Multicultural Population Growth Accelerating Out of the Pandemic – U.S. Census Data

The cultural transformation of the American consumer can be seen even in the span of a two years. Census data from 2020 to 2022 shows that as we emerge from COVID, population growth is being powered by multicultural Americans.

The US Census Bureau announced on December 18, 2023 that the U.S. population trends are returning to pre-pandemic trends, with the nation growing by 0.5% or 1.6 million people in 2023 alone.

We are eagerly anticipating the 2023 analysis by race, Hispanic origin and sex, likely published about June 2024.  That said, the press release was a good opportunity to revisit the data released in June 2023 months ago, covering 2022.

Fill out the form to download an excerpt from 2020-2022 Population Growth U.S. Census: Update, December 2023 and read below for all the latest insights on this segment.

Data from the 2020-2022 period show that the Multicultural population shows accelerating growth and has become the only source of U.S. population growth as a whole. Collage Group’s custom analysis of the Census data shows:

The American mainstream is being redefined, year by year. Contact us today to learn more about Collage “size-of-prize” and related services to ensure your growth strategy accounts for the cultural transformation of the American consumer.

Learn how Americans across genders approach their health and wellness. Build trust with women by demonstrating a nuanced understanding of their general health and wellness perceptions, barriers preventing them from achieving their best health, and the support and improvements they need.

Health and wellness are a major aspect of consumers’ daily lives. Americans spend a significant amount of time – and money – tending to their health. All brands, both within and outside of the health and wellness space, must understand consumers’ attitudes and behaviors in this key area of their lives.

Fill out the form to download an excerpt from Pulse Check on Health in America: Women Consumers and read below for all the latest insights on this segment.

Collage Group’s 2023 Pulse Check on Women’s Health and Wellness provides insights that will help your brand to:

  1. Tackle key health barriers women face,
  2. Prioritize their mental health,
  3. Rebuild trust through practical partnership.

What surprised us:

Women rely on their own medical and wellness research as much as the guidance from their healthcare providers. They tend to adopt a trust-but-verify approach to getting medical professionals’ advice.

Why it matters:

Transparency and responsiveness are essential for earning women’s trust and, ultimately, meeting their needs. Additionally, women’s cautious trust of medical professionals means brands must develop self-serve digital tools that enable women to access reliable and accurate information independently.

The Big Picture: 

Key Insight #1: Tackle Key Health Barriers

Know This:

Women struggle to prioritize their own well-being given their limited resources: money, time, and energy. Persistent medical bias and negative healthcare experiences strain their relationship with healthcare providers, further hindering their access to adequate care.

Do This:

Key Insight #2: Prioritize Mental Health

Know This:

Women are believers and doers when it comes to mental health practices. But their mental health is greatly affected by societal expectations and standards for women’s appearance.

Do This:

Key Insight #3: Rebuild Trust through Practical Partnership

Know This:

Women seek collaborative autonomy in their healthcare journey and demand access to tools and resources that support their unique needs and perspectives.

Do This:

Contact us today learn how you can partner with us on the journey to cultural fluency and engaging diverse America.

Learn how Americans across sexuality approach their health and wellness. Win LGBTQ+ people’s trust by recognizing their unique health struggles and providing tools to solve them.

Health and wellness are a major aspect of consumers’ daily lives. Americans spend a significant amount of time – and money – tending to their health. All brands, both within and outside of the health and wellness space, must understand consumers’ attitudes and behaviors in this key area of their lives.

Fill out the form to download an excerpt from Pulse Check on Health in America: LBGTQ+ Consumers and read below for all the latest insights on this segment.

Collage Group’s 2023 Pulse Check on LGBTQ+ Health and Wellness provides insights that will help your brand to:

  1. Navigate health barriers LGBTQ+ people face,
  2. Champion mental health awareness and solutions,
  3. Empower LGBTQ+ Americans’ health through community ties.

What surprised us:

Despite real physical and mental health issues, LGBTQ+ Americans often hesitate to consult medical experts. Instead, they prioritize personal trust and turn to their community for health advice first. Distrust in the healthcare system, reinforced by negative medical encounters and fear of discrimination, leads many to postpone or even avoid needed care.

