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.

Innovation doesn’t happen in isolation. It starts with people who build intentional systems to understand human behavior. Data and technology may power today’s marketplace,but empathy is the true differentiator that sets brands apart. Knowing what consumers buy and why, how they use it, what challenges they face, and what makes their experience better lays the foundation for strong product development andmessaging that resonates.

Like engineers observing how contractors interact with building materials, product marketers must immerse themselves in the customer experience. Real insight doesn’t come from dashboards alone. It comes from listening without assumptions, observing real behavior, and engaging not just to gather feedback but to build empathy deep enough to understand what customers may never say outright.

Equally important is recognizing the cultural and demographic shifts shaping modern consumers.Hispanic representation is on the rise, more women are driving key decisions, and diverse communities are redefining what influence looks like. For product marketers, this is a call to move past stereotypes and build authentic connections with the people who use, recommend, and ultimately champion your products.

In this episode of The New Mainstream podcast, Agustin Hernandez, R&D Leader at Owens Corning, explores how empathy and cultural intelligence drive innovation and shape products that more effectively reflect consumer needs and solve real-world problems.

Foresight is more than predicting what’s next. It’s identifying early signals and linking them to the human behaviors driving change. By studying how people adapt, create, andrespond to their environments, organizations can design strategies and solutions that fulfill future needs while staying grounded in reality.

This approach relies on both traditional and unconventional methods, such as interviews with experts and chan, observations from industry events, and secondary research, paired with digital ethnography that surfaces new conversations and cultural shifts. The goal isn’t just to identify trends, but also to understand the motivations behind them and what they reveal about evolving needs.

A key learning from this work is that foresight succeeds when organizations are willing to challenge their assumptions. When data and cultural context point in a new direction,the ability to pivot toward what people are already doing or valuing can uncover growth opportunities. Being flexible and responsive ensures that innovation remains human-centered rather than hypothesis-driven.

Equally important is a multifaceted research approach. Diverse qualitative insights capture nuance, while quantitative data scales understanding. Returning to qualitative validation closes the loop, ensuring that what emerges reflects both the “what” and the “why.” This cycle helps teams distinguish between patterns that arelocal and those that can be applied globally. Artificial intelligence now plays a growing role in this process, accelerating the discovery of patterns across vast data sources.

On this episode of The New Mainstream podcast, Jay Hasbrouck, Senior Staff Researcher at Google and author of Ethnographic Thinking: From Method to Mindset, explores how foresight, research, and AI can transform the way organizations approach innovation.

Walk through any major city in the U.S. and you’ll see it. Consumer demographics are shifting. From local shops to national brands, multicultural communities are driving commerce and key economic trends. Yet, while consumers are evolving, many marketing strategies are not. Too often, multicultural audiences remain an afterthought rather than the center of business growth.

Brands that succeed in multicultural marketing start by recognizing that inclusion is a business imperative, not optional. Data shows that in many regions, net population growth and the dollars that come with it are driven by Hispanic, Black, and Asian consumers. Failing to engage these audiences is a missed opportunity, putting brands at a competitive disadvantage.

For brands that are investing in multicultural marketing, authenticity is foundational. Campaigns that perform best are rooted in local insight and cultural nuance, often brought to life through relatable storytelling and community-driven engagement. For example, influencer partnerships that reflect real family dynamics, humor, and everyday experiences resonate far more deeply than ads simply translated from English. When creative control is shared with culturally fluent voices, brands earn credibility and build relationships.

Technology powers these relationships, offering new ways to reach, engage, and measure audiences. Artificial intelligence, for instance, can help brands understand consumers, but without culturally diverse data, it misses the nuances that define communities. Human insight is critical to ensuring inclusion and minimizing bias.

On this episode of The New Mainstream podcast, Liz Pedraza, Director of Hispanic Marketing at Pinnacle Advertising andPresident of CIMA Advertising, explores how multicultural insight, data, and authentic storytelling create measurablebusiness impact for brands.

Storytelling has long been recognized as a powerful way to bridge differences and build empathy across communities. To advance health equity, stories that transform complex medical terms and statistics into human experiences can break down barriers and even save lives. When people hear from survivors or caregivers who share their culture, language, or background, it fosters trust, a crucial stepin opening access and promoting advocacy within historically marginalized communities.

Health equity means people have access to resources specific to their needs, not simply offering the same solution to all. Equality may give everyone a bike, but equity ensures each bike is suited to its rider. In breast cancer care, thisdistinction is life-saving. Black women in the U.S. are 40% more likely to die from breast cancer than White women, despite similar screening rates. Latina women are often diagnosed later, when treatment options are fewer. These disparities stem not from personal choice but systemicbarriers such as language gaps, misdiagnoses, and limited access to culturally competent care.

