When the pandemic shut down schools and sent students into virtual learning environments, the disparity in access to reliable technology was apparent. Families in underserved and under-resourced communities found themselves at a disadvantage, having limited access to devices and internet services within households, putting students who are already at risk in jeopardy of falling further behind. If education is supposed to be the great equalizer that levels the playing field, then the digital divide tipped the scales.

Technology has the power to build equity in underrepresented communities in areas of education, healthcare, and economic development. For Hispanics, who at 60 million represent about 18% of the U.S. population, technology is the key to fostering upward mobility. By 2050, 25% of Americans will identify as Hispanic, and 6 out of 10 will be Millennials or younger. One out of three women will identify as Hispanic by 2060. So the future is clearly multicultural, but the opportunities for advancement aren’t keeping pace. Hispanics are underrepresented in Fortune 500s and in technology sectors, and Latinas face a significant pay gap.

Education is the long-term economic strategy, and technology is part of the equation. Creating pathways for Hispanics to learn technology skills helps diversify the talent pipeline for corporations and creates favorable conditions for Hispanics to launch tech startups. Unity is power, and it will take a collaborative effort by local, state, and federal governments and the private sector to ensure digital equity for everyone.

Lili Gangas, Chief Technology Community Officer, Kapor Center and co-founder of LTX Connect discusses ways tech companies and government can close the digital divide in minority communities and create access to equitable education.

Closing the Digital Divide for Latinx Consumers

Marketing is both an art and a science, shaped by the experiences and perspectives of its practitioners. Initially, multicultural marketing was considered a niche or specialized area within broader marketing strategies. However, there has been a gradual shift towards integrating multicultural marketing into the core marketing approach. This shift involves incorporating multicultural perspectives into product development, pricing, placement and promotion—the four P's—ensuring these efforts are not isolated but integral to the overall brand strategy.
Market research is critical here. Post-pandemic, marketers have leaned more heavily into qualitative and ethnographic research to understand consumers deeply — not just their product preferences but also their lived experiences and the issues they are trying to navigate – by uncovering insights that traditional surveys might miss. This allows the brand to determine how to solve their problems by connecting the dots for them.
Deeper insights also enable more sophisticated segmentation strategies beyond demographic factors. Evolving from standard acculturation models, which categorize consumers based on their time in the country or language preferences, to more nuanced approaches that consider cultural mindsets and value systems enables marketers to connect more authentically with diverse consumer groups, recognizing that cultural identity is complex and multifaceted.
On this episode of The New Mainstream podcast, Glory Alcántara, Director of Multicultural Marketing at General Mills, discusses the importance of understanding and integrating multicultural perspectives into mainstream marketing strategies.

Marketing in a Multicultural World: From Niche to Core with Glory Alcántara

The New Mainstream podcast features real conversations about the cultural nuances impacting multicultural communities in the U.S. and its influence on brand marketing and the importance of DEI in strategic marketing conversations.

Marketing in a Multicultural World: From Niche to Core with Glory Alcántara

The New Mainstream Podcast

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