Forty percent of the 63.5 million Hispanics in the U.S. identify themselves as bicultural, according to the latest U.S. Census data. This represents an increase of 300,000 over 2021. Given this increase, it is important for multicultural marketers to understand how to approach these consumers to authentically enhance their advertising campaigns. Therefore, understanding biculturalism and the concept of cultural duality can help brands demonstrate cultural relevance, authenticity and inclusion.
With this in mind, the webinar “The Nuance Behind Cultural Duality: How to Embrace Identity for Growth with Adsmovil” was held as part of Hispanic Heritage Month, which delves into cultural duality, with a focus on Hispanic consumers. Maria Twena, Chief Marketing Officer at Adsmovil, and Jack Mackinnon, Senior Director, Cultural Insights at Collage Group, provided essential insights to leverage cultural duality and drive brand growth through authentic campaigns.
Cultural duality, or the dual representation of two cultures as part of the consumer’s identity, is one of the three main traits Collage Group has identified from its 2024 data analysis of the U.S. Hispanic segment. The other two are positivity, in that they view their future with optimism and have great hope in their ability, and pioneering, in that for them early adoption is a key element, whether it is a social networking platform or a new technological device.
ACCULTURATION MODEL
Twena referred to three different levels of acculturation: collectivism, biculturalism and individualism, to better understand the differences between the various generations of Hispanics in the U.S. and the role they play.
Collectivism is the dominant ethos of a first-generation Hispanic immigrant who uses Spanish as the predominant language, and are those who arrived in the U.S. at age 10 or older. Twena explained that in Latin America, cultures revolve around the collective. “That means they are morally upright, they employ a balanced work ethic, meaning Hispanics work very hard, but they also have to have time for friends and family, because collectivism is very much influenced by interdependence and interconnectedness. There is a greater power of the community and the family over the individual.”