Recession Planning for Sustainability & Growth: Market Research & Consumer Insights

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Recession Planning for Sustainability & Growth: Market Research & Consumer Insights
Data Analytics, Primary Research & Subject Matter Expertise
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Signs are pointing to a global recession sparked by the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Lessons from the Great Recession suggest that the Multicultural contribution to total consumer expenditure actually increases in economic downturn because of Multicultural population growth.

Through a series of studies launched this spring, Collage Group has collected deep insights on how behaviors vary by race and ethnicity – key to remaining relevant in this rapidly changing environment. Fill out the form to download a sample of the study.

The Coronavirus pandemic is a once-a-century transformation in the global economy, with radical impacts on trade-flows, consumer behavior, and spending across every industry.

Collage Group members are now in the throes of intensive investigation into consumer response across every category to plan for the short- and long-term. Beyond understanding immediate consumer response through our recent syndicated research, many members are now turning to plans for the future to mitigate loss of revenue anticipated given the pending recession.   

Collage Group was born in the Great Recession when it became apparent that the most resilient consumer group was the Hispanic segment. The segment’s larger family size, and faster population growth and household formation guaranteed that marketing organizations had to put the Hispanic consumer at the center of marketing.   

The 2020 COVID-19 recession will see a similar phenomenon. The continued higher growth rate in consumer expenditure of all multicultural groups significantly outpaces the general market. Indeed, the Multicultural consumer contribution to consumer expenditure in the next few years will likely be even greater than it was during the Great Recession.

Based on this unique understanding, Collage Group recommends the following engagements to build efficiency and plan effectively during the COVID-19 pandemic and pre-recession:

SIZE OF PRIZE ANALYSIS

Nationwide, when the economy is in recession, population and spend growth predominantly comes from Multicultural consumers. In preparation for a recession, brands must understand who they should target to maximize growth, and how best to reach these consumers. Collage Group has long helped brands size the opportunity for growth, to guide investments and budgets. Consider scoping an analysis for your categories and brands to ensure your long-term strategy can withstand the upcoming recession.

CONSUMER ATTITUDE & USAGE DEEP DIVE

Understand the impact of COVID-19 on category usage, behaviors, habits, drivers and barriers.

Our work provides a clear profile of the consumer’s attitudes and behaviors and identifies recommendations and strategies for breaking barriers and optimizing communication with target segment(s) through a combination of qualitative and quantitative research modalities.

PRODUCT & PRICING OPTIMIZATION

The pandemic has driven change in purchasing behaviors across categories. Members are looking to understand how the price-to-value equation has changed across ethnicity and socio-economic segments. Discover the top features that will convince consumers to pick up your product in aisle or select your services (i.e., channel plans, mobile plans, etc.) through the choices they make, rather than their stated preferences.

Latest COVID-19 Coverage

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The Coronavirus Crisis Research Initiative

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The Coronavirus Crisis Research Initiative
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The coronavirus crisis is changing everything in ways we never expected. Read more below to understand our research and review custom options for obtaining detailed reporting and proprietary insights.

The coronavirus crisis has now emerged as a once-a-century transformation in the global economy, with radical impacts on trade-flows, consumer behavior, and spending across every industry. Collage Group members are now in the throes of intensive investigation into consumer response across every category.

Two factors reinforce why this initiative is so important.


Cultural differences impact consumer behavior even more a time of crisis.

Cultural backgrounds significantly influence the neuroloigical “defaults” in human behavior, especially when it comes to health.  Consider the progress of COVID-19 in South Korea vs Italy, both democracies in which multigenerational households are common.  The differences could not be starker. Indeed, the difference in outcomes could not explained without recourse to an understanding of differences in culture.

The multicultural contribution to growth increases in an economic downturn.

Multicultural consumers will continue to drive the majority of spending growth through this crisis.  Indeed, the multicultural contribution to growth has historically increased when the economy shrinks.  Indeed, all our projections indicate the contribution can only increase in the future. As you can see from the chart below extracted from our Big Shift research, multicultural response is even more important at this time than in periods of economic strength.

