Multicultural
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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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.
Preparing Marketing Procurement for AI
In the rapidly evolving landscape of marketing procurement, data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) are becoming indispensable tools.
AI Data Bias, The 2024 Challenge: Solutions for Multicultural Integrity
Generative AI (Gen AI) applied to marketing has tremendous value and we leverage it across the board, however its inherent biases and limitations in Multicultural/Ethnic accuracy and representation requires guardrails, human contextual and deductive skills, and human involvement throughout the process. By Liz Castells-Heard, CEO & Chief Strategy Officer, INFUSION by Castells
The Singer Will Be the First Afro-Latina To Appear on U.S. Currency
The Celia Cruz Estate and its executor, Omer Pardillo-Cid, announced that the coin dedicated to the immortal Cuban singer Celia Cruz, one of the most beloved and outstanding artists of the 20th century, has officially entered circulation. Cruz was chosen as one of five exceptional women to be celebrated by the United States Mint's American Women Quarters Program™ in 2025. The so-called Queen of Salsa, who passed away in 2003, appears on the coin in relief, dressed in traditional Cuban garb next to her motto ¡Azúcar!
Census and OMB Data Collection of Latinos Can Be Improved with Inclusion of “Street Race” [REPORT]
The UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute (UCLA LPPI) has published “Latino is Not a Race: Understanding Lived Experiences through Street Race,” a new report authored by Cecilia Nuñez, Julia Silver, Misael Galdámez, and Dr. Nancy López. The report examines the complexities of racial and ethnic identification within Latino communities in the United States, focusing on the concept of “street race,” or the race a stranger would assume you to be based on your physical appearance. The report finds that current Census and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) methods for collecting and analyzing racial and ethnic data do not accurately reflect the lived experiences of many Latinos, especially Afro-Latinxs.
The Death of DEI? Not So Fast – As DEI efforts meet resistance, new studies show that many brands continue pushing onward
It may not qualify as a total reversal of attitude, but it's awfully close. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) — heralded not long ago as the core to corporate America's future — is in retreat, as companies reduce and/or eliminate their DEI programs altogether. In late June, for example, rural lifestyle distributor Tractor Supply Company shut down its DEI initiatives after receiving backlash from some of its customers and right-wing commentators regarding the company's inclusion policies and support for the LGBTQ+ community. Industry rival John Deere followed suit in July, saying it would no longer sponsor diversity events following similar complaints. Indeed, companies are "reassessing decades-old anti-discrimination strategies and rewriting policies that once emphasized race and gender to prioritize inclusion for all," according to the Washington Post. Such developments stand in stark contrast to the bandied efforts among many brands to foster DEI following George Floyd's murder in 2020, which sparked a racial reckoning throughout the country.
Outlook of an Eternal Optimist: Status Report of an Unsinkable Industry
The first half of 2024 has been nothing short of a whirlwind. Ad industry conversations have centered around many exciting opportunities, like using Generative AI as a tool to elevate all steps of the creative storytelling process, from research to insights to a much broader scale of personalized content. At the same time, we are having substantive discussions around major barriers that can thwart our clients’ ability to evolve at the pace of the changing consumer landscape. One would be the mounting attempts at undoing DEIB practices and protocols, which can – and has – had a direct impact on the priority placed and budgets allocated to Multicultural Marketing. Another is the legislative agenda to strip any consumer data related to race, ethnicity and other identity-related demographic information from critical data sources, which can severely limit our ability to identify, study, reach and engage the multicultural consumer segments with the most relevant content and brand solutions. By Louis Maldonado
The Enduring Importance of Inclusive Marketing in a DEI Adverse World [PODCAST]
In this episode of The New Mainstream podcast, Devoreaux Walton, MBA, a Brand & Marketing Senior Consultant at relevant and host of The Inclusive Consumer podcast, discusses the relevance of inclusive marketing in today’s complex business landscape.
Louis Maldonado of d expósito & Partners on Data-Driven Decisions
What will it take to have your work make it to the winners' circle? ANA's Judges' Journals features a series of Q&A sessions with leading industry executives participating on 2024 ANA Award juries. Gain insight from the judges on what they will be looking for and what makes the difference between a good versus award worthy submission. In this segment, Denise McDevitt, SVP of award programs at ANA connects with Louis Maldonado, partner and managing director at d expósito & Partners' regarding his role on the 2024 ANA Multicultural Excellence Awards Jury.
