For years, multicultural marketing was treated as an add on. Something layered onto a broader strategy. But in a country where diversity is now the engine of growth, that approach is no longer enough.

In this episode of The New Mainstream Podcast, Mario Carrasco speaks with Arnetta Whiteside, SVP, Multicultural Consulting, Publicis Media at Publicis Groupe, about how brands must rethink culture, representation, and who truly holds power in the marketing ecosystem.

The conversation closely aligns with ThinkNow’s The World in One City initiative, which positions Los Angeles as the place where cultural, identity, and consumer behavior shifts appear first, before spreading across the United States.

Representation is not visibility. It is influence.

One of the key takeaways from the episode is the distinction many brands still miss. Representation is not just about who appears in ads. It is about who shapes the insights, who defines strategy, and who makes decisions.

Arnetta emphasizes that when communities are visible but not influential, brands lose credibility. That disconnect leads to weaker engagement and declining trust.

This mirrors what ThinkNow sees in Los Angeles, where only a minority of residents feel brands represent them accurately, despite the city’s outsized cultural influence on the rest of the country.

Culture is not a segment. It is the system.

Another central theme is that culture can no longer be treated as a niche. In markets like Los Angeles, identity is layered, fluid, and contextual. People move between communities, languages, and cultural signals daily.

Brands still relying on rigid demographic frameworks are optimizing for a consumer that no longer exists. Those that treat culture as an operating system, not a campaign, are building lasting relevance.

The cost of misunderstanding the new mainstream

The episode also makes one thing clear. Choosing not to adapt is no longer neutral.

When brands fail to understand the communities driving growth, they lose legitimacy. When lived experience is absent from strategy, attention fades. And when cultural complexity is ignored, competitors move faster.

From conversation to action

The episode closes with a clear message. Inclusion is not just a value. It is a business advantage when backed by structure, data, and informed decision making.

Listen to the full episode of The New Mainstream Podcast with Arnetta Whiteside and explore how culture, power, and representation are reshaping marketing in the United States.

In this episode of the podcast, Mario Carrasco sits down with Carlos Guerrero Anderson, a strategic insights leader whose career spans entrepreneurship, healthcare market research, and now patient advocacy within a nonprofit organization.

Carlos’s story is a clear example of how insights expertise can move beyond business outcomes and become a force for meaningful social impact.

From Latin America to the U.S.: A Career Built on Data and Purpose:

Originally from Venezuela, Carlos built a successful career in market research before moving to the United States. For years, he helped brands and organizations better understand their audiences and make data-driven strategic decisions.

But his professional path took a pivotal turn when he chose to apply that expertise to something deeply personal and urgent: health equity.

Today, Carlos is part of the Hairy Cell Leukemia Foundation, where he has transformed his background in insights into a mission-driven role focused on amplifying the voices of patients living with a rare disease and ensuring their experiences are seen, understood, and represented.

Research That Listens, Not Just Measures:

One of the key themes in the conversation is how traditional research often overlooks small, diverse, or medically vulnerable communities.

Carlos explains why, in the context of rare diseases, collecting data is not enough. True understanding requires listening to emotions, cultural barriers, access challenges, and structural inequities that directly affect patients’ lives.

In this space, insights are more than numbers. They are stories, contexts, and decisions that can influence diagnosis, treatment, and quality of life.

Representation, Empathy, and Action:

Throughout the episode, it becomes clear that representation is not an abstract concept. In healthcare, it can determine whether patients feel invisible or truly supported.

Carlos shares how his work helps bridge the gap between institutions, physicians, researchers, and patients by using data with empathy and purpose. It is a powerful lesson for anyone working in research, marketing, or strategy.

As brands navigate a fast-changing consumer landscape, one truth has become impossible to ignore: Gen Z is rewriting every rule of multicultural marketing. For years, language served as the primary indicator of culture, especially in Hispanic marketing, but new data from Culture Decoded, a study by ThinkNow and LatiNation, shows that thoseassumptions no longer hold.

Spanish as identity marker is declining. Culture is rising. And Gen Z expects brands to understand the difference.

In an era where identity is fluid, multi-layered, and shaped by digital environments, brands must rethink how they connect with young multicultural audiences or risk losing relevance.

Identity Is Growing, and Culture IsLeading the Way

According to the study, identification with Latino culture is increasing, even as Spanish usage declines in U.S. households. Gen Z is redefining identity:

· They stack identities

· They choose elements of their heritage selectively

· And they express culture in the moment, not in the same ways previous generations did

This shift reflects a broader trend: Culture is no longer tied to language. It's tied to lived experience, digital ecosystems, and global connectedness.

That's why Gen Z today can engage deeply with Bad Bunny, K-pop, Afro-Latino creators, and English-language soccerbroadcasts with equal passion. Being multicultural isn't "Latino vs. non-Latino." It's cultural fluidity.

Authenticity Is the New Brand Differentiator

Gen Z has an extremely sharp radar for detecting inauthenticity. They instantly recognize when something feels forced or superficial.

The data shows:

· 87% detect inauthentic ads instantly

· 67% want authentic representation

· 59% reward brands that acknowledge heritage

Brands that treat culture as a box to check, especially during heritage months, lose credibility. Gen Z wants something deeper: creators with real lived experiences, content informed by cultural insights, and storytelling that feels relevant to right now.

As Oscar Padilla of LatiNation says: "Culture first. Language is secondary."

Creators and Cultural Strategists Are Essential, Not Optional

One of the clearest takeaways from the podcast: brands cannot do this alone. Authenticity requires collaboration.

LatiNation's success with shows like Desmadre demonstrates why:

· English-language content

· Spanglish moments

· Latino cultural cues

· Distribution across radio, social, streaming, and linear TV

The formula works because creators bring context, nuance, and credibility that brands cannot generate internally.

For marketers, this means shifting from "content production" to co-creation.

Gen Z Lives in a 360° Media Environment – Brands Must Keep Up

Reaching this generation isn't about choosing between TV, social media, digital audio, or streaming. Gen Z uses all of it, often at the same time.

They may watch an English-language soccer match, comment on it on TikTok, follow the creators on Instagram, and then listen to the podcast afterward.

This makes cross-platform cultural consistency essential. The question isn't "Where do we reach Gen Z?" but rather "How do we show up authentically wherever they are?"

In this episode of The New Mainstream Podcast, Mario Carrasco, Co-Founder of ThinkNow, spoke with Oscar Padilla, Head of Digital Innovation & Growth at LatiNation, about these topics and more.