Latest News Articles
August 22, 2024 | National Retail Federation
Brands Excel by Connecting with Hispanic Consumers
YouTube, Sony, Google, Bounty and Dove are among brands prioritizing Hispanic consumers, according to a study from Collage. The research focuses on the importance of cultural duality.
August 22, 2024 | Radio Advertising Bureau
What Grocery Brands are Most Popular Among Hispanic Shoppers?
A new report by Collage Group reveals the grocery brands most favored by Hispanic shoppers, highlighting the importance of community support. These consumers prefer brands that integrate traditional heritage with modern cultural elements and prioritize Spanish speakers’ needs.
August 21, 2024 | Supermarket News
Ethnic Aisle Revenues Totaled $8.84B This Year
“Food is a language of love for many cultures, including Hispanics and Asian Americans, and they need ways in which they can stay connected to their culture and roots,” said Victor Paredes, vice president of cultural strategy, at Collage, a Bethesda, Md.-based consumer research firm. “They want to pass on traditions and celebrate their holidays and occasions.”
August 20, 2024 | MediaPost
How YouTube, Bounty, Sony Are Winning Hispanic Hearts
Companies winning with Hispanic consumers come from diverse industries, with YouTube, Bounty, Sony, Google and Dove ranking highest. New research from Collage Group finds that these brands dominate through their ability to connect with consumers by drawing on their strong sense of cultural duality, positivity, engagement and desire to blaze new trails.
August 19, 2024 | Progressive Grocer
New Report from Collage Highlights CPGs and Retailers That Deliver on Value Proposition
Ahead of Hispanic Heritage Month, the cultural insights firm Collage released a new report revealing top brands that appeal to Hispanic shoppers. In addition to spotlighting specific brands, the research underscored the drivers behind purchases and loyalty among this demographic group.
“Understanding the dual nature of Hispanic culture, which blends historical and modern elements, is crucial for brands because it demonstrates cultural relevance, authenticity, and inclusivity,” said Sudipti Kumar, director of cultural insights at Collage.
August 19, 2024 | Digiday
Media Buying Briefing: As Sports Enjoys a Moment, Buyers Find New Ways to Get in Via Influencers and CTV
Athletes themselves and women’s teams are becoming major draws on social platforms – with 15% of sports media coverage focusing on women, per intelligence company Collage Group.
August 19, 2024 | National Retail Federation
Brands Tap Into the Flourishing Women’s Sports Industry
Women’s participation in sports has grown 7% since 2022 and brands like Nike and Adidas are increasingly investing in the growing market. Brands can create comprehensive marketing plans to reach, engage and retain women customers, understand the cultural groups attracted to different sports, take advantage of the year-round nature of various competitions and engage with customers and athletes through both competition and training, says Elizabeth Jackson, marketing chief for Collage Group.
August 15, 2024 | MediaPost
From LeBron To Simone: How Sports Brands Can Recalibrate To Women
According to brand data company Collage Group, since 2022, women’s participation in sports has increased by 7%, or by nearly 10 million people. As skillful, famous female athletes are scattered throughout popular culture, their fan bases rise, inspiring girls of any age to participate in sports in some manner, whether that be playing or watching.
AUGUST 8, 2024 | The black wall street times
Gen Z Shuns Political Labels and Demands Brand Accountability
A new report from Collage, titled “New Independents,” reveals that Generation Z is largely rejecting long-established political identities. This age group is resolute about the issues they find important and seeks to build communities with those who share the same interests and values.
August 6, 2024 | EcomHunt
The Popularity of Video Games Among U.S. Consumers
A recent report by Collage reveals that over half of U.S. consumers, specifically 53%, enjoy playing video games. This enthusiasm is even more pronounced among Gen Z, with a remarkable 72% expressing their love for gaming.
August 5, 2024 | EMARKETER
More than Half of U.S. Consumers Like Playing Video Games
Fifty-three percent of U.S. consumers love or like playing video games, according to April 2024 data from Collage. Among Gen Z, that figure increased to 72%.
