Multicultural
The importance of being bilingual

Bilingual people seem to have a lower incidence of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Or so claim them neurologists. By Gonzalo López Martí - Creative Director
𝗘𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗼 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗺𝘀

The search for a unifying Latino identity in America has evolved significantly. By Mercedes Sullivan - VP, HR Storefront
Exploring the Growing Influence of the Hispanic Market in the U.S. [REPORT]

The U.S. Hispanic market has evolved into one of the most significant and dynamic consumer segments for American businesses. With over 63.5 million Hispanics comprising 19.1% of the U.S. population, the demographic is both large and influential. Beyond sheer numbers, the unique cultural values, preferences, and trends within this group offer businesses immense growth potential. ThinkNow's "Hispanic Market Today" report explores how the Hispanic community is reshaping the demographic landscape and creating new opportunities for companies across industries.
Governor Newsom Signs Major Legislation to Bolster Ethnic and Community Media Through the State’s Advertising Power

In a decisive move to strengthen ethnic and community media, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1511 - authored by Assemblymember Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles) - into law, mandating that state agencies develop plans to increase their advertising spending in media outlets serving California's diverse populations. The law requires agencies to annually report on their progress to ensure transparency and accountability. Sponsored by the Latino Media Collaborative, AB 1511 represents a key effort to direct the state's advertising dollars towards ethnic and community media, creating a sustainable foundation for these outlets to thrive.
Future-Proofing Brands: The Power of Inclusive Marketing in Music and Media [PODCAST]

In this episode of The New Mainstream podcast, Robert Vélez, Vice President of Inclusive Network & LATAM Sales at Vevo, discusses how brands must proactively pursue inclusion to cultivate opportunities to connect with diverse audiences.
Hispanics are evolving and changing…my thoughts

Having read Maria Lucia Parra's article on HispanicAd it strikes me that more people in our industry are trying to "tapar el sol con el dedo". This to my non Spanish speaking friends is simple - you can't block the sun with your finger. I for a long time have been an advocate of looking at Hispanics through a prism and not a lens. By Xavier Mantilla - Ex Ogilvy/WPP, Starcom/Publicis, UM/IPG, OMG Building growth for brands using creativity and technology in the US, Latin American and Hispanic market place. Connecting people and ideas!!
Beyond Hispanic Heritage Month: How Brands Can Support Year-Round Cultural Celebrations

As we enter the second full week of Hispanic Heritage Month, it’s encouraging to see so many in our industry publishing thoughtful opinion pieces on the occasion. The discourse has been rich and diverse, but one message stands out: Brands must engage with Hispanic consumers year-round, not just during Hispanic Heritage Month. By Louis Maldonado
Moving Beyond Acculturation: How Marketers Are Embracing Cultural Fluidity in Hispanic Audiences

For decades, marketers relied heavily on acculturation models to understand and target the U.S. Hispanic population. The model grouped Hispanics into categories like unacculturated, bicultural, or fully acculturated, based on their assimilation into American culture. This framework has been a long-standing tool to segment the Hispanic audience and tailor marketing messages. However, in today’s world, this approach is rapidly losing its relevance. By Maria Lucia Parra - Bicultural Hispanic marketing/UX researcher with extensive experience in identifying the right approaches to meet clients’ objectives as “one size does not fit all”.
Happy HHM (or not so happy?)

I don’t know about you, but Hispanic Heritage Month is just kicking off this weekend, and I’m already overdosing on all the social media posts and shallow brand celebrations. As far as I’m concerned it feels quite token for brands to opportunistically “show up” during Hispanic Heritage Month! I’m sure this feeling is shared by my African American and Asian American friends when Black History Month or Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month come around, as well as my friends in the LGBTQ+ community when all the Pride brand activations and campaigns pop up out of nowhere. By Luis Miguel Messianu. - Founder-President-Chief Creative Officer MEL
Code-Switching in Marketing: Navigating Language & Culture to Connect with Diverse Audiences

In an increasingly multicultural world, code-switching has emerged as a powerful concept, not only in communication but also in marketing. Traditionally, code-switching refers to the practice of alternating between two or more languages or dialects within a conversation, often to adapt to different cultural contexts or social situations. In marketing, code-switching goes beyond just language—it involves navigating cultural nuances, values, and identity to connect with diverse audiences authentically. By Sylvia Vidal - Senior VP of Insights | Expert in Multicultural, LGBTQIA+ and U.S. Hispanic Research | Advocate for Inclusive Insights |Specialist in Latin American & Caribbean Markets | Qualitative & Quantitative Specialist
Latinx Awareness Has Doubled Among U.S. Hispanics Since 2019, but Only 4% Use It [REPORT]

