What marketers consider the “general market” is changing: minorities are becoming the new majority.
According to a May 2012 report released by the U.S. Census Bureau, racial and ethnic minorities now make up more than half the children born in the U.S. By 2043, non-Hispanic whites will become the minority of the total U.S. population with 47%, while current minorities shift to the majority at 53%, split as follows:
- Hispanics will be 28% of the population
- Blacks will be 13%
- Asians will be 7%
- Native Americans and Pacific Islanders will be 1% and
- Multiracial individuals will be another 4%
Ignoring this growing multicultural mainstream is like leaving money on the table. If your brand does not yet have a multicultural strategy for connecting and engaging with these consumers, the future is upon you!
What do you need to know to get started?
- Consider, Research, Communicate
- Determine which racial and ethnic groups are worthwhile to target. Is there enough growth potential for your brand to warrant strategy adjustments (product innovation, campaign, etc.)?
- Cohesive Brand Messaging is a Must
- A common pitfall of multicultural marketing is thinking you need separate campaigns for each audience which often leads to inconsistent brand messaging. Don’t forget that most consumers, regardless of acculturation level, are exposed to both “mainstream” as well as multicultural “targeted” campaigns.
- According to Patty Bien, Senior Account Director at The Pert Group, the key is “to discover one cohesive brand platform – one master brand with a consistent emotional hook – that can be communicated through different executions to effectively reach the general market and the appropriate multicultural consumers.”
- Achieve Relevance
- According to Yankelovich’s Sonya Suarez-Hammond, “There are three dimensions of relevance … lifestyle relevance, cultural relevance and individual/personal relevance.” Being able to engage with your target audience and be relevant to them on these three dimensions is incredibly important.
- Know What Other Brands are Doing
- Do your competitors have a multicultural brand strategy? Are they achieving relevance with key opportunity targets and getting more than their “fair share” of consumer volume and growth versus your brand?
- Understand how competitors are talking to your target consumers and whether they are successful. We can help you establish a competitive edge.
Brands need to uncover the appropriate ethnic targets to grow their business. What are you doing to connect with multicultural consumers? And how can The Pert Group help you in this changing consumer landscape?