August 5, 2024 | EMARKETER
More than Half of U.S. Consumers Like Playing Video Games
Fifty-three percent of U.S. consumers love or like playing video games, according to April 2024 data from Collage. Among Gen Z, that figure increased to 72%.
AUGUST 2, 2024 | EMARKETER
5 Charts on US Gamer Demographics
A greater proportion of Gen Zers and millennials play video games daily (44% and 43%, respectively) compared with older generations, according to an April 2024 Collage survey. But Gen X and baby boomer gamers are still more likely to play daily rather than less often.
JULY 25, 2024 | MEDIAPOST
Gen Z Hates Politics – They Still Want Brands To Speak Out
Collage recently released a study that reveals an intense level of world-weariness in Gen Z. They hate Republicans and Democrats. And their mistrust of just about every institution – from the media to the military – is growing.
And while they may not believe what companies say, they are watching what they do. And that creates a gauntlet for the brands hoping to lock up loyalty from this important demographic. Jack Mackinnon, senior director of cultural insights at Collage, explains.
JULY 15, 2024 | CUSTOMER THINK
Collage Unveils Latest Innovations: Brand Love Dashboard, Competitive Comparisons, and Sports Intel
Collage’s brand redesign and website relaunch (collagegroup.com) both signify the company’s transformation into the cultural intelligence engine that fuses consumer, brand, and industry insights to empower brands to attract the fastest growing incremental segments. Collage goes beyond typical segmentation, brand tracking, and insights tools to unveil the why behind the data and the how to activate ad campaigns, retail growth, brand experiences, and new products.
“In today’s dynamic market landscape, understanding consumer sentiment is paramount for brands seeking sustainable growth,” said Collage’s CEO and co-founder David Wellisch.
JULY 15, 2024 | ADWEEK
How Dr Pepper Snared the No. 2 Soft Drink Spot From Mighty Pepsi
Jack Mackinnon, senior director of cultural insights for Collage Group, refers to Dr Pepper as “the mainstream, weird soda” – the eccentric alternative to the long-standing binary of Coke vs. Pepsi. And perceptions of uniqueness, he said, are part of its draw for younger drinkers, especially Gen Z.
JULY 15, 2024 | MRWEB
‘Brand Love’ Dashboard Launch for (Rebranded) Collage
In Maryland, U.S., consumer behavior analyst and ‘cultural intelligence engine’ Collage has announced a number of innovations including the ‘Consumer360 Brand Love Dashboard’ and cross-category global norm brand comparisons, as well as a rebrand and new web site.
Founded in 2009 and based in Bethesda, MD, the firm brings together consumer, industry and brand data to offer access to head-to-head brand, category and industry competitive assessments plus original, consumer-driven studies and weekly updates. Data is analyzed across race / ethnicity, generation, sexual identity and gender, with a focus on high-growth consumer segments.
June 17, 2024 | ADWEEK
19 Surprising Things About Gen Z
Nearly one-third of Gen Z says they’re more likely to buy from brands that challenge racial and ethnic stereotypes, compared to 25% of adults overall. According to Collage Group, authenticity is also important, with 38% more likely to buy from brands that do not Photoshop or retouch people, compared to 26% of adults overall.
JUNE 13, 2024 | MEDIAPOST
Top Brands For LGBTQ+ Consumers: Barnes & Noble, Cartoon Network, Vans
LGTBQ+ consumers don’t stop paying attention to brands when July rolls around. A new report from Collage Group focuses on what brands can do to build better relationships with LGBTQ+ consumers year-round.
The second annual “Top Brands for LGBTQ+ Consumers” report looked at how 766 top brands performed with LGBTQ+ consumers across a series of studies from July 2023 and March 2024, more than doubling the number of brands represented in last year’s total of roughly 290.
June 25, 2024 | MRWEB
Senior Sales Hire for Collage Group
In the US, cultural intelligence specialist Collage Group has appointed Lindsay Bennett as Head of Sales. She was previously Chief Revenue Officer at NewtonX. Founded in 2009 and based in Bethesda, MD, the company brings together consumer, industry and brand data to provide rapid insight into the drivers of consumer behavior.
