International soccer tournaments often appear as global spectacles on television. In reality, the fan experience is much more local, social, and layered with digital touchpoints. A new study conducted by ThinkNow among soccer fans in Los Angeles shows that anticipation is already high and that the event will unfold across multiple screens, platforms, and social spaces.

Download the full report.

Strong anticipation among soccer fans

Excitement for the upcoming international tournament is already widespread among soccer fans in Los Angeles.

82% say they are very or extremely excited about the competition, describing it both as a celebration of the global game and an opportunity to watch the world’s best players compete.

The anticipation also extends to how fans expect their communities to appear in coverage of the event. 77% say their community is well represented in U.S. media coverage of major sporting events.

In multicultural markets such as Los Angeles, representation is part of the viewing experience. Fans often see international soccer not only as sport, but also as a reflection of identity, heritage, and national pride.

A multi-platform fan experience

Despite the growth of digital platforms, traditional television remains the primary way fans plan to watch matches. At the same time, the broader experience of following the tournament extends far beyond the main broadcast.

Fans expect to follow news, reactions, and highlights through a mix of sports news websites and social media platforms. 65% plan to use sports news sites and 61% expect to rely on social media for updates and reactions.

Within social media, YouTube and Instagram emerge as leading destinations for highlights and commentary.

This pattern reflects how modern sports audiences move fluidly between broadcast media and digital platforms. The live match may happen on television, while the surrounding conversation unfolds online.

Second screens are becoming part of the match ritual

Watching a match is rarely a single-screen experience.

Our study shows that three out of five soccer fans expect to use a second screen while watching matches.

Fans primarily plan to use their phones or tablets to:

• Check statistics

• Watch highlights or replays

• Follow live reactions and commentary

This behavior creates a layered viewing environment where the broadcast, social media conversation, and real-time data exist simultaneously.

The social rituals of match day

Beyond media consumption, the study highlights the social nature of the tournament. Fans often describe their match day traditions as watching games with family and friends while wearing team jerseys or other fan gear.

Spending patterns reflect this dynamic. Among fans in Los Angeles, food and beverages lead both planned purchases and additional spending during the tournament, well ahead of other categories such as merchandise or travel.

What this means for brands and media

For companies looking to engage soccer audiences, the findings highlight several important dynamics.

Fans move across multiple platforms throughout the viewing experience. Television, social media, sports news websites, and second-screen activity all play a role

At the same time, emotional storytelling continues to capture attention. Advertising that features players or evokes the spirit of the game is more likely to stand out during the tournament.

The opportunity extends beyond visibility. 67% of fans say their opinion of a company improves when it is associated with the tournament, and nearly eight out of ten say they are open to trying products promoted during the event.

Los Angeles as a preview of soccer’s future in the United States

Los Angeles often serves as an early indicator of cultural shifts that later expand across the country. Its diversity and deep connections to global soccer cultures create a fan base that reflects multiple traditions, identities, and styles of fandom.

The research suggests that international soccer in the United States will continue to be shaped by three forces:

• Multicultural fan communities

• Digital media ecosystems

• Shared social viewing experiences

Discover how fans in the Los Angeles market are preparing to experience global soccer in 2026.

Download the L.A. DMA Residents Perspective Report to explore the complete data and insights.

Over the last year, I’ve noticed something interesting.

Several brands have publicly scaled back, rebranded, or quietly dismantled their multicultural marketing efforts. Some announced it. Others simply removed the language from their websites, shifted titles internally, or reallocated visible budgets.

And yet.

Behind closed doors, those same brands are still investing in multicultural research.

How do I know? The demand for multicultural consumer survey respondents hasn’t slowed. And colleagues across the industry have shared projects they’re working on confidentially. The research budgets are still there. The segmentation work is still happening. The Hispanic studies are still fielding. The consumer modeling is still running.

So, what does that tell us?

It tells us this was never about the data.

It was about fear.

The demographic shift in the United States has not slowed down. Latino purchasing power continues to grow. Multicultural consumers are driving population growth, cultural influence, and economic expansion. Brands know this. Their finance teams know this. Their insights teams know this.

And the data makes it impossible to ignore.

In our LA Identity Report, we found that Angelenos increasingly define themselves through layered, multicultural identities rather than single labels. This is not a niche audience. It is the future of the total market. Los Angeles is simply showing us first what the rest of the country will look like next.