Why it matters:

Culturally competent and affirming care is key to earning LGBTQ+ people’s trust and, ultimately, meeting their nuanced health needs. Providers and insurers must consistently demonstrate commitment to equal and comprehensive treatment of LGBTQ+ patients while equipping them with convenient and efficient self-serve tools.

The Big Picture: 

Key Insight #1: Navigate LGBTQ+ Health Barriers

Know This:

Inherently complex, intersectional identities coupled with systemic discriminatory barriers, hinder LGBTQ+ Americans’ ability to achieve their best health and wellness.

Do This:

Key Insight #2: Champion Mental Health Awareness and Solutions

Know This:

LGBTQ+ Americans are disproportionately afflicted by mental health struggles. As a result, mental health is their top health priority. They welcome brands that destigmatize mental health issues and offer practical, culturally-specific solutions.

Do This:

Key Insight #3: Empower LGBTQ+ Health Through Community Ties

Know This:

The LGBTQ+ community leans on their Found Family — online and IRL — to source information and advice on community-specific health topics, resources, accepting providers, and more.

Do This:

Contact us today learn how you can partner with us on the journey to cultural fluency and engaging diverse America.

Learn how Americans across generations engage with health and wellness, including the impact of finances on health, the growth of holistic wellness and self-care, and the destigmatization of mental health.

Health and wellness is a major aspect of consumers’ daily lives. Americans spend a significant amount of time—and money—tending to their health. All brands, both within and outside of the health and wellness space, must understand consumers’ attitudes and behaviors in this key area of their lives.

Fill out the form to download an excerpt from Pulse Check on Health in America: Consumers Across Generations and read below for all the latest insights on this segment.

Collage Group’s 2023 Pulse Check on Health in America provides insights across generations to help brands:

  1. Support Americans’ financial struggles
  2. Encourage self-care and holistic wellness
  3. Destigmatize mental health

What surprised us:

A growing number of Americans of every generation are avoiding needed medical care. The share of the population avoiding or delaying care has risen to 51%, an increase of 8 percentage points since 2021. The rates of avoiding care are highest among Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen Xers, but the highest influx in avoiding treatment is among Boomers, with a 12 percentage point change.

Why it matters:

Finances both within and outside of healthcare have real consequences on consumer behavior and health outcomes. To keep Americans healthy (and keep healthcare costs down), brands need to make care more accessible and offer empathetic guidance as consumers navigate the complexities of healthcare. Encouraging preventative care and early intervention is a crucial step in the effort to reduce even greater financial burdens and anxieties in the long run.

The Big Picture: 

Key Insight #1: Support Financial Struggles

Know This:

Finances are a significant pain point impacting Americans’ overall health & wellness. Financial difficulties make proactive care less attainable and make it more likely that people will avoid care and treatment altogether.

Do This:

Key Insight #2: Encourage Self-Care & Holistic Wellness

Know This:

Americans are taking a more holistic approach to their health, prioritizing foundational aspects of wellness like healthier eating and drinking and getting better sleep. And for the first time in 2023, these priorities now outrank weight management.

Do This:

Shift your messaging from shame and restriction to empowerment. Today’s consumers desirea gentler approach to improving health. Equip them with tips and products based on foundational aspects of wellness. 

Key Insight #3: Destigmatize Mental Health

Know This:

Gen Z and Millennials have been spearheading the destigmatization of mental health and the normalization of solutions like therapy. But even older Americans in 2023 are coming around to accepting — and even desiring — more conversation on the topic, particularly from brands.

Do This:

Contact us today learn how you can partner with us on the journey to cultural fluency and engaging diverse America.

Learn how Americans across race and ethnicity engage with health and wellness, including the barriers that prevent Americans from achieving their best health, their relationships with health insurance companies, and their perceptions of and experiences with mental health.

Health and wellness are a major aspect of consumers’ daily lives. Americans spend a significant amount of time – and money – tending to their health. All brands, both within and outside of the health and wellness space, must understand consumers’ attitudes and behaviors in this key area of their lives.

Fill out the form to download an excerpt from Pulse Check on Health in America: Multicultural Consumers and read below for all the latest insights on this segment.