June 25, 2024 | Insights Association
Collage Group Names Lindsay Bennett New Head Of Sales
Collage Group, a leading provider of cultural intelligence, announced Lindsay Bennett as its new head of sales. Bennett’s expertise includes driving client value and growth, organizational transformation, and promoting diversity and inclusion to deliver business results.
JULY 11, 2024 | ADWEEK
How Dr Pepper Snared the No. 2 Soft Drink Spot From Mighty Pepsi
Jack Mackinnon, senior director of cultural insights for Collage Group, refers to Dr Pepper as “the mainstream, weird soda” – the eccentric alternative to the long-standing binary of Coke vs. Pepsi. And perceptions of uniqueness, he said, are part of its draw for younger drinkers, especially Gen Z.
“Their primary group trait [is what] we call collective individuality—the reversal of previous generations’ [desire to] fit in,” he said.
July 8, 2024 | eMarketer
The role that brands play in social activism, a Pride 2024 recap
Brands that show their genuine support for the LGBTQ+ movement not only benefit by engaging those who identify as queer, but also their allies too. “We really cannot underestimate the power of allyship in the gay community—it is small, but the number of allies they have is immense,” Paola Flores-Marquez said.
More than half (55%) of non-LGBTQ+ adults said they would start using or buy more from a brand that showed their support of LGBTQ+ issues, according to July 2023 data by Collage Group.
JULY 2, 2024 | eMarketer
How Gen Z uses media, the LGBTQ+ consumer, and U.S. Hispanics representation in ad budgets
Over half, 55% of LGBTQ+ adults felt that LGBTQ+ focused ads seemed insincere because they were not representative of the real LGBTQ+ experience, according to Collage Group. Over half are basically saying, “You are not getting this right in terms of the actual experience,” which is shocking.
June 28, 2024 | DESERET NEWS
Gen Z and millennial travelers are going into debt to pay for vacations this summer
Gen Z exhibits a different attitude toward vacations than their predecessors do. Older travelers typically like to go slowly and take time for leisure, while younger travelers get out to explore and adventure, according to Collage Group.
Even within Generation Z, younger members of the demographic prefer adventure over relaxation. A study by Collage Group found that 67% of the younger cohort of Gen Z prioritizes excitement in their travels.
June 28, 2024 | YAHOO LIFE
Why is Gen Z so willing to go into debt to pay for their trips?
“This virtual access to the world, to other cultures, at such a young age, has fueled an expectation that they will be able to see and experience these places and cultures firsthand,” said Natalie Griffith of Collage Group. “Not only does Gen Z want to travel to various locales, but they would like to take these trips in the very immediate future.”
June 27, 2024 | QUIRK’s
Names of Note June 2024
Cultural intelligence company Collage Group has appointed Lindsay Bennett as head, sales.
June 26, 2024 | THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Charitable donations after inflation fell for second straight year in 2023
Collage Group, a Bethesda, Maryland-based consumer research company, found in a survey this year that more Americans donate items than money, and nearly as many volunteer their time. The same survey found 72% of nondonors blamed “a lack of funds” for not donating, compared to 34% who said they never give money.
“That insinuates an openness to donating this year if concerns about finances ease or, possibly, if they’re given other options like one-time donations or donating items or time,” said Jack Mackinnon, Collage Group’s senior director of cultural insights.
June 26, 2024 | MeDIAPOST
Bennett Heads Sales For Collage Group
Collage Group, which provides brands with insights on consumer behavior, just named Lindsay Bennett as its new head of sales. She brings 25 years of experience in market strategy and sales to the company.
June 18, 2024 | Progressive Grocer
Pride Month Sees New Products, Some Pivoting
A new study from Collage Group identified top brands for LGBTQIA+ consumers, who look for companies that put their brand equity and culture cache to work empowering community members.
Messaging, of course, is key to trust and reception. According to the Collage Group, 63% of this cohort said they would view LGBTQIA+ -focused advertising as insincere if it only occurred during Pride Month.
