What Is The New Majority? Who They Are and Why They Matter

By Jacqueline Hernández and Jack Rico

The New Majority is made up of the 192 million Americans under 45: Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha. They now represent 56% of the U.S. population and are the most diverse, digitally native, and soon-to-be, economically influential consumer bloc in the country. They are the “new general market.”

Marketing in 2026 is shifting because the market has shifted. Attention, influence, and future spending power are moving toward younger, more diverse consumers who expect brands to understand how they actually live, shop, and communicate.

The New Majority has also changed how marketing works. The old funnel matters less when discovery now happens through social media, creators, and streaming on demand. For brands paying attention, the flywheel is replacing the funnel.

As of 2026, more than half of this combined group identifies as non-white, and roughly one in four identifies as Hispanic. For these consumers, multicultural is their default setting. They demand to see themselves reflected in the brands they support, with 81% of Gen Zers saying inclusive representation strongly shapes their brand preferences.

This demographic is rapidly taking command of consumer spending, building wealth at younger ages and doing it faster than any previous generation. By 2030, the New Majority is projected to account for $35.4 trillion in global spending, nearly 53% of the total. That makes this a business reality, not a demographic footnote.

Inherently diverse. They expect brands to reflect that. For this cohort, identity is layered, fluid, and personal. They are multi-hyphenate consumers who move between cultures, languages, and communities with ease. Brands that flatten this complexity into a single “diverse” checkbox lose credibility fast.

True digital natives. Technology shapes every part of how they interact with brands. Social media is their primary point of discovery. Commer needs to be frictionless, mobile-first, and integrated into the platforms they already use. On-demand access is expected, not appreciated. If a brand experience requires extra steps, extra clicks, or extra patience, they move on.

Authenticity matters. The New Majority grew up through economic recessions, a global pandemic, political polarization, and a constant stream of institutional failures. Because of their lived experiences they have a sharp filter for what is real and what is performative. These consumers reward brands that show up consistently, and they are vocal when brands don’t.

Gen Alpha: The Power of Influence

Gen Alpha, born between 2010 and 2024, may still be in childhood, but their influence is already measurable. They are projected to shape $5.46 trillion in global household spending by 2029. Raised almost entirely by Millennials, they are vocal, brand-aware, and actively shaping family purchase decisions in real time.

By the time the oldest Gen Alphas turn 18 in 2028, brands that haven’t started building relationships with them will be starting from zero with a generation that already has opinions about who they trust.

The New Majority is already reshaping culture, consumption, and growth. They are your customers, employees, voters, and tastemakers. They will decide which brands stay relevant and which ones start to fade. They are the most diverse generation in U.S. history, the fastest-growing share of the labor force and electorate, and by 2030, they will be the most dominant force in global spending.

For brands that want to stay competitive, the strategic reset comes down to three questions: Where is this consumer actually spending their attention? What matters to them now, and what no longer carries meaning? And what earns their spending and loyalty?

The brands that can answer those questions honestly, and act on the answers, will own the next decade. The ones still guessing will spend it catching up.

Who coined the term “New Majority”? The term was developed by New Majority Ready, the strategic marketing consulting firm led by Jacqueline Hernández (former COO, Telemundo) and journalist Jack Rico (Univision, NBC, ABC) to give business executives a precise framework for this new demographic shift reshaping global commerce.

Why group Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha together? Despite the age gap between a 45-year-old Millennial and a 12-year-old Gen Alpha, these generations share the same cultural operating system. They want tech that works, brands that are straight with them, and shopping choices that match what they believe in. They are also very diverse, digital natives, and together they are redefining what marketing strategies work. 

What does it mean to be “New Majority Ready”? Because people under 45 now spend the most money globally, companies need to understand what they care about and update all their marketing to speak directly to them. To be “New Majority Ready,” a company must demonstrate cultural fluency and have fully audited and realigned its brand messaging, media strategy, and overall marketing philosophy.

Why should CMOs act on this now? This shift has already occurred. Every quarter a brand delays realignment is a quarter of accelerating irrelevance. The companies that build their strategy around the New Majority today will own most of the market share over the next ten years.