consumers.

In this episode of The New Mainstream Podcast, Maria (Lopez) Twena, Chief Marketing Officer at Adsmovil and children’s book author of the MariVi the Master Navigator series, discusses the importance of cultural values like collectivism to marketing to bilingual-bicultural Hispanics.

For more Hispanic Consumer insights, get the free report, “The Hispanic Market is not a Monolith but it is Collective,” presented by Publicis Media, Adsmovil and ThinkNow.  Download it here.

Meet Our Guest:

Maria (Lopez) Twena, Chief Marketing Officer, Adsmovil

Maria (Lopez) Twena serves as Chief Marketing Officer of Adsmovil, a leading minority-owned and certified mobile advertising and digital

An award-winning marketer with extensive expertise in technology, digital media, and branding, Twena has over thirty years of marketing acumen. Prior to joining Adsmovil, she served as CMO of Entravision

Widely recognized for her expertise in branding, positioning, and multicultural consumer segments, Twena’s accolades include

She has served as a Board Member of the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies and as a faculty member of the Association of

She has also authored a children’s book and TV series: MariVi, the Master Navigator Series, which follows its heroine, MariVi, a bilingual/bicultural character, and her family, the Abascals, as they adapt to life in the U.S. The first of the MariVi television series premiered on

The future of AI may be uncertain, but one thing is

In the insights industry, AI has the potential to revolutionize the process of gathering and analyzing data. AI-powered tools and algorithms can enable researchers to derive valuable insights from data faster. This newfound efficiency allows for quicker and more confident decision-making. Testing and evaluating multiple opportunities in a fraction of the time through AI is another advantage that can lead to new innovative strategies that drive market success.

Despite the advantages that AI brings, there are also legitimate concerns. Some industry professionals worry about AI replacing human

On this episode of The New Mainstream podcast, Rick Kelly, Chief Strategy Officer at Fuel Cycle, discusses the impact of AI on the insights industry and Fuel Cylce’s new partnership with ThinkNow to amplify multicultural audiences.

June presents organizations with opportunities like Pride and Juneteenth to actively engage with and support diverse communities. But demonstrating a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion requires a consistent and continuous effort at all levels of an organization if it’s to foster an inclusive environment in which people feel valued, seen and heard 365 days a year.

At the heart of that commitment are the individuals within the organization who greatly benefit from a sustained effort to foster inclusivity – employees. Typically, within inclusive cultures, employees are more engaged, which impacts retention and productivity, ultimately benefiting the bottom line. When employees carry the values of diversity and inclusion outside the workplace into the community through volunteerism, for example, they amplify the organization’s commitment, generating positive brand sentiment.

Organizations can also partner with external groups such as nonprofits and civic organizations to develop relationships and implement programming that brings long-term benefits to marginalized groups, not the occasional performative headlines.

Post-2020, there was a rush to quickly onboard DEI programs in fear of public backlash. But many organizations have since learned that doing it right is far better than doing it quickly.

In this episode of The New Mainstream podcast, Sue Schmidlkofer, Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at UPS shares DEI best practices for actively

Meet Our Guest:  Sue Schmidlkofer is the Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at UPS. In this role, she oversees the company’s global strategy centered around its mission statement, ‘You Belong At UPS.’ Monitoring workforce diversity aspirational goals, supporting more than 200 Business Resource Groups, and developing top talent are her key areas of focus in 2023.

Throughout her 28-year career at UPS, Sue has held a variety of roles primarily within Human Resources in Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, and currently at the global headquarters in Atlanta. Sue serves on the board of the Georgia Diversity Council, the Atlanta Diversity Management Advocacy Group, and The Drake House, a non-profit organization that supports women and their children experiencing homelessness. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Spanish and a master’s in Business Management and HR. Outside of spending time with her family, her interests include reading, writing, baking, and tennis.

During the Fall League Meeting in 2022, the National Football League announced enhancements to its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across its 32

Organizations approach culture differently, but those that do it well are open and willing to cultivate psychologically safe spaces that foster trust and transparency and honor vulnerability. Since organizational culture and business operations are interconnected, removing barriers presents opportunities for employees to participate in driving that culture. It empowers them by making them feel part of something bigger than their current job role.

Employee resource groups, led by employee volunteers, are incredible development opportunities to cross-collaborate, create unique business synergies, and foster a sense of belonging. Those synergies, however, cannot exist in a silo and must be diffused throughout the organization. Communication is vital to culture building, particularly when an organization is undergoing change management.

In this episode of The New Mainstream podcast, Alissa Lieppman, Vice President, Head of Culture & Business Operations for NFL Media at the National Football League (NFL), shares insights on how the league effectively navigated the challenges of an office relocation while also emphasizing the importance of culture on change management.

May is Maternal Mental Health Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about the intersectionality of motherhood and mental health. It serves as a reminder that behind the joy and anticipation of becoming a mother, there may also be hidden struggles and challenges that need to be acknowledged and addressed, like access to quality care, particularly for Black women.

Women of color frequently encounter healthcare providers who hold unconscious biases that impact the quality of care they receive. These biases can lead to

In a recent report released by the CDC , 89% more women died from pregnancy-related issues in 2021 than in 2018. Black women are nearly 3 times more likely to die than White women and 2.5 times more likely than Hispanic women. The majority of these deaths were preventable.