May 29, 2024 | Latino Obsevrotory
Latinos are more likely to become caregivers for their elderly, study finds
A new report from Collage Group highlights that Hispanics/Latinos are the demographic most likely to serve as senior caregivers in the United States, despite facing systemic barriers to healthcare. Entitled “Engaging Hispanic Carefluencers”, the study sought to understand the current scenario of Latino caregivers, emphasizing the trends and issues they face when caring for family members.
May 22, 2024 | Inkl.com
Hispanic Households Lead in Eldercare Despite Economic, Social Hurdles, Reveals Study
Caregiving for family members tends to be a demanding role, according to the study. Collage Group recommends different approaches not only to address the gap between Hispanic caregivers, but also to make sure that their efforts are being appreciated and effective.
“Recognize the challenges caregivers face. Share resources, stories, and words of affirmation to help ease the burden,” the study reads. “Lead with cultural understanding. Ensure medical practitioners are culturally and linguistically competent in supporting the Hispanic patient and the caregiving segment.”
May 22, 2024 | The Latin Times
Collage Group Revealed Lack of Cultural Competency, and Family Traditions, Make Hispanics More Likely to Become Caregivers
Despite facing systemic healthcare barriers in the U.S., Hispanics have emerged as the demographic most likely to perform the role of caregivers for the elders in their households, according to a new report by Collage Group.
May 21, 2024 | Medium
In Her Footsteps, Tips for Latina Entrepreneurs!
Today Collage Group, a leading provider of Cultural Intelligence, announced Elizabeth Jackson as the company’s first Chief Marketing Officer – a pillar in fueling the organization’s growth. As a seasoned CMO, she possesses more than 30 years of experience in marketing, strategy, insights, and new product innovation.
May 17, 2024 | Star Tribune
Target rolling back Pride product availability is a step backward, LGBTQ advocates say
“Brands cannot get away from delving into issues of some kind, social issues, political issues, because they have to be able to navigate the conversations around the stuff that people care about,” said Jack Mackinnon, senior director of cultural insights for consumer research company Collage Group.
May 13, 2024 | Customer Think
Building A Global Rewards Program For The U.S. – 4 Essentials
Nearly half of the U.S. population – 42% – consists of people of multiple nationalities, ethnicities and/or cultures, according to Collage Group. By 2042, these multicultural residents are expected to represent a nationwide majority, and in some states they already do.
May 13, 2024 | MediaPost
Gen Z’s Favorite Brands: YouTube, Amazon, Band-Aid
New research from Collage Group, a market research company focusing on cultural fluency, reveals a surprising list of the brands young consumers love best. YouTube, Amazon, Band-Aid and Oreo lead the list, with KitKat, Febreze, Hershey’s Nike and Apple coming in next.
The list shows how highly younger consumers prize value, convenience and entertainment. But it also reveals how much they want to hear from people, not brands. “Top brands have developed relatable, true to the Gen Z experience, personas that extend through multiple touchpoints and create authentic engagement,” the company notes in the report. It also highlights the rapid aging of a group many marketers still think of as teenagers. Many are leaving young adulthood behind, establishing families and careers.
Collage, based in Bethesda, Maryland, bases the ranking on three criteria.
May 10, 2024 | NonProfit Pro
New Reports Examine Charitable Giving By Age and By Gender
Collage Group, a provider of Cultural Intelligence, has announced the release of two reports examining charitable giving.
Among other details, the findings reveal that boomers and Xers tend to center their contributions toward national or locally-focused charity organizations. However, younger generations, especially those who make up the Gen Z segment, are more prone to donate to international aid orgs and causes.
May 1, 2024 | Research and Markets
Collage Group Launches New Software Solution, fluen.ci, Offering Instant Access to Brand-Specific Cultural Insights
Collage Group launched an AI-powered tool, fluen.ci, poised to revolutionize the marketing and insights leaders at America’s premier brands to understand and engage with diverse consumer bases.