We cover four components in our coronavirus crisis research:

1. Deep Dive Syndicated and Omnibus Survey

Our main survey goes deep into culture factors that are critical to differences in consumer behavior.   We incorporate cultural attitudes that impact health and response to risks to health, such as social proximity conventions, multigenerational contact, fatalism, compliance with authority and other factors.  The difference between the Italian and Korean situation cited above is probably due to these factors in no small part

We will look at a variety of questions including:

    • How does consumer reaction to the coronavirus vary across race, ethnicity, and generation, gender?
    • How do cultural factors such as social proximity, risk aversion and multigenerational interaction impact behavior and motivations across demographics segments?
    • How are consumers across all segments altering purchasing behavior across and within categories, including stockpiling?
    • How are consumers viewing the future, where will they spend when the crisis passes and what will be the long-term effects on behavior?

2. Tracking Survey

Our tracker goes beyond top-line reporting.  We will look at levels of concern in multiple areas (financial, health, etc) as well as with government and media response. We will also track behavior adoption change which can be used by brands to encourage consumers to “do the right thing” and which may be predictive

3. Revised Spend Projections and Brand Response

We will updating our Annual Population and Expenditure analysis. We will look at a variety of questions including:

    • How are population and spending projections likely to be altered across race, ethnicity, generation, and gender?
    • How will these projections alter the outcomes by category?
    • What are emerging examples of effective marketing during the Coronavirus crisis?

4. Custom Solutions

Questions we are currently address on behalf of members  include:

    • How are consumer behaviors changing with respect to my specific category, brand and consumer segments?
    • How are my marketing efforts being perceived by consumers?
    • How is my size of prize changing?

We’d love to hear from you! Talk to us about the benefits of Collage Group’s methodologies.

Dive into More Insights

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How Multicultural and Youth Consumers are Reshaping the Video Game Industry

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How Multicultural and Youth Consumers are Reshaping the Video Game Industry
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The stunning growth of video games and virtual reality within the entertainment industry is attributable to two core segments: youth and multicultural consumers. Brands need to understand how to leverage this passion point to activate these key segments as gamer culture continues to blend with the mainstream.

By 2023, U.S. revenue from video games, eSports, and virtual reality entertainment will exceed that of either traditional cinema or over-the-top (OTT) video streaming. A massive portion of this spend will be due to multicultural consumers, the segment responsible for 94 percent of growth in video game expenditures between 2010 and 2017. But it’s not just multicultural America—81 percent of U.S. consumers play video games!

Here’s what this opportunity means for marketing strategies:

1. Representations of video games and gaming culture are increasingly important in advertisements portraying multicultural and youth segments.

2. Gaming-focused social media platforms, like Twitch and Mixer, offer new channels to communicate with a growing share of your target consumers

3. Gaming conventions and eSports tournaments, such as E3 and PAX, provide new opportunities to demonstrate a shared passion for this growing source of entertainment.

4. Gaming influencers can speak authentically and directly with tens of millions of online followers across both mainstream and gaming-specific media channels

Games and gaming devices present unlimited potential for branded content, in-game activations, advertising, and marketing innovation

As gaming rapidly becomes a mainstream form of entertainment media, it’s becoming increasingly important for brands to understand consumers as gamers—their video game related attitudes, preferences, and behaviors.

The first thing brands need to know is that video games present multiple opportunities to connect with and activate consumers. Much like OTT streaming, there’s an ever-growing list of titles and genres of games available across a variety of devices. And like traditional sports, individuals will sometimes play video games by themselves, and sometimes watch others play. And even when consumers aren’t engaging with video games directly, they follow gaming influencers, share gaming memes, and attend gaming conventions.

Brands also need to understand how to activate consumers through video games. From real-world influencer partnerships and eSports sponsorships to in-game branded content and “avatar activations,” getting video game marketing right requires knowing where your brand has permission to play, and which consumers you are likely to reach.


To provide Collage Group members with an introduction to video games and the consumers who enjoy them, in July 2019 we conducted a nationally representative survey of 1097 respondents, oversampling Gen Z, Millennial, Black, Asian, and Hispanic consumers across acculturation levels for precision within these segments.

Strategic takeaways from our research include:

  1. Gen Z gamers are more likely to watch casual streaming than eSports. Partner with the online/social media streamers delivering casual entertainment to this emerging consumer segment.
  2. Hispanic gamers are most likely to make gaming part of their social lives. Prioritize multiplayer and “party” games, as well as activations at gaming conventions, to reach Hispanic consumers.
  3. Younger gamers are more comfortable with branded content in their games. Think outside of the box! Look out for the opportunities virtual worlds present to show off your brand’s personality.

