Part 1: How Brands Can Shift Their Thinking Beyond Demographics

The United States is becoming more multicultural, but the report argues that population change alone does not explain the cultural opportunity. Brands also need to understand how people experience, share, and extend culture in daily life.

Omniculturals have a high attachment to their own culture and a high openness to other cultures. They share roots proudly, seek new experiences actively, and bring ideas from outside their immediate world into the way they eat, listen, travel, create, and connect.

This mindset can appear across demographic groups. It gives brands a way to look for shared cultural behavior without ignoring the nuance of each community.

Demographics identify an opportunity by size, age, race, or ethnicity. Mindset explains why people make meaning, what they are open to, and how they influence the people around them.

The report describes Omniculturals as cultural crossover participants. They turn a large world into a personal one, bringing unfamiliar sounds, food, language, and traditions into their own routines without treating culture as a costume.

For brands, this means cultural relevance requires more than representation. It requires an understanding of the values, rituals, and emotions that make a message feel genuine.

Lead with the consumer mindset, then let demographic opportunity follow. A demographic target can be useful, but it cannot substitute for the emotional and cultural context that builds affinity.

Avoid one-size-fits-all multicultural messaging. Genuine bonds come from acknowledging nuance, investing in messages that connect emotionally, and partnering with people who can navigate the cultural landscape with care.