This innovative tool guides brand expansion through critical consumer insights. It facilitates critical analysis against competitors and industry trends, ensuring brands can effectively connect with and captivate America’s multifaceted consumer population.
May 1, 2024 | Forbes
The 4 Essentials Of A Multicultural Loyalty Program In The U.S.
Roughly 60% of Hispanic and Asian American consumers and 76% of Black consumers will support brands that support them, Collage Group reports. This requires more than simply hosting a multicultural event at a store or translating loyalty deals into various languages. A company can poll its workforce about proposed community efforts to tell if the ideas hold water. The stronger the above four essentials – such as understanding the nuances of language and accurately predicting preferences – the more credible the community effort.
April 25, 2024 | Walmart
Walmart’s 2024 Annual Belonging, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Report
Collage Group research finds that Walmart ranks number 1 among Black consumers.
April 18, 2024 | Supermarket News
Seafood retailers face a demographic conundrum
Younger consumers are more likely to visit grocery seafood counters during every trip, reports Collage Group, a Bethesda, Md.-based consumer research firm. Among ethnic groups, multicultural consumers are more likely than white shoppers to visit seafood counters, Collage Group states. Fifty-five percent of white customers noted that they never visit the counter, compared to 35% of Asian, 35% of Black, and 31% of Hispanic shoppers.
Most consumers who eschew service counters indicate that they think it increases the cost of the items, said Jack Mackinnon, Collage Group senior director of cultural insights. Millennials also worry about having to talk to someone and needing to decide too quickly, he said.
April 9, 2024 | Quirk’s
Names of Note March 2024
Cultural intelligence company Collage Group has appointed Elizabeth Jackson as its first chief marketing officer.
April 3, 2024 | WURD Radio
Collage Group Analyzes Ads That Most Resonate With Black Americans
Zekeera Belton, Vice President of Client Services at Collage Group, joined Tonya Pendleton to discuss a report from Collage Group that looks at the advertisements that most resonate with Black Americans. Collage Group analyzed 124 ads between January 2022 and September 2023, examining the ads’ Cultural Fluency.
April 3, 2024 | MrWeb
New Features for Collage’s fluen.ci
In the US, cultural intelligence specialist Collage Group has added new features to its fleun.ci SaaS application: a Head-to-Head Dashboard, providing competitive insights; an Industry Dashboard giving a category-level view of brand-specific consumer sentiment; and an enhanced Audience Insights offer.
Headquartered in Bethesda, MD, Collage Group offers consumer insights across race / ethnicity, generation, sexual identity and gender with a focus on high-growth consumer segments – clients use its services to understand their audiences and to create impactful and efficient campaigns that accelerate brand growth and ROI. The firm says the latest enhancements will enable marketers to improve brand health, benchmark brand performance against competitors within industry, optimize ad reach and effectiveness, and expand into new segments and markets.
Latest Press Releases
July 15, 2024 | Yahoo! Finance
Cultural Intelligence Leader Collage Unveils Latest Innovations: Brand Love Dashboard, Competitive Comparisons, Sports Intel & More
Collage, the leading provider of cultural intelligence, announced several new innovations, deepening the company’s unmatched cultural insights about today’s diverse consumers to enable brands to drive revenue growth. Collage’s brand redesign and website relaunch (collagegroup.com) both signify the company’s transformation into the cultural intelligence engine that fuses consumer, brand, and industry insights to empower brands to attract the fastest growing incremental segments. The Q2 releases offer deeper, more meaningful cultural data and enhanced capabilities, accelerating the time to business impact.
April 3, 2024 | Yahoo! Finance
Tech Innovator Collage Group Launches New Industry, Audience, and Head-to-Head Insights to SaaS Cultural Intelligence Engine
Collage Group, the cultural intelligence leader, announced today several new innovative features to its fluen.ci SaaS application. The enhancements will enable brand marketers to improve brand health, benchmark brand performance against competitors within industry, optimize ad reach and effectiveness, and expand into new segments and markets.