Collage Group’s 2023 Pulse Check on Health in America: Multicultural Consumers provides insights across race and ethnicity to:

  1. Overcome health barriers,
  2. Build health insurance partnerships,
  3. Destigmatize mental health.

What surprised us:

Even though all health insurance companies have some form of mental health coverage, there is a substantial gap in knowledge about mental health coverage. Many Americans, especially Asian Americans, are unsure if their health insurance even offers this coverage.

Why it matters:

Mental health coverage is top-of-mind for Americans when considering health insurance, so creating easily accessible and straightforward resources that explain your brand’s mental health coverage is crucial to bridge the knowledge gap.

The Big Picture:

  1. Multicultural Americans crave partnership on their healthcare journey. They recognize the impact of a multitude of factors on their health and are more open than White Americans to support from insurance companies and other healthcare providers.
  2. Culturally competent care is a requirement, not a nice-to-have. Providers must develop communications, care practices, and follow-ups all through a cultural lens. Racial and ethnic barriers must be addressed directly to build trust and provide effective care to Multicultural Americans.

Key Insight #1: Overcome Health Barriers

Know This:

Multicultural Americans, especially Black Americans, are hyperaware of identity-related barriers impeding quality health care and want providers that go the extra mile to understand their cultural/ethnic background and the health risks associated with it.

Do This:

Key Insight #2: Build Health Insurance Partnerships

Know This:

Hispanics and Black Americans are most open to support and partnership from health insurance companies.

Do This:

Key Insight #3: Destigmatize Mental Health

Know This:

While Multicultural Americans are prioritizing their mental health, many still struggle with this “taboo” topic and wish brands did more to destigmatize mental health.

Do This:

Contact us today learn how you can partner with us on the journey to cultural fluency and engaging diverse America.

Health and wellness are a major aspect of consumers’ daily lives. Americans spend a significant amount of time—and money—tending to their health. All brands, both within and outside of the health and wellness space, must understand consumers’ attitudes and behaviors in this key area of their lives.

Fill out the form to download an excerpt from Multicultural Health & Wellness: Leverage Evolving Attitudes & Behaviors to Fuel Growth.

Collage Group’s Multicultural Health and Wellness pulse check provides insights across race and ethnicity on:

  1. Perceptions of health and wellness: Definitions, satisfaction, health habits, caregiving, and more.
  2. Barriers to achieving health: Pain points, negative doctor experiences, reasons for delaying or avoiding care, and more.
  3. Support and improvements that will help move the needle towards achieving health: Sources of trust, the role of technology, and more.

Key Multicultural Health Finding: Perceptions of Health

Hispanic and Asian Americans are most likely to be proactive about their health by focusing on diet and exercise.

Context:

Food and exercise are two passions that Hispanic and Asian Americans particularly enjoy and highlight in their daily lives. As a result, these passions are also top-of-mind when it comes to health, as well. 

Action Step:

Align your brand’s messaging with practical, action-oriented steps towards improving health and wellness, especially regarding diet and exercise.

Key Multicultural Health Finding: Barriers

Black consumers have a strong desire for doctors that understand them personally, including their racial and ethnic identity and the health risks associated with it.

Context:

Multicultural Americans, particularly Black Americans, suffer from a lack of culturally competent healthcare and representation within the system. So, their needs related to their racial and ethnic background are often unmet, which creates a greater desire for this service. 

Action Steps:

Key Multicultural Health Finding: Support & Improvements

While Hispanic and Black Americans trust health institutions and professionals, they also lean into online communities, influencers, and celebrities for health advice.

Context:

Multicultural Americans, particularly Hispanic and Black Americans, are most likely to follow influencers and celebrities on social media across a variety of categories and passions.

Action Step:

Contact us to learn how you can gain access to the full research and more in our world-class Cultural Intelligence Engine.

In 2022, increasing polarization on social issues revealed that America’s cultural divisions are likely here to stay. Further, it has become clear that conventional wisdom is no longer reliable, particularly in regard to where various segments stand on social matters.