Similarly, in our Hispanic Gen Z Authenticity study conducted with LatiNation, 87 percent of respondents said they can immediately detect inauthentic advertising. Even more telling, 59 percent said they reward brands that acknowledge their heritage, and 42 percent reported making a purchase after engaging with culturally authentic content.

The findings are clear, cultural authenticity influences purchasing behavior. So, what changed?

The political climate.

Instead of doubling down publicly, some companies recalibrated visibly while continuing to invest quietly. They are still trying to win the consumer. They just do not want to be seen doing it.

This places risk management above growth strategy.

And consumers are not inspired by risk management.

Multicultural audiences know who celebrates them loudly and who studies them silently. They know who shows up in moments of pride and who disappears when it becomes inconvenient. They can feel the difference between conviction and calculation.

You cannot build long term brand affinity in the shadows.

Costco recently made headlines for standing firmly behind its diversity commitments despite external pressure. Whether you agree with every tactic or not, the signal was clear. Consistency builds trust. Silence builds skepticism.

The brands that have retreated publicly but continued investing privately reveal something important. They understand the economic inevitability of demographic change. They are not prepared to absorb short-term friction.

But here is the reality. The friction is temporary. The demographic shift is permanent.

Research conducted quietly behind the scenes does not compensate for the absence of visible commitment. If anything, it creates a credibility gap. Consumers today reward brands that align behavior with values. They penalize inconsistency. And in the age of social media, inconsistency travels fast.

If you believe multicultural consumers are central to your growth, then your public posture and your investment strategy should match. Otherwise, you are signaling hesitation. And hesitation erodes brand equity.

The irony is that the companies pulling back publicly are still paying to understand these consumers. That tells me they know where growth is coming from. They are just not prepared to say it aloud.

The next decade will not belong to brands that studied multicultural America quietly. It will belong to brands that embraced it openly.

You cannot whisper your way into cultural leadership.

This blog post was originally published on LinkedIn.

As artificial intelligence continues to evolve, the conversation is shifting from what AI can generate to what it can do.

In the latest episode of The New Mainstream Podcast, Michael Nevski joins Mario Carrasco to explore the next phase of AI: agentic systems and their implications for consumer behavior, payments, and trust.

Michael Nevski, Director of Global Insights at Visa, brings a unique perspective at the intersection of data, economics, and real-world consumer decision-making. Recognized as one of the most influential professionals in the insights industry, he shares how emerging technologies are reshaping how we understand and interact with consumers.

From Generative to Agentic AI

While generative AI has transformed content creation and automation, agentic AI introduces a new paradigm. These systems don’t just assist, they act.

From making purchases to managing financial decisions, AI agents have the potential to operate on behalf of consumers. This shift raises important questions:

• How much control are consumers willing to delegate?
• What role does trust play when machines make decisions?
• How should brands prepare for a world where AI intermediates transactions?

The Future of Payments and Consumer Trust

In industries like finance and payments, the implications are even more significant.

As AI begins to participate in transactions, trust becomes a central pillar. Consumers are not just evaluating brands anymore; they are evaluating systems.

This evolution challenges companies to rethink:

• Security frameworks
• Transparency in decision-making
• The role of human oversight

For brands, this is not just a technological shift. It’s a behavioral shift.

Why This Matters for Insights Leaders

Understanding how consumers feel about AI acting on their behalf will be critical for future growth.

As Michael highlights, the opportunity lies in translating complex data into actionable insights that help organizations navigate uncertainty, anticipate behavior, and build trust in an AI-driven economy.

The brands that succeed will be those that understand not only the technology, but the human response to it.

Listen to the full episode of The New Mainstream Podcast and explore how agentic AI is shaping the future of consumer behavior.

For years, many brands have operated under a quiet assumption:

The more culturally specific you are, the greater the risk.

Traditional logic suggests that neutrality protects mass reach and that leaning into specific cultural identity may create controversy or alienate audiences.

But new data from ThinkNow challenges that belief directly.

We conducted an online survey among residents of the Los Angeles DMA, exploring perceptions of Bad Bunny’s selection as the Super Bowl Halftime performer. The findings do not reveal hesitation. They reveal validation.

The myth of cultural risk does not hold up under data scrutiny.

Download the full report here.

