• by Mario Carrasco , Op-Ed Contributor, December 13, 2019

As America marches steadily toward a majority-minority population, culture and authenticity will play larger roles in how products and services are developed and marketed. Authenticity influences culture, but data suggests that it is not a key driver of brand choice. 

However, more culturally resonant campaigns should be on your holiday wish list for 2020, as multicultural consumers are authors of some of the most prevailing trends in 2019. To help you prepare for the changes, we have identified some of those emerging trends that marketers need to be aware of: 

Total market approaches will continue to wane in 2020.  These methods will soon be eclipsed by micro-targeting of multicultural subgroups. Having insight into factors like age, motivations, and purchase behavior, as well as cultural influences, is essential to creating personalized content for these unique audiences.

Successful marketers will always be learning more about who buys and why. The quality of your research will be your key differentiator. 

So, hire whatever resources you need to get to know your target audiences better. Then, you can use this knowledge to craft culturally relevant marketing campaigns that convert. 

Now that you're in touch with your audience, market researchers, as well as content writers and campaign strategists, can help to ensure that your marketing messages are on target. 

Offline shopping isn't just for boomers anymore.  While Gen Z shoppers do search for and compare products online, they prefer to make the final purchase in-store. As multicultural audiences comprise an increasing share of the overall market, this will drive a resurgence of brick-and-mortar shopping in 2020. 

Keeping this in mind, brands that sell exclusively online can look for ways to entice comparison shoppers who check their site for lower prices. 

What incentives can you offer to get them to go ahead and buy the item from you? Merchants with both web and physical locations will want to make online shoppers aware of in-store pick-up options.

Youthis a defining attribute of the Hispanic demographic. Therefore, it’s likely that a large percentage of those younger shoppers will be Hispanic. And that's why marketers need to provide an omnichannel path to purchase that is culturally relevant. 

Multicultural audiences are embracing mindfulness and fitness apps. The mindfulness industry is worth over $1 billion, with 1,000 apps fueling its growth. Now, consider that there are just over 46 million Hispanic mobile phone users (a number that's expected to soar to 51 million by 2020). 

Currently, 84% of that group are smartphone users, and 40% say that the apps on their phones are an important part of their daily life. It's easy to see the significant opportunity for exponential growth in this sector.

Thinking about the appeal of mindfulness can provide some clues about its adherents. Touted as the "secret weapon of the super successful," the practice of mindfulness is used to relieve anxiety and help maintain a positive outlook, among other benefits. 

With many younger, multicultural audiences involved in higher education, mindfulness could be used to help them focus and succeed in their studies, for instance. 

Details like these can help you identify places where your target audience might be reached — on a mobile device, for sure. Following a #mindful feed on Instagram or Snap? Possibly. 

No doubt, you and your team can think of dozens of ways this information can be useful. With enough research and planning, yours could be the brand that makes the multicultural segment of your audience think, "Now, these people get me."