Collage Group’s Virtual Annual Member Roundtable is Thursday, Nov. 3 from 1 – 4 p.m. ET

National events are reshaping many of the priorities and perspectives of Americans in unexpected ways. The upshot is that brands may miss the mark if they assume embracing diverse segments requires aligning around a specific activist or political point of view.  

To navigate this minefield, it’s necessary to deeply understand where America’s diverse consumers stand on these issues and how they respond to brand activism. 

CMO Panelists

Francesco Lagutaine
Chief Marketing Officer

Michael Smith
Chief Marketing Officer

Gary Osifchin
Chief Marketing Officer & GM, US Hygiene

Here are some highlights from our agenda.

America Now 2022: Harnessing American Identity to Navigate Social Issues

Our Keystone presentation, America Now, will reveal Americans’ stances on major issues including race relations, abortion, climate change, LGBTQ+ rights, and challenges with personal finances and inflation. Throughout this presentation, we will go deeper than ever before, addressing if and how Americans want brands to respond to these social issues. 

The core of our research unveils how diverse consumer segments respond to the central ideas that have driven marketing for decades, such as the belief in the American Dream. In a time of radical cultural transformation, learn how brands can activate diverse segments with these core ideas in flux.

CultureRate Ad and Brand Performance: Engage Diverse Consumers with Lessons in Cultural Fluency

In this section of the Roundtable, you’ll access insights learned from our proprietary CultureRate database as we reveal new learnings into how your brand can differentiate and win across the diverse consumer spectrum.

Whether you are targeting across all consumer segments, working to resonate with multicultural consumers generally, or targeting a specific race or ethnicity, this research covers the bases on what works and why in ads –and provides examples from the brands that are winning in each case.

Our team calls out key lessons from winning brands and ads to guide you as you plan your marketing campaigns post- mid-term elections and into the new year.

CMO Panel: Succeeding Amidst America’s Cultural Divisions

Collage Group members have thought deeply about how to successfully navigate America’s cultural divisions that are likely here to stay. In this panel discussion with Chief Marketing Officers from America’s iconic brands, including M&T Bank, NPR and Reckitt, you’ll hear directly from them about the actions they are undertaking in marketing and insights strategy to successfully navigate the new social landscape.

Don’t miss this chance to learn how to navigate the challenge of connecting with diverse American consumers–across race, ethnicity, generation, sexual identity, and gender. Reserve your spot today!

Mental health is an important issue for Americans – now more than ever. Our 2021 Roundtable Presentation, America Now, offers insights that help explain how Americans are feeling about mental health and what brands can do to support them. Read on to learn more.

Mental health issues such as anxiety and depression are at an all-time high in the United States. Increased political polarization, heightened racial tension, and the ongoing pandemic are just some of the reasons that contribute to a lower overall sense of well-being for Americans. In a recent survey we conducted, we found that Gen Z Americans are the least likely to be satisfied with their physical and non-physical well-being, including their mental and emotional health.

In addition to the factors affecting all Americans, social media likely has an outsized impact on Gen Z’s mental health. Our survey data reveals that Gen Z is the least likely to feel confident in themselves, while also being the most likely to compare themselves to others on social media. And then there’s recent research, including Instagram’s internal research, that highlights the potentially negative impact of social media on younger people(1).

Something else that likely adds to young Americans’ struggles with mental health is the belief that they can’t show their emotions.  In fact, almost 50% of Gen Z Americans agreed with the statement: “I can’t show my emotions because society tells me I need to be strong”, compared to only 22% of Boomers.

But here’s the good news—despite their struggles, Gen Z’ers want to improve their mental health. When asked where they are most focused with respect to their health and wellness, over 40% of the segment chose improving their mood/mental health. This suggests improving mental health is a top priority for Gen Z, even higher than improving their diet and increasing physical activity.

Now you may be thinking, how can my brand help improve people’s mental health? It turns out there are several ways you can play a positive role and connect with consumers in the process.