Representation Is Seen as Positive — Not Polarizing

Overall sentiment toward Bad Bunny’s participation is clearly favorable among all Los Angelenos.

• 71% say his Super Bowl performance is good for Latino cultural representation in mainstream media.
• A majority agree that his performance reflects the growing influence of Latino culture in the United States.

Consumers are not reacting defensively to representation. They are recognizing it as culturally meaningful and aligned with broader shifts in American culture.

The assumption that cultural specificity shrinks reach is not reflected in audience perception in one of the country’s most culturally influential markets.

Cultural Relevance Increases Interest

Sports engagement among LA DMA residents is widespread:

• 79% follow sports content at least occasionally.
• Over 70% were already aware of Bad Bunny prior to the Super Bowl.
• More than 80% were aware of his music, with about half familiar with it.
• More than half reported increased interest in watching the halftime show because he is performing.

Rather than fragmenting audiences, cultural relevance drives additional engagement.

Brand Impact: Positive Perception and Increased Purchase Consideration

If representativeness were truly a brand risk, perception metrics would reflect hesitation or backlash. The data shows the opposite.

When asked how a brand using Bad Bunny in a Super Bowl commercial would affect perception:

• Nearly half say it would generate a positive brand impact.
• Only 8% report a negative effect.

On perceived risk:

• Only 27% believe featuring Bad Bunny could be controversial.

In other words, perceived controversy is limited.

The commercial upside, however, is measurable:

• 43% say a Bad Bunny Super Bowl ad would increase their purchase consideration.
• Spanish-language music and reggaeton are associated with higher brand recall.
• Nearly two-thirds say featuring reggaeton or Spanish-language music makes a brand feel more relevant to today’s culture.

Brands using Bad Bunny are most commonly associated with being inclusive, youth-oriented, and trend-forward.

This is not reputational erosion. It is brand strengthening.

Los Angeles as a Cultural Indicator

Los Angeles is widely viewed as a cultural hub.

• Residents strongly associate LA with setting trends in entertainment, music, fashion, and culture.
• 62% agree that research focused on Los Angeles plays an important role in planning national or multicultural campaigns.

Among LA County residents:

• The Super Bowl is seen as a source of city pride and economic benefit.
• 78% believe major events boost the local economy.

LA is not a peripheral market. It is a leading indicator of where culture is moving nationally.

The Real Risk

The data does not support the belief that cultural representation creates brand danger.

It shows the opposite:

• Representation increases relevance.
• Cultural authenticity strengthens recall.
• Inclusion enhances perception.
• Interest grows.
• Purchase consideration rises.
• Perceived risk remains limited.

The myth of cultural risk appears to exist more in corporate caution than in consumer behavior.

For brands planning national campaigns, especially in high-visibility moments like the Super Bowl, the question is no longer whether representation is risky.

The question is whether ignoring cultural reality is the greater risk.

Because for consumers, representation is not a gamble. It is a need.

If you are planning national or multicultural campaigns, this study provides concrete evidence of how consumers actually respond to cultural representation.

Download the full report to explore the complete findings, data, and analysis from the LA DMA study.

In the latest episode of The New Mainstream podcast, we sit down with Patrick Rose, leader of Black Star and cultural marketing at For Soccer, to examine a critical shift in American soccer culture: the rise of Black fandom, the structural barriers that have limited participation, and the pathways that could redefine the sport’s growth trajectory.

This conversation is not just about sports. It is about access, identity, economics, and who gets to see themselves reflected in the game.

The Access Problem Is Structural

Unlike basketball or football, soccer in the United States has largely developed through a pay-to-play system. Travel teams, club fees, tournament costs, and private coaching have created financial barriers that disproportionately affect Black and lower-income communities.

As Patrick explains in the episode, the issue is not lack of interest.

The issue is access.

While soccer is globally known as one of the most accessible sports in the world, the American development model has made elite participation expensive and geographically concentrated.

This has long-term implications, not only for talent development, but for those who feel ownership over the sport.

When access narrows, fandom narrows with it.

Black Fandom Is Not Emerging. It Is Being Recognized.

During the episode, Patrick Rose challenges the assumption that Black fandom is new. Black communities in the United States have long engaged with global soccer culture through international tournaments, cultural connections, and affiliations with clubs abroad.

What is changing now is visibility.