Understanding how multicultural and youth consumers approach entertainment media is essential for marketing to these already powerful and ever-growing segments.  If you are interested in having an initial conversation with our consulting team about methods to deal with this topic, please contact us directly.

Explore the Archive

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Collage Group Puts Brands and Ads at the Center of Membership in 2020

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Collage Group 2020: Putting Brands & Ads at the Center of Membership
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Three factors are leading us to change our research model to put your category, brands and ads at the center of everything we do.

Learn more about our 2020 research agenda and how our syndicated research platform can help you save money and time.

Factor 1. Every Brand Now Faces Three Moments of Truth with Multicultural America

When it comes to high likelihood that your next consumer is multicultural, ask yourself these questions. 

Do you really understand this consumer?  Do you understand her category-specific motivations, behaviors and needs?  And finally, are you activating with culturally fluent brand equities that drive cross-over appeal?

Factor 2: The Rise of the “New Wave,” The First Generation That is Intrinsically Diverse

We recognize that the evolving population dynamic in America has now firmly placed multicultural at the center of all marketing. It’s not just that Multicultural is big, it’s that Multicultural influences all other demographics.

This is especially true for the generation of Americans between 18-39, which we call the “New Wave.”  This generation is the first to grow up in what we call an intrinsically diverse environment.  While far more diverse, the New Wave share an orientation toward inclusion and diversity not seen in older generations.

And they are now rapidly increasing their spend.

Factor 3: The Cultural Fluency Imperative

Our mission is to help our members increase Cultural Fluency, not just better target specific ethnic segments.  Cultural Fluency is the ability to use culture to connect effectively and efficiently across segments.

We have therefore now invested heavily to offer three new research initiatives that place category, brands, and ads at the center of everything we do.

The Category Essentials: Insights into How Diverse America Views Your Category

With our sharp understanding of cultural variation at the category level, we can reveal distinctive behaviors, motivations, and usage patterns that arise due to culture.

We will extend the reach of our cultural attributes and group traits methodology to help brands better understand the efficiencies and opportunities that stem from putting culture at the center.

“AdRate and BrandRate:” Measuring the Cultural Fluency of Your Ads and Brands

Our vision is to build a database that measures the Cultural Fluency of both our member’s brands, their advertising and their category peers.

By building a database on the Cultural Fluency of America’s leading brands and ads we hope to motivate more inclusive advertising that drives up Cultural Fluency across every category. Using AdRate and BrandRate to measure performance is a critical first step to Cultural Fluency.

Cultural Fluency Solutions

Finally we recognize that even this new level of detail about your categories, brands and ads will not answer all your questions, nor should it. For this reason, we are upgrading our entire suite of custom engagements to put cultural fluency at the center, to extend the authenticity and impact of all your marketing.

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Amplify Word-of-Mouth Impact in the New Wave

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Amplify Word-of-Mouth Impact in the New Wave
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The New Wave—the young, diverse segment of Americans aged 18 to 39—value word-of-mouth and engage it more than older Americans. In this study, we share two steps and five tactics that brands should leverage to drive word-of-mouth in this segment.
 
As part of our 2019 Roundtable research, we took a deep dive to understand what drives word-of-mouth influence in the New Wave, the young, diverse segment of Americans aged 18 to 39. We found that New Wavers are much more likely to rely on word-of-mouth when seeking out new products than their older counterparts. And it’s become an expectation and necessary step on the path-to-purchase for many of these young, diverse consumers.
 

Learn about our 2020 research agenda and how access to our syndicated research platform can help your brand connect with the New Wave.

The New Wave is also more likely to engage in word-of-mouth—both online and offline! This is good news for brands—it means you don’t have to work as hard to get these people sharing. The challenge, of course, is making sure that when they share it’s about your brand, and that sentiment is positive.

Our 2019 Roundtable research provides two steps to keep you top-of-mind and at the center of discussion.

  1. The first step is to quantify influence so you can identify the most influential segments in the new wave. We employ two methods to help you quantify influence and identify segments to target. The first uses factor analysis to identify the segments most likely to exhibit attitudes and behaviors related to word-of-mouth.  The second uses an ego-based social network analysis to understand how far influence is likely to spread given the makeup of each segment’s social networks.