  1. Support and amplify influencers sharing openly about their mental health strugglesMany young Americans (~80%, in fact!) think it’s admirable when a public figure shares about their mental health struggles. Brands that show support for these individuals and amplify their voices will likely capture consumer attention and create affinity. Consider Cartoon Network’s shout out to Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles, and ESPN highlighting the many athletes that have spoken up about their mental health struggles including Michael Phelps and Demar Derozan.           
  2. Provide supportive resourcesMany brands are creating resources that consumers can use to improve their mental health. For example:– Athleta, Simone Biles’ sponsor, launched a new platform dedicated to women’s wellness called AthletaWell just days after Biles withdrew from the 2021 Olympic team finals for mental health reasons.– Maybelline New York launched the “Brave Together” program, an online platform to open the conversation around anxiety and depression.– JanSport has developed a fully integrated brand effort called #Lightentheload to connect Generation Z with resources to tackle the mental health challenges they face.
  3. Donate to causesThere are important causes that aim to improve the mental health of young Americans. Stella and Bow donates proceeds of their Rainbow Connection necklace to a charity focused on helping people with depression and addiction. And Philosophy has donated over five million dollars to mental health initiatives via their hope & grace initiative. Consider donating to one or more mental health causes and then use social media and other marketing efforts to let your market know they too can have a positive impact by donating.

Contact us at the form below to learn more about how you can gain access to these diverse consumer insights and much more in our Cultural Intelligence Platform.

Sources:

(1) NPR, “Instagram Worsens Body Image Issues And Erodes Mental Health”, https://www.npr.org/2021/09/26/1040756541/instagram-worsens-body-image-issues-and-erodes-mental-health

Men and Women have unique perspectives, needs, and experiences related to health insurance and health care. Keep reading for key insights, and a downloadable deck to help your brand or organization better connect with these segments.

Americans are increasingly embracing a consumer mindset when it comes to healthcare. Men and Women alike are shopping around, comparing prices, and seeking more information than they have in the past. They are doing this because heath care has changed – it has expanded choice and shifted costs.

To win in this constantly evolving space, brands and organizations need to understand men and women’s unique health-related perspectives and how they impact their engagement with health insurers and providers.

Collage Group’s 2021/2022 Health & Wellness Study leverages data captured from more than 3,500 Americans to help brands understand how health-related attitudes and behaviors differ by gender. Our research reveals how an emerging consumer mindset impacts Americans engagement with both the health insurance and health care provider space. We explore barriers to insurance coverage, drivers and barriers to trust and satisfaction, provider preferences, receptivity to provider advice, and more.

Download the attached presentation and take a look at a few key insights and implications below: 

#1: Affordability is the Top Barrier for the Uninsured

The high cost of healthcare for Americans is not news, we know that men and women both face increasing costs and are seeking ways to offset them. But for women, costs are even higher earlier in life, thanks to increased incidence of many chronic conditions, as well as the healthcare costs associated with their reproductive years. This leads many to cut costs by forgoing care or insurance altogether – lack of affordability is the top reason why uninsured women don’t have coverage.

Affordability is also the top reason why men don’t have insurance, albeit at a much lower rate. But what’s interesting – and actionable for healthcare brands – is that men are twice as likely as women to say that they don’t have health insurance because they don’t know how to purchase it. They’re also twice as likely to say they don’t have health insurance because they don’t need it.

Best Practice: The Nevada Health Link took a creative approach to attracting the cost conscious uninsured. Their creative campaign titled, “You Can’t Afford to Not Be Insured”, highlighted the savings insurance provides when faced with a variety of common ailments compared to paying out of pocket – presenting insurance as a relative value.

#2: Men Seek Insurance Partnership Through Communication

Communication with their health insurance provider is particularly important for New Wave Men – those who are 26-41 in this study. When asked what insurance companies might do to be seen as a partner rather than a barrier in improving health, New Wave men were significantly more likely to say “If I had a person at the insurance company I could easily communicate with.”

Best Practice: The state of Minnesota health insurance exchange, or “MNSure”, recently ran a campaign highlighting the communication support provided to those seeking to enroll. MNSure utilizes a network of “assisters” who provide 1:1 support on social channels, year round. The ads seen below were designed to be shared by the assister network across social channels, so individuals could reach out to the assisters directly to receive support, or through the provided contact information.