Digital platforms, streaming access, and cultural crossover moments are amplifying engagement that has always existed but was often underestimated or misunderstood. It also creates new opportunities for leagues, brands, and media companies willing to invest authentically.

This shift challenges traditional assumptions about who constitutes the “core” American soccer audience.

Culture Shapes Commerce

Soccer’s growth in the United States is often discussed in terms of media rights, stadium investments, and major international tournaments.

But as discussed in our conversation with Patrick Rose, cultural legitimacy may be the true growth engine.

When communities feel ownership of the sport, they buy tickets.
They purchase merchandise.
They invest emotionally and financially.

Brands that view soccer purely as an emerging commercial property may be missing the deeper insight: sustainable growth requires cultural alignment.

Without inclusive pathways, the commercial ceiling remains artificially limited.

The Path Forward: Infrastructure and Intentional Investment

If American soccer wants to meaningfully expand its base, structural changes are necessary:

• Lower financial barriers.
• Expand community-based development programs.
• Invest in diverse leadership.
• Tell stories that reflect the full spectrum of American fandom.

As Patrick emphasizes in the episode, the future of the sport will not be determined solely by star players or major tournaments.

It will be shaped by who has access to play, who feels represented in the stands, and who is invited into the business of the game.

Brazil is one of the most dynamic and diverse markets in Latin America. Yet for many research and insights teams, achieving true national representativeness remains a challenge.

At ThinkNow, we believe inclusive data leads to better decisions. That’s why we’re strengthening our operations in Brazil with a dedicated commercial team and an expanded strategy focused on accessibility, precision, and partnership.

The Representation Gap in Brazil

Many business decisions in Brazil still rely heavily on samples concentrated in major urban centers and higher socioeconomic groups. While those audiences are important, they don’t fully reflect the country’s vast regional, cultural, and socioeconomic diversity.

To support more accurate and inclusive research, we’ve expanded our infrastructure to ensure access to respondents across all regions of Brazil — including harder-to-reach areas — and across diverse audience segments.

Expanding Reach Across Brazil

Today, ThinkNow supports research in Brazil with a panel of 877,222 Brazilian respondents, covering:

• All geographic regions
• Base-of-the-pyramid consumers
• Niche and underrepresented audiences, including self-identified LGBTQIA+ consumers

“Our goal is to support Brazilian research companies with the tools and reach they need to execute complex studies with confidence,” says Mario Carrasco, Co-Founder of ThinkNow. “Our focus is on precision, accessibility, and partnership.”

A Strategic Bridge to Latin America and U.S. Hispanics

For Brazilian brands and research agencies managing multi-country studies, coordination can be complex and costly.

With panels in more than 17 Latin American countries and exclusive access to over 1.8 million U.S. Hispanic panelists, ThinkNow offers a streamlined solution for regional and cross-border research initiatives.

“As we combine a dedicated local presence in Brazil with transparent pricing and fast turnaround times, we’re offering agencies and brands a practical solution for both regional research and U.S. Hispanic expansion,” adds Roy Kokoyachuk, Co-Founder of ThinkNow.

Transparent and Accessible by Design

Accessibility is a core part of our commercial philosophy. Our Brazil expansion includes:

• Zero project management (PM) fees
• No minimum order requirement

This structure removes traditional financial barriers and allows small and mid-sized research firms to operate with the same flexibility as larger multinational agencies.

Protecting Data Integrity at Scale

As reach expands, data integrity becomes even more critical.

ThinkNow leverages ThinkNow Shield, our proprietary fraud prevention system powered by Artificial Intelligence and advanced geolocation tools. This ensures high-quality sample protection across metropolitan and interior regions alike.

Looking Ahead

Our expansion in Brazil marks an important milestone in ThinkNow’s broader mission: to make inclusive, representative research more accessible across the Americas.

As the Brazilian market continues to evolve, we remain committed to partnering with agencies and brands that seek deeper cultural understanding and stronger regional representation in their insights.

To learn more about our Brazil panel or explore partnership opportunities, contact our South America leadership team.

Commercial Contact
Maria Victoria Gonzalez
Managing Director, South America
Email: mariavictoria@thinknow.com

The reflections in this article are drawn from the latest episode of The New Mainstream podcast, featuring Michelle O’Grady, Founder and CEO of Team Friday. In the conversation, we explored what the Super Bowl halftime show revealed about culture, risk, and the widening gap between where audiences are and where many brands still feel comfortable operating.

