Article originally published on LinkedIn
As we recover from the pandemic, companies are trying to create momentum again. It is inevitable that adjustments in their marketing strategy will be necessary as we transition into a multicultural mainstream, which the 2020 census revealed is driven by the growth of the U.S. Hispanic demographic. In order to increase sales, traffic to websites or retail stores, reaching out to minority groups (in particular, Hispanics) is vital for business success and to assure a sustainable growth now and well into the future.
As we become a multicultural nation, a culturally relevant approach that genuinely embraces diversity and inclusion is vital in order to thrive with any audience; and to become a powerful and relevant brand. Today’s youth are far more diverse than prior generations, and it’s changing everything. It is estimated that over 45% of Millennials are multicultural in the USA. According to the 2020 Census, Americans 18 years and younger are the most multiracial generation ever—53% of this demographic are non-White, and by 2045, it is expected that more than 50% of all U.S. consumers will be non-White. These young, thriving consumers are pressing politicians and corporate America to change their mindset across all areas of social responsibility, especially in their approach to diversity and inclusion in marketing and in corporate philosophy. They’re rallying for changes in leadership and protesting against racism, bigotry, and discrimination toward minority groups, women, and the LGBTQ+ community.
Today, to be successful as a brand means first of all to be socially and culturally relevant and to be up-to-date with new technologies and trends. The media consumption behavior of consumers has evolved dramatically over the past 6 years. Besides the offline or online communications, the brand experiential is crucial for your business success. It starts in your online touch-points. It’s not enough to show who you are and to speak about yourself as brand, you need to be RELEVANT. To better communicate as brand means you have to be more personable, approachable, flexible, intuitive, accessible, culturally and socially relevant.
Multicultural campaigns are no longer about just having people of color in ad campaigns using the same approach/message coming from the general marketing. Every marketing strategy has its own set of unique keys that trigger motivation and interaction. For example: The Hispanic audience also contains diversified and sensitive nuances, of which many advertising agencies lose sight. Because of this lack of insight, the biggest issue with general multichannel marketing is that it doesn’t account for a meaningful, multicultural strategy. Instead, they are usually seen as a one-off. “Let’s just add a picture of a Hispanic person. Or translate to a different language.” When you are speaking to any consumer, you must consider their culture. That goes for your general market audience through all the multicultural segments. If you assume all messaging resonates simply because you have switched out a photo or translated the language, you jeopardize the cultural relevancy and dilute or possibly damage your brand engagement. Culturally relevant messaging is more important than a face or language.
A great example of this is: we can’t say Americans and Australians are the same just because they speak the same language. They each have their own unique lifestyle/cultural nuances, and that can significantly impact how they receive or reject your marketing efforts. The same applies to U.S. Hispanics. There are many different segments that make up the Hispanic market. Your message must be adjusted to appeal to the variety of each.
Our society is changing rapidly. Now, it is time to choose: Who do we want to be as a brand? What impact do we want to make? How do we want to be remembered? Here is some valuable advice to secure a successful outcome with multicultural consumers:
Understand your audience: Today brands are dealing with a savvy consumer who knows what he/she wants before purchasing a product or service. They went online, checked the reviews, discussed the topic with friends and family, etc. They have a pretty good picture of who you are as a brand and what you stand for as a company. The more brands know about the different audiences/consumers, the better chances they have to develop strong engagement across multicultural consumers, build greater loyalty towards their brands, assure positive ROI and brand growth in the years to come.
Be open-minded: Sometimes one of my biggest challenges is cracking open traditional mindsets. On many occasions I have personally experienced that decisions from Marketing Executives and decision makers have been made based on personal beliefs and past experiences. Most of the time these decisions are not supported by current data. Sometimes they use third party data about the overall industry or general market data to make business decisions about how to go after diverse communities. This is one of the main reasons why brands have been falling short with their multicultural approach, besides not allocating enough marketing dollars long-term for the strategy to succeed.
Differences make you stronger: Marketing and Advertising is a lot of common sense. You have a system in place configured with Product, Price, Promotion/ Distribution, and Research that doesn’t change catering to the different audiences. What changes is your approach about how you go after and appeal to the cultural nuances across the different audiences. This is why I believe market research gives the right insights on how to engage with consumers, where the crossovers are, or things in common you can utilize in your multicultural campaigns at time of execution, while still respecting an overall strategy. Now more than ever, your own data about your products, existing consumers, and new ones, has to be in your front seat so you can assure success and maximize your investment. It is no longer about what marketers think. It is about what customers are saying and what they want from your brand. That is how you energize and evolve iconic brands.
For 2022 and beyond, multicultural consumers will be extremely important to brands looking for growth opportunities and success. Start embracing minorities today; they are becoming the new majority in the USA. As Bill Taylor (co-founder and editor of Fast Company Magazine) said, “The true mark of a leader is the willingness to stick with a bold course of action — an unconventional business strategy, a unique product-development roadmap, a controversial marketing campaign — even as the rest of the world wonders why you’re not marching in step with the status quo. In other words, real leaders are happy to zig while others zag. They understand that in an era of hyper-competition and non-stop disruption, the only way to stand out from the crowd is to stand for something special.”