#3: New Wave Women Have Endured Negative Healthcare Services, Leading to Lower Healthcare Satisfaction  

Of all segments we looked at in this study, younger women (26-41yrs old) have the lowest level of satisfaction of their health care providers. And the unfortunate truth behind this number seems to be that they have simply had more negative experiences with health care providers in the past. In fact, younger women are significantly more likely to have experienced literally every negative experience we asked about – from doctors rushing through visits and not listening to them, to lifestyle judgment and pressured decision making.

The silver lining of the negative experiences women have had in the past is that they now know what they want from health care providers. Women want personalized care, from doctors who understand their unique healthcare needs, and they want it delivered in a way that is efficient and effective.

Best Practice: Recognizing that the needs of women weren’t being completely met through traditional providers, Maven Health set up gap-filling coverage tailored to the needs of women. Maven provides detailed information from the comfort of an app, but also personal concierge service and virtual visits with regular providers to ensure women get the personal support they want.

Contact us at the form below to learn more about how you can gain access to these diverse consumer insights and much more in our Cultural Intelligence Platform.

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Each generation approaches the patient journey from a unique perspective. Keep reading for key insights and au0026nbsp; downloadable deck on generational differences in health-related attitudes and behaviors and the emerging consumer mindset.u0026nbsp;

Health and wellness are top of mind for consumers. With healthcare costs higher than ever, Americans are acting more and more as “consumers” when it comes to their healthcare and health insurance. They want to get bang for their buck by being more choosy and “shopping around.” As a result, they’re more sensitive to price and  think even more critically about their symptoms before deciding it’s necessary to seek care. And when they do, many are turning to cost-effective options like virtual care.

The rise of consumerism in healthcare means you’ve got to be thinking about all the levers that traditional service-oriented businesses have leaned on to win consumers. Highlighting and providing excellent service and competitive cost are two that many in healthcare still struggle with. To win consumers and provide them optimal care, you must understand how these factors are constantly shifting consumers’ expectations, needs, and desires.

Collage Group’s 2021/2022 Health & Wellness Study covers generational differences in healthcare-related attitudes and behaviors. Our research reveals how the emerging consumer mindset affects each generation’s attitudes and behaviors in healthcare.

Download the attached presentation and take a look at a few key insights and implications below:

#1: Gen X and Boomers emphasize doctors’ qualitative attributes, so provide bios that allow each individual doctor’s strengths to shine and focus your marketing efforts on how your organization stands out with excellent service. Your organization has exceptional talent, so make sure you get the credit for it!

#2: Gen Z and Millennials emphasize their doctor’s identity attributes, so add filters (gender, race, etc.) to provider search tools to allow them to refine their search for a doctor they value. It’s important to make it easy for them to find a doctor they feel comfortable with. Finding a doctor with shared identity can also help them to feel less anxious.

Indianapolis-based Community Health Network differentiates their medical facilities by highlighting the exceptional care they offer. Their creative showcases their patient-centric values and community-driven approach (the audio track in the ad was even performed by Community Health Network employees!). The ad affirms the network’s focus on service by communicating the diversity in their providers, showing that every patient can find a doctor who will listen to and understand their unique needs.

To bolster the themes in their creative campaign, Community Health Network has a robust provider search tool on their website. Each doctor has a short bio and an introduction video so that patients can evaluate them on a more personal level beyond their credentials. They can hear their voice and see their smile—as well as learn about their passions in healthcare and their approach as a physician. The website’s search tool allows patients to filter by different attributes like gender and language. The site even has a section for reviews.

#3: Younger Americans have a more self-sufficient health perspective. They also say that feeling worried or anxious is the top reason they avoid care. Help them feel more empowered in their health by giving them some control over their health journey. This will help grow their trust and inspire confidence in themselves.

Executional Example

Virtual care company LetsGetChecked was founded in 2015 with the goal of empowering people to manage their own health from home. They provide at-home sample collection kits which can be sent to healthcare facilities for results. They also provide telehealth services. This innovative healthcare approach caters to the unique needs of younger Americans who want control and self-sufficiency in their health journey, and simultaneously are anxious and turned-off by conventional healthcare services.

Contact us at the form below to learn more about how you can gain access to these diverse consumer insights and much more in our Cultural Intelligence Platform.

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Harness the power of cultural intelligence to win diverse America. Discover how you can turn insights into impact today!