  2. The second step is to activate the New wave to share. We provide two tactics to help you amplify word of mouth in the most influential New Wave segments and three tactics to drive word-of-mouth across all New Wavers.

Download the attached PowerPoint deck for insights and executional examples to help you harness the influence power of the New Wave.

If you are interested in joining peer-to-peer calls with non-competitive members to share insights and discuss strategies to manage this issue, exploring custom qualitative or quantitative research for your brand or category, or having an initial conversation with our consulting team about methods to deal with this topic, please fill out the form below. 

Read more about the new wave

Amplify Word-of-Mouth Impact in the New Wave

February 20, 2020

The New Wave—the young, diverse segment of Americans aged 18 to 39—value word-of-mouth and engage it more than older Americans. In this study, we share two steps and five tactics that brands should leverage to drive word-of-mouth in this segment.

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Diverse Representation in Ads Is Not Enough to Win The “New Wave” of Diverse, Young Americans

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Diverse Representation in Ads Is Not Enough to Win The “New Wave” of Diverse, Young Americans
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Across 2019, we analyzed almost 150 ads, gathering almost 100,000 surveys and 20 million datapoints. Using this data, we developed the Cultural Fluency Quotient, a new metric to predict brand favorability and purchase intent, and ran machine learning on the data to derive powerful new insights into what matters for every demographic.  Read on for critical insights into the creative strategy you need to win the New Wave.

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Keys to Culturally Fluent Creative for the New Wave

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In a climate of increasing tribalism exacerbated by social media polarization, advertisers must appeal to the most complex mix of demographics in American history while steering clear of unintended backlash.  Every quarter has its walk of shame for one or more brands, most recently Peloton for its widely reviled holiday commercial “The Gift that Gives Back” that tanked the stock by over 10% in early December 2019.

As many members know, we have been building a capability we call AdRate leveraging a database of consumer response to ads. Across the last 18 months, we have been conducting research based on a new way of looking at brand favorability called Groundswell and Backlash, and applied machine learning to reveal powerful insights into how people from different cultural backgrounds process ads.

As the database grows, our ability to derive deeper insights and develop more predictive metrics increases.  For this study we developed the Cultural Fluency Quotient (CFQ), a weighted combination of three factors that best predict post-view brand favorability and purchase intent, which is then indexed for each demographic.  We ranked ads on CFQ for each demographic and ran machine learning on the top and bottom performing ads to derive the factors that best predict both high Cultural Fluency and what to avoid.

One key insight here is to go beyond performance norms.  We therefore also look at how important a norm is to high CFQ.  After all, it makes no sense to focus overly on how well an ad’s visuals perform (for example), if visuals are not a driver of cultural fluency.  For this reason, we use our machine learning results to derive importance scores an dozens of attributes of ads.  We then plot the results on a 2×2, as shown below.  The winning ads do well (horizontal axis) on what matters (vertical axis).

When we run the numbers, the findings are similar for every demographic. The best ads tell a simple story using ONE multicultural perspective, with attention to authentic texture.  These ads avoid the trap of representing every demographic at once, and ensure the viewer is not confused by the relationship between the product and the story.

The top two insights from this analysis imply:

  • It’s Not Just Casting: Creating common ground is not just “representation.”  You see that in the chart below that People & Characters are not as important as Story and Message. Diverse representation is necessary but it’s only price of entry.

  • The Story is Everything: Storytelling is by far the most impactful way to build cultural relevance. No story, no cultural fluency.
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Few ads better exemplify this point than US Banks “Hard Work Works: Flying Home.”

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The Cultural Fluency Imperative: How to Win the “New Wave” of Diverse, Young Consumers

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The Cultural Fluency Imperative: How to Win the “New Wave” of Diverse, Young Consumers
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The 2019 Roundtable Series inaugurated a new chapter in the way we help organizations activate young diverse consumers. Learn about our Cultural Fluency Framework and how applying our three-part approach can help connect your brand equities more reliably to the Group Traits of these consumers.

How should marketers reach younger and more diverse Americans, the generation between 18 and 39 whose spending is set to explode?  To answer this question, we enhanced the Cultural Fluency framework we first introduced in 2017, to better increase the ROI on marketing to a diverse America.