In the long-running debates about which terms to use to describe the U.S. population with roots in Latin America and Spain, “Latinx” has emerged as a gender-neutral alternative to Hispanic and Latino, the two most popular pan-ethnic terms used today.
Median Income of Non-Hispanic White Households Increased While Asian, Black and Hispanic Median Household Income Did Not Change

The report, Income in the United States: 2023, compares median household income by different characteristics, including race and Hispanic origin, and shows that not all groups had an increase in median household incomes from 2022 to 2023.
Celebrating the Centennial of a Giant

A very special moment happened over the weekend; one that only happens every 100 years, if one should be so lucky. Members of our Hispanic marketing and advertising industry convened to celebrate the 100th birthday of Roberto Madan. Don Roberto, as he is respectfully and affectionally called, was one of the McDonald’s early Latino owner/operators who was known for his dedication to uplifting and building communities by actively supporting entrepreneurship, the pursuit of education and other important causes.
Inclusion is the future for brand growth

Keen to avoid the gaze of the manufactured outrage machine, marketers have been timid about investing in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in the past year. Kantar’s research, and that of our partners, however, indicates brand inclusion and fairness inside and outside businesses are the keys to brand growth. There is a strategic imperative to put inclusion back at the core of their brands.
What the data says about immigrants in the U.S. [US Hispanic Markets HOTBED for 2022 immigrantion]

In 2022, more than 29 million immigrants – 63% of the nation’s foreign-born population – lived in just 20 major metropolitan areas. The largest populations were in the New York, Los Angeles and Miami metro areas. Most of the nation’s unauthorized immigrant population (60%) lived in these metro areas as well.
The Re-Birth of the Spanish Dominant Hispanic Consumer in The US

Interesting title, since we are being challenges every year by sources that state that the Spanish Dominant Hispanic Consumer is not growing, and that mainstream and digital media are imposing attrition to our US Hispanic Spanish Dominant media that serve the US Hispanic Consumer. I have yet to hear our media companies, our ad agencies and other sources bringing forth the notion of what has happened in the last four years to the growth of the US Hispanic Market due to recent immigration patterns. In 2010 there were 50.2 Million Hispanic in the US. In on decade, the 2020 Census detailed the that US Hispanic population grew by 11.9 Million or + 24%. In just four years since the 2020 Census, the possibility that the US Hispanic Consumer base grew by 10-12 Million is in the realm of possibility or by a 19%, due to recent immigrant growth. I am not here to discuss the political issue surrounding the influx of immigrants into the US, but I am here to highlight:
- Our Hispanic Consumer base could have a growth of +15-20 Million in 4 years and projected out to average growth over 10 years in the 2030 Census could reach +30% or 80-85 Million US Hispanic Consumers. That’s clout.
- Close to 100% of the US Hispanic Consumer Base growth is Spanish Dominant Hispanics in the last 4 years.
- Hispanic TV, Radio and other media are going to enjoy a real bonanza of new viewers, listeners and readers
- With this growth, the hierarchy of US Hispanic Market and their relationship to mainstream markets will be impacted dramatically, since a good portions of this new immigrant consumers group is congregating in the largest US Hispanic Markets in the US.
- The Hispanic composition of our top markets will grow. LA, NY, Miami, Chicago, Dallas, etc have become much larger and important markets, due to US Hispanic Consumers.
- The Hispanic composition of markets besides the Top 5 will grow and change not only the US Hispanic Market ranking but re-organize mainstream markets into a new ranking order.
- The US Hispanic Market is leading the growth opportunity in the US.
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On September 23, the world’s top marketing association will once again open its vault of world-class cases, frameworks, and training programs from leading experts for a whole week to anyone, anywhere, at NO COST. Register now for ANA IQ: A global week of marketing learning, September 23–27.
AI and the Evolving Market Research Landscape [PODCAST]

In this episode of The New Mainstream podcast, Dan Comenduley, Senior Manager of Consumer Insights at UScellular, explores how AI can enhance consumer data collection while emphasizing the importance of preserving the human touch in research.
The Importance of Broadening Horizons: Latino Moderators and Market Research in the U.S.

In the ever-evolving landscape of qualitative marketing research in the U.S., it is crucial to recognize the diversity within the Latino community. While Mexican Americans constitute the largest segment of the Latino population in the U.S. (61%), it is a misconception to believe that only moderators of Mexican descent can effectively conduct qualitative research within this demographic. This article explores why any qualified moderator from a Latin American country is fully capable of conducting insightful and impactful research and why marketers should broaden their focus beyond just the Mexican community. By Maria Lucia Parra
A Simple and Effective Guide to Segmenting Your Hispanic Market Research Sample

Conducting market research in the Hispanic market can be challenging, especially for researchers unfamiliar with the community or living in another country. Here is a quick guide to building a representative sample and obtaining accurate results.