March 20, 2024 | Yahoo! Finance
Cultural Intelligence Leader Collage Group Announces First Chief Marketing Officer, Elizabeth Jackson, as Company Accelerates Growth
Today Collage Group, a leading provider of Cultural Intelligence, announced Elizabeth Jackson as the company’s first Chief Marketing Officer – a pillar in fueling the organization’s growth. As a seasoned CMO, she possesses more than 30 years of experience in marketing, strategy, insights, and new product innovation.
January 26, 2024 | Hispanic Marketing Council
2024 HMC Strategic Excellence Awards Open with Expanded Jury of Senior Leaders from Brands, Media Houses, Agencies & Market Intelligence Firms
Over the course of three years, the Hispanic Marketing Council (HMC) has experienced explosive year-to-year growth in entries for the HMC Strategic Excellence Awards, the only award competition of its kind recognizing strategic excellence in Hispanic marketing and advertising and cultural fluency. As a testament to this award’s singular position in the marketplace, HMC welcomes cultural intelligence leader Collage Group as an exclusive partner of the awards.
October 31, 2023 | Yahoo! Finance
Collage Group Launches New Software Solution, fluen.ci, Offering Instant Access to Brand-Specific Cultural Insights
Cultural intelligence powerhouse Collage Group unveiled a new, AI-powered software solution, fluen.ci, providing instant access to culture-centric, brand-specific insights for marketing and insights leaders at America’s iconic brands. Grounded in more than 12 years of rich, cultural research, fluen.ci promises to unlock the consumer insights needed to provide direction and validation for brand growth and the competitor and industry comparisons necessary to win diverse American consumers, our country’s growth driver.
May 4, 2023 | GlobalNewswire
David Wellisch, CEO of Cultural Intelligence Leader Collage Group, Honored as Entrepreneur of The Year® 2023 Mid-Atlantic Award Finalist
Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) has announced that David Wellisch, CEO and Co-Founder of Collage Group has been named an Entrepreneur of The Year® 2023 Mid-Atlantic Award finalist. Now in its 37th year, Entrepreneur of The Year is a preeminent competitive business award for transformative entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies who are building a more equitable, sustainable, and prosperous world for all.
December 13, 2022 | Yahoo! Finance
Revealed: Top Ads Resonating Among Younger Black Consumers
A recent study examining more than 80 commercials determined which advertisements resonated the best among younger Black consumers aged 18-42.
The analysis, conducted by cultural intelligence leader, Collage Group, assesses ad performance using the Ad Cultural Fluency Quotient (A-CFQ) which measures consumer sentiment across four key dimensions. These include Brand Fit (the ad fits the brand), Relevance (the ad is for people like me), Message (the ad has an important message) and Enjoyment (the ad is enjoyable to watch).
November 17, 2022
The Impact of Culture on American Holiday Celebrations: Collage Group Explains
In anticipation of the coming holiday season, cultural intelligence company, Collage Group, explored how American consumers prepare for and celebrate the winter holiday season. Calling on findings from its multicultural Holidays & Occasions research, experts examined how culture impacts several end-of-the-year holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Kwanzaa.
November 10, 2022
Multicultural Americans Believe the American Dream is Still Reachable, Says Collage Group
Findings from a new study reveal that multicultural Americans have strong faith in the “American Dream.” In fact, 78% of Black, Asian, and Hispanic American consumers say they have achieved or believe they can achieve the American Dream, as compared to 69% of White consumers. This is according to the just-released annual report titled “America Now 2022: Harnessing American Identity to Navigate Social Issues,” produced by cultural intelligence company, Collage Group.
October 12, 2022
Collage Group Appoints Gregory Cypes as Chief Product and Technology Officer
The leading source of cultural intelligence, Collage Group, announced today that Gregory Cypes has joined the team as Chief Product and Technology Officer, a new leadership role. With more than 20 years of experience in the tech sector, Cypes is expected to shape the future of the company’s cultural intelligence platform, and data & technology offerings, which are currently used to guide over 300 of America’s iconic brands partnered with Collage Group.