Ad Age Next: Multicultural Marketing

In an era when some brands and agencies have increasingly deemphasized multicultural marketing efforts in favor a “total marketing” approach, many diverse voices in the industry are claiming the shift ignores Black and Brown consumers in favor of “general market” consumers, a euphemism for a majority white population that ignores what America looks like today. Generation Z is the most diverse demographic in U.S. history. It’s also the largest and most valuable consumer base for marketers. Although the latest census data still projects America becoming a majority minority country by 2044, the truth is we are already a multicultural society. And after the social justice movement brought about a moment of reckoning for the ad industry in 2020, today’s American consumer has forced brands to wear their values on their sleeves, or risk consequences.