Hispanics are the largest minority, fueling our country´s generational and cultural changeover. In 2020, Gen Z became the first segment to be an American multicultural majority with teens 17 and under. Other segments will soon follow: under 35s by 2028 and all persons under 50 by 2033. That demands a shift in the way we think about and practice marketing—putting culture at the forefront.
Today’s marketing landscape is seeing an awakening by many companies to take a stand against hate and racism and promote voting rights, as their consumers, especially Millennials & Gen Zers, reward these actions. However, multicultural consumers also expect companies to represent them properly and exhibit cultural literacy often found lacking in marketing, which is not surprising since nine out of 10 chief executives and advertising, promotions, sales & marketing managers are non-Hispanic white. There is a real danger of getting caught up in a mono-cultural feedback loop. Cultural literacy becomes the way to both protect and optime brands in the new multicultural reality.
