Hypercultural Latinx, The Next Generation of Growth

Younger and more tech-savvy than their majority counterparts, Hispanic consumers present significant growth opportunities for brands looking to expand their consumer base. Yet, even with larger budgets and bigger teams, many of these brands stumble through their multicultural outreach. Worse case, they ignore them entirely, as is the case with the “hidden generation.” Hypercultural Latinx, a term coined by Latina venture capitalist Ilse Calderon, principal at OVO Fund, is defined as second-generation Gen Z or young Millennials between the ages of 18 to 30 who identify as 100% Hispanic and 100% American. They fully embrace the traditions and culture passed down to them by their Hispanic parents while fully immersing themselves in American culture, forming a pseudo-culture authentic to how they live their lives. This consumer cohort uses social media and other digital platforms to discover and drive trends, embrace and share culture, and engage and influence their communities while cultivating friendships and spheres of influence with other demographics. Despite the benefits of activating this audience, larger companies with decades of red tape find it difficult to convert this segment. Startups, who may be led by members of this community or closely aligned with them, cultivate relationships with this cohort from the onset, giving them an advantage. In this episode of The New Mainstream podcast, Ilse Calderon, discusses why the Hypercultural Latinx consumer represents the next generation of growth for emerging brands.