Multicultural Marketing: Innovations and the Road Ahead

Massive changes in global population demographics are shaping consumer markets that are increasingly multicultural. In many countries, including the United States, multicultural consumers—those who embrace and identify with multiple cultural backgrounds—are among the fastest-growing demographic segments. For instance, the Hispanic American population grew by 23% from 2010 to 2020, making it a significant contributor to the U.S. population growth during that period (U.S. Census Bureau, 2021). As multiculturalism becomes more prevalent, it presents both challenges and opportunities for consumer research.

Traditionally, consumer behavior studies have focused on differences between distinct cultural groups, such as collectivist versus individualistic values or interdependent versus independent self-construals. However, the current imperative is to understand consumers who embody multiple cultural influences simultaneously. These multicultural individuals navigate and integrate various cultural identities, leading to complex consumer behaviors that cannot be fully understood through traditional, monocultural lenses.