Super Bowl LX was not just a sporting moment. It was a cultural one. While the NFL rolled out multimillion dollar ads and brands leaned into the safety of familiar formulas, the performance that captured global attention was not a 30 second commercial. It was the halftime show headlined by Bad Bunny, a spectacle deeply rooted in identity, community, and Latino culture.

Although the performance was celebrated by millions and watched by more than 128 million viewers, many brands chose to play it safe. Instead of participating in a cultural conversation unfolding in real time, they retreated to traditional creative structures. That choice offers a strategic lesson for marketing, research, and brand leadership teams.

More than entertainment: A visible cultural narrative

Bad Bunny did not approach the halftime show with a neutral set. His performance was filled with cultural symbolism, from scenes reminiscent of Caribbean neighborhoods to the inclusion of figures like Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin, along with a “casita” that symbolized home, community, and cultural heritage.

Most notably, the performance was delivered primarily in Spanish, without translation. It reinforced that Latino culture can occupy the center of a stage historically dominated by Anglo narratives.

For millions of Latinos, this was not just a performance. It was an act of historic visibility, both for Puerto Rican culture and for the diverse Latin American identities present across the United States.

Why did so many brands play it safe?

Super Bowl campaigns often follow predictable paths:

• Humor designed to appeal to everyone.
• Nostalgic references without controversy.
• Familiar celebrities detached from cultural context.

This approach aims to minimize risk. But it also limits deep cultural relevance among audiences that no longer consume monolithic messages.

While Bad Bunny embraced his identity, language, symbolism, and roots, many brands stayed within comfortable zones. Not because they did not want to connect, but because they were not accustomed to participating with cultural context, meaning, or authentic narrative.

This is not a critique of specific creative executions. It is a strategic observation.
When the cultural conversation is strong, playing it safe can mean opting out of the very dialogue shaping your category.

Culture is not aesthetic representation. It is context and meaning.

A key theme in the discussion around the halftime show has been the distinction between visibility and cultural fluency.

It is possible to appear diverse on stage without truly speaking from culture. But Bad Bunny did something different. He told a cultural story that was recognizable and meaningful to his community, even when most of the content was in Spanish. That decision disrupted expectations of “neutral entertainment” at a global event.

This depth matters for brands that want to move beyond surface level representation:

• It is not enough to feature diverse faces.
• It is not enough to reference music or visual aesthetics.
• The strategic challenge lies in understanding the deeper meaning behind cultural symbols and articulating them with respect, authenticity, and purpose.

Three strategic lessons for brands and marketing teams

1. Cultural specificity does not dilute reach. It expands it.
   
   Bad Bunny demonstrated that cultural specificity does not limit resonance. His show reached more than 128 million viewers, and his music saw significant streaming increases, including traditional tracks.
   
   The principle is clear. When brands speak from authenticity, the message can travel farther than when it conforms to neutrality.
   
   
2. Avoiding politics does not make a brand neutral. It can make it irrelevant.
   
   Culture and politics, especially around identity, immigration, and representation, are already part of consumers’ lived realities. Ignoring them does not remove them. It simply leaves a vacuum others will fill.
   
   
3. Culture moves faster than many internal organizational structures.
   
   Pop culture and digital communities evolve rapidly. Organizations with rigid processes often struggle to keep pace. The new mainstream is not waiting for brands to decode cultural signals in hindsight.

Some brands chose safety. Others now have the opportunity to demonstrate that they understand more than the surface of culture. They understand its context, its history, and its emotional power.

In the new cultural economy, what moves markets is not only what is seen. It is what is felt, understood, and shared.

Listen to the full episode of The New Mainstream podcast to hear Michelle O’Grady, Founder and CEO of Team Friday, discuss how culture, risk, and strategy shape major brand decisions.

Meet our Guest:


Michelle O’Grady is a communications strategist, media psychologist, and speaker focused on belonging, identity complexity, and organizational transformation. With over 20 years of experience advising foundations, public health leaders, and global brands like Google and AARP,Michelle brings a rare blend of lived experience, research, and real-world strategy to understanding cultural ecosystems and multi-hyphenated people. She is the founder of Team Friday, a creative agency advancing cultural fluency across media, policy, and marketing.

Michelle holds a master’s degree in Media Psychology and is currently pursuing her PhD in Human and Organizational Development.