Listen to or download this presentation to learn about:

  1. Our three-part framework for deepening Cultural Fluency for the New Wave.
  2. Details of the New Wave Group Traits, covering the “what, how and where” of marketing to this segment.
  3. Case study examples outlining how a handful of leading brands are activating against these Traits.

Webinar Replay
How to Win America’s New Wave of Multicultural Consumers

The Cultural Fluency Imperative

Indeed, applying a demographic lens alone is not only superficial and impractical, but also ignores the commonalities that bind people together across different cultural experiences.

For that reason, we have developed an exhaustive analytical method for understanding how cultures vary, identifying six cultural attributes that can be used to culturally profile any segment.  This work has formed the foundation of our Essentials of Multicultural and Generational Marketing work.

And for younger Americans in particular, this approach is especially important.  This group has grown up in an environment of intrinsic diversity not experienced by older generations, and which unites their consumption behavior across demographic labels. We call this group the “New Wave” of consumers, those consumers born into an America that was already intrinsically diverse.

According to our research, New Wavers possess six Group Traits as shown in the graphic below.

Understanding “What to Say”

Marketers can use this framework to first understand the core cultural attributes underlying how culture is expressed in the Group Traits of any particular segment.  In this presentation we apply the model to the New Wave.  Please review our Essentials work to see how the model is applied to Multicultural and Generational Segments, or contact your Client Services representative to learn more about applying the framework to your subcategory.

Understanding “How to Say It”

Marketers can use this visual to understand the four elements that impact the cultural fluency of their advertising.  Our AdRate creative assessment methodology takes this one step further by applying machine learning to decipher why different groups respond so differently to advertising.  Learn more about Adrate or contact your Client Services representative to commission your own engagement to evaluate the Cultural Fluency of your advertising and to what extent you are exposed to backlash.

Understanding “Where to Say It”

Knowing what to say and how to say it are necessary but not sufficient to connect with the New Wave: marketers must also “show up and connect” in the places that matter to the New Wave – whether in experiential, traditional media, social media, in-store or via various forms of influence.  In 2019, we investigated word-of-mouth  social networks in multicultural segments. 

Webinar Replay

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Celebrating Through the Ages: Generational Insights on Holidays and Occasions

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Celebrating Through the Ages: Generational Insights on Holidays and Occasions

You asked and we delivered: insights on holidays and occasions are here! Make the most of seasonal festivities by using this data to better connect with both younger and older consumers.

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Don’t Miss the Next Webinar 

How to Navigate the Streaming Revolution in a Diverse America

December 4th | 2PM

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Our 2019 Holidays and Occasions research reveals what marketers and insights leaders need to know to connect with consumers around major holidays such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Halloween, and special occasions like barbecues and nightlife. We’ve gathered our findings and recommendations from this research into a series of mini-decks that explore how consumer attitudes and behaviors surrounding these events vary across generations. In this bundle of decks, you’ll find insights specific to each celebration along with executional examples of brands activating on consumer festivities.

1.

While major holidays remain important across generations, Gen Z and Millennials over-index on minor holiday celebrations. These niche and culturally-specific holidays are an opportunity to connect with younger consumers who are more diverse and tend to be more inclusive.

2.

Younger consumers are more open-minded towards advertising around niche and culturally-specific holidays. Show Gen Z and Millennials you’re in-tune with what they care about: don’t neglect these holidays and make sure to provide an accurate representation that doesn’t feel “culturally appropriative.”

3.

Gen Z and Millennials are culturally diverse and incorporate their unique backgrounds into traditional holiday celebrations, like eating both ethnic foods and turkey at Thanksgiving. Make sure to capture the “unconventional” yet realistic ways that consumers celebrate holidays to create a personalized connection.

Unleash the Power of Culture with Collage Group to Drive Growth for your Brand.

Multicultural Insights • Generational Insights

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Motherhood in the Age of Social Media

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Motherhood in the Age of Social Media

While consumers of all ages and backgrounds engage in social media, Millennial and Gen X moms participate in specific social media behaviors that marketers and insights professionals need to understand.

