Accultured, Not Assimilated: Why the Future of Branding in America Looks a Lot More Like Siete
My last meeting on Friday was with a recognized CPG company from Mexico planning to enter the U.S. market this summer for the first time in its history.
What struck me wasn’t their market-ready confidence—it was how clearly they understood their American-Latino audience, not the one their family business sold to for decades, the traditional Latino audience that shops at neighborhood markets and bodegas.
Their ambition is much larger.
They see their primary consumer far beyond the first- or second-generation immigrant. They're targeting the acculturated American who proudly embraces Mexican foods but shops with a general market mindset—a consumer semi-fluent in both cultures but shaped by a distinctly American experience. And they’re designing their brand, packaging, and messaging accordingly.
That conversation stayed with me.
Because there’s a new and exciting wave of multicultural brands in the U.S. that get this.
They understand that their “core” customer has evolved. It’s no longer just the first-generation shopper looking for a taste of home. It’s their children—the acculturated, modern American who may not speak the language of their heritage but still feels it.
Brands like Siete Family Foods, Klass Time, LTD, SOMOS Foods , or newly formed TUYYO, have thrived because they didn't build throwback brands. They built forward-looking ones. Rooted in culture, yes—but fluent in now.
Siete, in particular, understood something many still miss: identity is layered. They led with values—especially health, which for GenZ Latino families has quickly become a priority, enriching the traditional Hispanic food with healthier ingredients
The result? An astonishing $1.2 billion acquisition by Pepsi in 2024 and a model for how to build a modern, multicultural brand.
Let’s zoom out.
Over 60 million Latinos live in the U.S., that’s nearly 1 in 5 Americans. But the more telling number is that over 25% of Americans are Latino. GenZ will soon follow as one of the biggest influencers in the multicultural audience segment.
This isn't a niche market. It’s the future of the general market.
Here’s why that matters:
1. Acculturation is a growth driver. These consumers aren’t “assimilating”—they’re evolving. They blend cultures. They shape trends. And they’re rewriting what “mainstream” looks and sounds like.
2. Culture-led branding travels. Siete didn’t grow because they only spoke to Latinos. They grew because they built a brand so grounded in identity that it resonated with everyone looking for better-for-you food and a story worth supporting.
3. Packaging and palette matter. The new generation isn’t looking for supermarket aisles labeled “ethnic.” They’re looking for brands that feel modern, inclusive, and aspirational—whether the flavor profile is traditional or reinvented.
And this isn’t just happening in the Latino space.
Across cultures, we’re seeing multicultural brands break out by refusing to flatten themselves for mass appeal. Omsom is redefining the Asian-American pantry with unapologetic branding and bold flavor. FLY BY JING built a cult following—and now a mainstream one—by leading with Sichuan pride and rejecting the “made for everyone” dilution.
Diaspora Co. . is reimagining the Indian spice rack, making turmeric and masala as covetable as any luxury item, while telling a story rooted in equity and provenance. And Loisa, a Latin food brand based in New York, is meeting a new generation where they are—with clean ingredients and a design language that belongs in Whole Foods, not the discount aisle.
These brands don’t just adapt to fit in. They lead with culture, and invite others to come along, especally unlikely audiences are crave flavors beyond mass appeal.
This is a call to American brands, too. The multicultural consumer isn’t coming. They’re here. And they’re defining what the next generation of successful brands will look like.
So take a closer look at companies like Siete, Fly By Jing, and Diaspora Co. They’re not niche players. They’re the early signals of where brand loyalty is going.
The question is—are you building your brand for who America was, or who America is becoming?
