Multicultural Marketing Matters Even More Today

If there was anything we learned in 2020, it’s that multicultural marketing matters. After a year of political campaigns, social activism, and men and women of color finally getting a seat at the table, the need to attract the multicultural audience has been made a priority by brands and organizations. As Forbes contributor Isaac Mizrahi put it, “As marketers, we should always reevaluate with whom we are trying to reach and build deeper empathy and connection with people to ensure they’re feeling seen. Marketing today means marketing in a multicultural world.” 

There are a few things that we know are essential, here at The Imagen Group from our work in the Southern California community that you and your business could find useful, as you adapt your marketing strategy to our new norm.

The first? Latinos (and other ethnic groups) are not a monolith. In what has been a grueling election year, there was one topic that everyone was talking about: the Latino vote. The one thing the Hispanic population has in common is the language and even then, there is variation. Time puts it perfectly saying “What we call Latinos or the Latino community is made up of folks who are very different in terms of national origin, in terms of generation, in terms of language use, nativity, class, gender, gender identity, sexuality, and then it also really matters where people end up living.” When planning a multicultural strategy, think about the specific segment of Latino to target rather than the Latino population as a whole.

Reaching Latinos across the United States cannot be accomplished with a one size fits all approach. Latinos of Mexican origin on the West Coast in California will respond to different messaging from Cubans in Florida or Puerto Ricans and Dominicans in New York.

The Importance of Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

The people who are leading marketing efforts are just as important as the audience they are trying to reach. Having a diverse workforce is essential to providing an organic and honest multicultural campaign. The rise of diversity and inclusion practices this year have brought us closer to a workforce that looks like its customers, but there is still a long way to go, with only 8% of senior level advertising and marketing executives identifying as Latino. Having people who understand diverse voices, interests, and cultures not as third parties but as part of their identities will be an asset in connecting with the right audience.

Community Matters

Aside from your company looking like your customer, it’s also important for you to actively be a part of your local community. In an earlier blog post we quoted Uriel Saenz, CEO-Founder of The US Lifestyle Group LLC who shared, “The company needs to make sure that they are not tippy toeing through this, and naturally bringing in consultants within the community will help make sure your internal, B2B and B2C decisions reflect your commitment to the community.” Serving on boards or volunteering for organizations that give back to communities of color, and joining an ethnic business organization, such as the Los Angeles Latino Chamber of Commerce could go a long way to demonstrate your commitment to not only working with, but giving back to local minority, owned businesses and causes.

Multicultural Marketing Delivers and Converts

Obviously, any marketing campaign is measured by its success in conversion. Investing in multicultural marketing is not just practical, inclusive marketing, it delivers and converts. With 37.5% of the U.S population falling under the multicultural category, the purchasing power of that population delivers high ROI to brands and companies, with 61% of marketers attributing it to an increase in conversions. A shift from traditional marketing to a cross-cultural marketing strategy is essential to communicating with the new face of America, your business, will see the results in a growth in market share and profit.

As a Latina, woman-owned business in Los Angeles, these are concepts that are ingrained in our values and identity. We are passionate about our work, leading effective multicultural campaigns, connecting our clients to non-profits, ethnic media outlets, and community stakeholders. Are you ready to see your company reflect the needs of its community? Our team of bilingual communicators and marketers are ready to help you make that next move.

www.theimagengroup.com