Addressing these inequities requires intentional, culturally relevant programs that provide wraparound support. Initiatives like patient navigation services, bilingual resources, and financial aid assistance help dismantle barriers and guide patients through overwhelming diagnoses, ensuring they are not left behind. Partnerships with faith communities, advocacy groups, healthcareproviders, and media allies are also important in expanding the reach of resources while demonstrating a commitment that extends beyond awareness months.

The future of storytelling in multicultural marketing within healthcare requires authenticity and accountability. Communities expect organizations to listen, act, and show up consistently in ways that align with their values.

In this episode of The New Mainstream podcast, Nikki Hopewell, Director of Multicultural Marketing at SusanG. Komen, shares how storytelling, equity, and authenticpartnerships intersect to advance breast cancer awareness and care.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping society, but with its transformative power comes pressing ethical, cultural, and social questions. The conversation around AI often centers on new capabilities, but equally important are the implications for equity, transparency, and human values.

A key concern is the concentration of AI development in a handful of industries, particularly technology and finance, which risks creating tools that benefit only a narrow segment of society. When innovation prioritizes speed and competition, the so-called “AI race” can result in systems being released prematurely, riddled with bias, or inaccessible to much of the global population.

Language representation in AI models is another critical issue. Many large language models are predominantly trained in English, resulting in the underrepresentation of other languages and cultural perspectives. This imbalance not only limits accessibility but also reduces the quality of AIoutputs. Advocates stress that LLMs trained on multicultural data lead to better, more representative systems, onescapable of reflecting the world’s diversity rather than reinforcing existing biases and stereotypes.

Still, the potential for AI to drive positive impact is significant. From creating accessible tools for immigrants navigating new systems to providing voice-based digital companionsfor older adults, socially conscious applications of AI can foster inclusion and improve quality of life.

On this episode of The New Mainstream podcast, Norman Valdez, CEO of BrainTrainr, discusses the urgency of developing responsible AI and highlights both the dangers ofexclusion and the opportunities for technology to serve as a force for good.

Money habits aren’t formed in a vacuum. They’re shaped by the crises we live through, the culture we’re raised in, andthe tools we trust to manage our future. Today’s financial landscape is being redefined by generational shifts, cultural influences, and emerging technologies, like artificial intelligence, each impacting how people save, spend, and invest.

Gen Z is proving to be more disciplined and frugal than Millennials, driven by the economic crises they’ve witnessed in their households and their determination to avoid the same pitfalls. They’re saving earlier, budgeting more carefully, and leaning on side hustles to build financial security. Millennials, however, often lean toward spending on experiences, despite having endured many of the same economic setbacks. These differences highlight howcontext and culture influence money decisions in ways that numbers alone can’t explain.

Race and ethnicity also significantly influence financial priorities and levels of trust in financial institutions.Disparities in homeownership, retirement readiness, and perceptions of financial health remain stark, underscoring the need for inclusive financial education and culturally relevant outreach. Providing access alone falls short of creating solutions that meet people where they are.

And while technology is reshaping the landscape, trust remains a hurdle. Many consumers are open to using AI forsimple financial tasks, but skepticism grows when higher stakes are involved. The key is balance. Pair AI with human oversight, clear guardrails, and transparent communication to build confidence across generations.

On this episode of The New Mainstream podcast, Aijaz Hussain Shaik, Senior Director of Thought Leadership & Research at Empower, unpacks how generational shifts, cultural influences, and technology are redefining financial behavior and what it takes to create more inclusive financialsystems.

Veterans are undoubtedly our nation’s heroes. They bring with them a set of skills honed through years of service, skills that, if clearly communicated, can achieve the same success in business that they achieved on missions. The key to transferring these skills to civilian roles is breakingdown what was done in a military context into terms that show hiring managers how those capabilities can drive results for a company.

Yet too often, employers overlook or diminish this value. Without awareness, unconscious bias and outdated stereotypes can pigeonhole veterans into narrowroles. The reality is that the discipline, strategic execution, and situational awareness cultivated in service are exactly what organizations need to navigate the complexity of the marketplace and rally teams toward common goals.Employers who are intentional about being inclusive and who make the effort to understand these skills gain access to a high-performing, job ready talent pool.

Community-building within organizations amplifies that impact. Veterans’ networks, for example, offer mentorship and onboarding support from the start of the hiring process.Once hired, employee resource groups provide safe spaces that foster belonging, educate allies, and dismantle biases, ultimately creating an inclusive workplace culture. Even smaller companies can take meaningful steps by partnering with local veteran groups to source talent or provide job training.

In this episode of The New Mainstream podcast, Ari Friedman, Talent Development Manager, Global Early Careers at Microsoft, offers strategies for translating military skills into business impact and creating workplaces where veterans can thrive, benefiting both talent and employers alike.