The New Mainstream Podcast

If there is one “truth” that has persisted in multicultural marketing throughout the decades, it is the assumption that less acculturated Hispanics are more brand loyal than their bi-cultural and more acculturated Hispanic counterparts. But this persistent trope has trickled outside of the confines of Hispanic marketing. Less acculturated Hispanics are now considered the most brand-loyal consumer...

While Millennials still get the lion’s share of attention, Gen Z, the demographic cohort nipping at the heels of their older siblings, are beginning to take center stage. Known as the Plurals, Founders, or the iGeneration, Gen Z consumers may be setting their own rules, somewhat, but because of their age, still look to their parents and friends to make purchase decisions. In the second wave of the...

First quarter 2016 revealed the vulnerability of the casual dining industry. The bar-and-grill segment, typically a strong player, struggled, as the 4.1-percent decline in same-store sales at Chili’s last quarter showed us. And unfortunately, the second quarter of the year, at this point, isn’t looking much better. ThinkNow Research has taken a closer look at this sector from a Total Market perspe...

Binge viewing has not slowed down in 2016. Streaming services’ plot to keep us on our couches for as long as possible is working. Thankfully instacart is coming to more cities now so we can get our groceries delivered to us while we binge watch the last four seasons of House of Cards. Regardless of age, binge viewing is a trend that is continuing to increase in popularity. Streaming services have...

Earlier this year, ThinkNow Research conducted its annual consumer sentiment study among a representative sample of U.S. Hispanics, African-Americans, Asians, and non-Hispanic whites. This is the third year we have conducted this study, and it has now become one of the most widely cited consumer sentiment studies for its focus on multicultural consumers. While our focus here is on African-American...

Virtual Reality has been feeling like it is on the cusp of being main stream for several years now. The purchase of Oculus Rift by Facebook for 2 billion dollars jutted virtual reality into the public consciousness. Flash forward two years and the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S7 brought free virtual reality headsets to those that pre-ordered the phone and now the HTC Vive has launched, making virt...

Back in March, we started a conversation about the sharing economy. Industry disruptors like Uber and Airbnb have used technology and a non-traditional business model to redefine how consumers purchase goods and services. The heartbeat of the sharing economy is the consumers themselves, now empowered by a model that allows them to rent services from one another. And while the regulatory uncertaint...

ast year we presented a series of reports on US Millennials with a focus on the Hispanic segment. An interesting thing happened though as we were comparing Hispanic Millennials to non-Hispanic Whites, African Americans, and Asians in wave after wave of research. One group of Millennials stood out like a game of “Which one of these is not like the others?” – Asians. You can download the full report...

By many measures, 2016 was an eventful year, to say the least, for Americans. From one of the most inspiring Olympics on record to a contentious presidential election season, many are exhausted and looking forward to a fresh start in 2017. Using this year of extremes as a backdrop, ThinkNow Research conducted its fourth annual Consumer Sentiment Study across a representative sample of Hispanics, A...

Our snapshot report looks at the top 5 insights uncovered from our ThinkNow Retail : Total Market Holiday Shopping Trends report. The study contents include the following insights from the Asian cohort: 1. Asian-Americans Are Online Shoppers 2. Online Reviews Are Critical 3. Asian-Americans Think Outside The "Friends/Family" Box 4. Black Friday Is Big For Asian-Americans 5. Online Offering Is Crit...

Holiday Shopping season looks to be a bright spot for U.S. retailers, significant lift among Hispanic consumers expected. All signs point to a strong holiday season so far despite the typical pullback in consumer spending in September and October due to a presidential election. Deloitte expects up to a 4% increase in holiday spending from last year pushing total holiday sales to more than $1 trill...

African-American Millennials cemented their position as trendsetters in the media and technology space in 2016. But this cohort has been setting the tone for the conversations feeding social media and the web at large with an influence that vastly outweighs its user base for some time now. We found several opportunities in the technology and media space for companies to focus resources. Download o...

Total Market Consumers Prefer Taste Over Health When It Comes To Fast Food Choices. The fast food industry is projected only to grow about 2% annually over the next five years according to IBIS World. As a result, many top fast food chains have tried to meet the challenge of presenting menu items for price-sensitive customers who want healthy options. However, is that what they really want? Our re...