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Don’t Miss the Next Webinar 

How to Navigate the Streaming Revolution in a Diverse America

December 4th | 2PM

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FOR many moms, social media provides community and social interaction during a hectic and isolating season of life. It’s a place where they can turn to friends and strangers alike for crucial parenting advice, life hacks, and tried-and-true product recommendations as they navigate motherhood. Many even seek out information directly from brands on social media such as product details, promotions, and sales. In fact, Millennial and Gen X moms (those with children aged 14 or younger)


actually use social media at higher rates than their non-mom female counterparts to obtain product and brand information.

As the graph below shows, about two-thirds of all moms (of children 14 or younger) “like” or “follow” products or brands on social media. This is especially the case for non-Hispanic moms, who are about twice as likely to do so as non-Hispanic non-moms: 66% versus 33% respectively. 

This indicates that moms are leaning on social media as a trusted source for product information beyond traditional media advertising and brands’ e-commerce sites. Brands that lack an accessible and descriptive social media page that showcases their offerings will be behind the curve with the many moms who rely on this source of product information.

More so than non-moms, most moms across segments like sharing their experiences and opinions about products and brands on social media. This is especially true for non-Hispanic moms, who again, are about twice as likely to engage in this way than non-Hispanic non-moms (63% versus 32%). Their difference with Hispanic moms (50%) is also statistically significant. If your brand wants to facilitate dialogue and shared experience on social media, then you should target those most inclined to participate: non-Hispanic moms followed by Hispanics moms.

You may be wondering which non-Hispanic segment(s) is driving the non-Hispanic mom over-index. We are too! So we’re going to be conducting research and digging deeper into the non-Hispanic moms group in 2020.

Both of the above data points align with trends we’re seeing on social media today. A growing number of moms are stepping into influencer roles to capitalize on the community and wealth of product recommendations they’ve accumulated through experience. For example, Claudia Felix-Garay (@thelatinamom), a Hispanic mom influencer with over 80k followers, Naomi Davis (@taza), a non-Hispanic White mom influencer with 463k followers, and Jennifer Borget (@jenniferborget), a Black mom influencer with over 90k followers all run accounts that evolved out of successful blogs. They write about their lives as mothers while also inviting readers to adopt aspects of their lifestyle by sharing what products they use and places they like to go. Brands that are interested in partnering with powerful social media influencers should consider moms!

As you head into the end of the year and prepare for your next social media push, remember to keep these stats (and moms!) in mind.  And keep an eye out for upcoming blogs on moms and our moms study coming out in 2020.

Contact Collage Group

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Feast on This: Generational Insights on Thanksgiving Celebrations

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Feast on This: Generational Insights on Thanksgiving Celebrations

THANKSGIVING: the classic foodie holiday everyone knows and loves. Make Thanksgiving stand out by activating on these generational insights that reveal some untraditional perspectives on ways consumers celebrate Turkey Day.

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​Essentials of African American Consumers

November 13th | 2PM

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Thanksgiving is a widely celebrated and lighthearted holiday that presents brands with an opportunity to stay top-of-mind with consumers before holiday shopping rolls around. To appeal to Gen Z and Millennial consumers, segments that prize authenticity and experiences, brands need to show up in a genuine and engaging way. In summer of 2019, Collage Group fielded a survey to 2,800 people and analyzed the data to help members understand how to connect authentically with these young consumers around a variety of holidays. Below are three learnings from this research initiative that will help you connect with Gen Z and Millennials at Thanksgiving.

1. Gen Z and Millennials increasingly spend Thanksgiving with friends, reflected in the growing popularity of “Friendsgiving.” Use this as a secondary opportunity to activate consumers around the Thanksgiving holiday and stretch the time span of holiday consumption.

“Who do you celebrate Thanksgiving with?”

2. Almost half of consumers do not drink alcohol with their Thanksgiving meal. Appeals to alcohol consumption are best targeted at Millennials and coincide with the “Friendsgiving” narrative. For a family-centered approach, highlight other ways the holiday is festive, such as baking or watching football together.

“What do you tend to drink on Thanksgiving?”

3. Younger cohorts value nontraditional activities to celebrate Thanksgiving such as spending time with friends or shopping. Present younger consumers, especially those age 23-28, with opportunities for a holistic and unique shopping experience that doesn’t require them to sacrifice family time.

“What do you need to do to celebrate Thanksgiving properly?”

Download a Sample of the Research.

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