In this episode of The New Mainstream podcast, Denise Evans, Principal, CEO & Founder of Consult Me, and Senior Learning & Development Specialist at Corewell Health, discusses the impact of implicit bias on Black maternal health and how to advance health equity in public health.

Meet Our Guest:

Denise Evans is a trained facilitator, public health educator, and Truth Racial Healing Transformation practitioner. She has specialized training in health equity and social justice, cultural intelligence, and unconscious/implicit bias, as well as technologies of participation facilitation. Denise serves as a content

For the past 25 years, she has worked diligently to connect community organizers, faith-based organizations and public health professionals from New York City to Los Angeles in a collective effort to disrupt systems of oppression and build a more equitable future for those living in our nation’s most vulnerable communities. Ms. Evans is a two-time past chair of Spectrum Health’s (now Corewell Health) System Inclusion Council and a founding member of the Greater Grand Rapids Racial Equity Network.

Implementing a multicultural marketing strategy is one of the most impactful ways brands can tap into the new mainstream. The U.S. consumer market

But marketing to Asian American consumers can be challenging for some marketers, as two-thirds of this group are foreign-born. This demographic difference means their motivations, preferences, and purchasing behavior may differ significantly from their U.S.-born counterparts. Similarly, researchers

In general, online sample providers have not kept pace with the consumer market's changing dynamics to the same extent as they have done to reduce fraud

On this episode of The New Mainstream podcast, Iris Yim, Principal and Chief Strategist at Sparkle Insights and Board Member and Vice President

Meet Iris Yim:

Iris is a seasoned researcher well versed in both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. Her experience in research across different industries and cultural segments makes her a versatile researcher that approaches research in a holistic and innovative way to solve clients’ business problems and uncover insights. 

The types of studies Iris have conducted include market opportunity assessments, customer satisfaction, attitude and awareness, ad testing, positioning, segmentation and new product development.  She has experience in a wide range of industries including CPG, travel and leisure, financial services,

Iris is the Research Chair of the Asian American Advertising Federation and serves on the Supplier Diversity Committee of the Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing, affiliated with Association of National Advertisers. She is an alumna of the RIVA Training Institute and holds an MBA from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree in public relations from the University of Southern California.

The racial reckoning of 2020 brought diversity, equity, and inclusion to the forefront, although the concept itself is not new. Unfortunately, many brands have taken advantage of this movement for their benefit, resulting in broken promises and hollow commitments that have undermined their reputation. However, for brands like LVMH, there is an urgent need to approach DEI with genuine commitment and intentionality, actively embracing cultural differences to enhance the employee experience and drive business results.

For Benefit Cosmetics, an LVMH brand, DEI expands beyond human resources to developing inclusive products and other elements that impact all facets of the organization. This culture shift is important as the U.S. consumer market becomes increasingly diverse, blurring the lines between DEI and multicultural marketing. 

Implementing DEI is not only the right thing to do from a moral standpoint but is also a savvy business move. Brands that fail to tap into the purchasing power of diverse communities, particularly Black and Hispanic consumers, are missing out on a significant opportunity.

Yet, the beauty industry still lacks a broad spectrum of cosmetics that cater to the diversity within these groups. It's essential to look beyond race and gender and start meaningful conversations around other dimensions of diversity, such as ability and sexual orientation. Brands have a unique opportunity to raise awareness of the barriers that underrepresented groups face and use their privilege to empower them.

Mia Talavera, Director of Global Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion at Benefit Cosmetics (LVMH), stops by The New Mainstream podcast to share her insights on the urgent need for genuine commitment and intentionality concerning DEI at the organizational and product levels.

Meet Our Guest:

Mia Talavera is a high-performing Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Leader passionate about inspiring positive culture change by designing and driving global DE&I strategies to promote and advance inclusion in the workplace. Mia has advised and consulted organizational leaders across various industries on leveraging innovative DEI initiatives, most recently driving real change within the beauty sector with Benefit Cosmetics.

Mia is the Director of Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Benefit Cosmetics (LVMH). She is also a certified Unconscious Bias Facilitator and earned a Bachelor's Business Degree and D&I certification from Yale Business School of Management.

The global economy runs on transportation, and if that transportation moves people or things and needs service and maintenance, technicians are doing the work. Yet less than 3% of employed technicians are women and a major contributor to that statistic is the stereotypes around who "can" or "should" be a technician.

Gendered roles and responsibilities, from the workplace to the home front, slam the doors of progress and perpetuate a narrative of exclusivity. Breaking the cycle requires featuring people from various backgrounds in different circumstances. This is especially crucial for marketers to connect with contemporary

In this episode of The New Mainstream podcast, Dana Rapoport, Chief of DE&I at TechForce Foundation, discusses gender-neutral roles and the importance of a diverse workforce.

Regardless of size, many organizations struggle to implement effective diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. This challenge can be incredibly daunting for smaller organizations that may not have a dedicated HR department or the necessary expertise in this area. Working with DEI consultants can help these

DEI consultants have specialized knowledge and experience in a wide range of areas, particularly in talent acquisition, training and development, policy creation,

However, organizations need not be DEI experts to create a more diverse and inclusive workplace. Rather than trying to navigate this complex and ever-evolving field independently, organizations can serve as a conduit for DEI expertise to enter their workplace by utilizing consultants.

On this episode of The New Mainstreet podcast, Ali Sheehan Mignone, Head of People, Diversity, and Inclusion at Theatre Projects, discuss how outsourcing