Every year, America becomes increasingly diverse. In 2015 there were already over 120 million multicultural consumers, and this demographic is growing by 2.3 million every year.* Any company or organization that isn’t embracing multicultural marketing isn’t putting itself in a good position to succeed. But doing multicultural marketing right can be tricky. Here are some tips for you to consider.
Build a Diverse Workforce and Vendor List
It’s hard to market to groups you have no relationship with. That’s why it is a really good idea to make sure your workplace, your business partners, and your vendors are diverse. When you are surrounded by diversity, you’ll have more points of view available and more people who can help guide you when you are marketing to a culture that may be new to you.
Remember: No One Race or Culture Is the Norm
By mid-century, no race or culture will be in the majority in America.† It’s time to stop thinking of white consumers as the primary consumers and start building marketing campaigns and brands that fully recognize that diversity is the norm. If you start with the idea that no one group is dominant and that all consumers are, in effect, multicultural consumers, you’ll be starting from a position that’s more likely to lead to success.
Pay Attention to Subtleties
Every culture has its own idiosyncrasies of language and tradition. If you are directing your marketing at a specific group that you’re not a part of, you need to understand the subtleties inherent in how that group communicates. Neglecting this step will only lead to confusing messaging, and it will put you at risk of offending the group you want to persuade. Do the work to get the subtleties right. And, if you’re writing copy that’s not in a language you speak, don’t use translation software. A human translator can help you avoid embarrassing—and even catastrophic—translation mistakes.
Commit to Consistency, Even as You Embrace Diversity
Just because you may be developing different messaging to target different groups doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have an overarching message that ties everything together. Stick to your brand no matter what group you’re trying to reach. You might accentuate one aspect of your brand or focus on a specific medium of communication depending on the group you’re trying to reach, but all your pieces for all your audiences should still fit together.
Do Your Research
Some types of products appeal strongly to some groups and not at all to others. Likewise, not all groups are equally responsive to all types of marketing techniques. Before you launch any kind of targeted marketing, you should consult the research—or conduct your own—to determine what messages and methods are likely to be most successful for the group you’re speaking to.
Reach Out With Social Media
The rise of social media marketing has given companies an entirely new way to communicate with target markets. Through the proper use of hashtags and targeted messaging, you can directly reach out to communities in ways that aren’t possible through traditional marketing. Embracing the possibilities of social media gives you a powerful tool for connecting on a meaningful level with specific groups.
Listen to Feedback
After you launch a marketing effort, pay attention to the reactions of the group you’re trying to reach. Social media makes it easy to listen to what people are saying. If there is dissatisfaction with your messaging, don’t ignore the complaints. By listening to feedback, you can more quickly put a halt to messaging that isn’t working and improve your messaging in the future.
Earn a Business Degree Such as a BS in Business Administration
Business and marketing are learned skills. And one of the best ways to learn those skills is by earning a degree in a business field. If you’re interested in improving your multicultural marketing and overall marketing strategies, you might consider such online degrees as a BS in Business Administration, a BS in Communication, or an MS in Marketing. All of these degrees are available through online universities, meaning you can earn them on a schedule that works with your life and job commitments.
When you earn an online marketing degree, business administration degree, or business communication degree, you can acquire the knowledge and skills you’ll need to succeed in an increasingly diverse marketplace. Multicultural marketing is here to stay, and those who understand it are in a good position to succeed.
Walden University is an accredited institution offering an online BS in Business Administration program, an online BS in Communication program, and an online MS in Marketing program. Expand your career options and earn your degree in a convenient, flexible format that fits your busy life.
*Nielsen, The Multicultural Edge: Rising Super Consumers, on the internet at www.nielsen.com/content/dam/corporate/us/en/reports-downloads/2015-reports/the-multicultural-edge-rising-super-consumers-march-2015.pdf.
†N. Wazwaz, It’s Official: The U.S. Is Becoming a Minority-Majority Nation, U.S. News and World Report, on the internet at www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/07/06/its-official-the-us-is-becoming-a-minority-majority-nation.
Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org.