Cultural identities: America is rapidly evolving toward a multicultural majority by 2050, with nearly 150 million Americans – 42% percent of the population – already identifying as multicultural. In “Poly 2.0: The Next Evolution,” Horizon Futures, the consumer, cultural, and channel Insights group at Horizon Media, offers profound insights on how Americans form their cultural identities and recommendations that fundamentally reimagine how brands should approach cultural engagement. The research initiative reinforces Karina Dobarro’s, EVP and Managing Partner at Horizon Media, recent statement at Portada Los Angeles, that to better engage the U.S. consumer, marketers need to move beyond race and ethnicity to explore psychographics and cultural mindsets.
“We need to move beyond race/ethnicity to explore psychographics and cultural mindsets.”
As a concept, “polyculturalism” refers to a form of individual identity that emphasizes the similarities and interconnectedness among groups rather than the lines that divide them. In a time of intense social and political divisions, younger generations are redefining who they are and how they want to be perceived through a complex prism of self-selected markers that both incorporate and transcend established and emerging categories.
Cultural identities are fluid, multifaceted, and increasingly chosen
This approach recognizes that cultural identities are fluid, multifaceted, and increasingly chosen rather than inherited. As such, the study highlights five distinct cultural mindsets that transcend traditional demographic categories, further pointing to the passion points that define meaningful relationships between marketers and consumers:
- Ambiculturals (29%): Blending their cultural heritage with new influences while actively engaging with social issues
- Cultural Explorers (26%): Actively seeking immersion in other cultures through digital media and travel
- Biculturals (17%): Navigating between their American and ancestral cultures through music, travel, and food
- Cultural Passives (16%): Maintaining independence and values without strong cultural ties
- Monoculturals (12%): Deeply connected to their cultural roots and traditions
“Who we are is increasingly influenced by the cultures we choose to engage with – not just the ones we are born into,” said Michele Donati EVP, Chief of Horizon Futures. “This evolution in identity is happening faster than ever before, driven by technology, social movements, and changing demographics. Brands that understand and adapt to these cultural mindsets now will build lasting relationships with the consumers of tomorrow.”
Unlike typical demographic segmentation, these mindsets reveal how consumers relate to their own cultural heritage and their openness to other cultures — factors that significantly influence brand preferences and media consumption patterns.
A small share of respondents identify with categories such as age, race/ethnicity, or gender.
Case in point: Only 15% of respondents identify with categories such as age, race/ethnicity, or gender when describing themselves. Instead, the research explains the dynamic cultural mindsets that better predict media consumption, brand preferences, and purchasing decisions.
“Only 15% of respondents identify with categories such as age, race/ethnicity, or gender when describing themselves. Instead, the research explains the dynamic cultural mindsets that better predict media consumption, brand preferences, and purchasing decisions .”
“Our research shows that culture, not demographics, is the constant, underlying force shaping consumer behavior,” said Karina Dobarro EVP, Horizon Futures, Multicultural. “By understanding how these cultural mindsets influence everything from media choices to purchase decisions, brands can create more meaningful connections that resonate across increasingly fluid cultural identities.”
Cultural Identities: research findings
- Cultural mindsets are fluid throughout life stages and even throughout the day, with 80% of respondents stating that learning about their family tree or genealogy makes them feel more connected to their cultural heritage.
- Most Americans now live in more diverse communities than where they grew up, accelerating cultural openness.
- Gen Z and Millennials are more likely to be Ambicultural or Bicultural, showing stronger connections to both their heritage and openness to other cultures.
- Each cultural mindset exhibits distinct media consumption patterns, ranging from the traditional channels preferred by Monoculturals to the digital-first approach of Cultural Explorers.
- Biculturals strongly support brands that engage with culture, with 95% appreciating brands that make an effort to understand their local culture/community.
Horizon’s Polycultural 2.0 approach has already delivered measurable results for clients who have implemented strategies based on cultural mindsets rather than demographic targeting.
“When we look through a polycultural lens, we see constant growth and evolution in consumer behaviors and interests,” added Dobarro. “This approach allows brands to connect on a cultural level that will resonate into the future, even as identities continue to remain in flux.”
The comprehensive report, based on a custom survey of 1,500 Americans combined with in-depth social listening and syndicated research, confirms that conventional demographic targeting is increasingly ineffective. The Polycultural 2.0 report and actionable brand strategies are available here.
Related Articles
- Find out more about Horizon Media’s Karina Dobarro: Karina Dobarro on A Latina Making it in America
- Cultural Marketing: “Each Micro-Community Needs to be Represented”
- Principles for Reaching Diverse Audiences: How Media Agencies Make the Case
