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The key to effective research is going beyond mere Census information to uncover detailed socio-economic and cultural information.
Tools to Reach a Multicultural Audience
Once you've decided exactly who you need to reach, it's time to determine how to execute a multicultural marketing program across all touch points, including channels such as advertising, direct mail, Web site, even your customer contact center.
Knowing just which channels to use can be a challenge. To make an impact, you must understand how your target populations approach their buying decisions. This is a more complex part of multicultural marketing that really boils down to consumer psychology.
For example, Asian-American consumers tend to be well-educated and savvy when it comes to technology. So, your program may center on developing targeted e-mail marketing campaigns, advertising on the Web or even reaching out to influential blogs. That said, be careful not to generalize your audience. Although you may know something about Asian-Americans, have you segmented your audience down to who you really want to target? Is your target audience made up of consumers from Chinese, Korean or Japanese descent? What about Southeast Asians? Before deciding what channels to use, you must be as up to speed as possible on the available research.
One step that many companies miss is ensuring continuity across the program. Take a look at the following hypothetical situation: ABC Mortgage knows that Hispanic-Americans listen to radio three times more than the average American. So, ABC Mortgage creates a strategy that is heavy on radio advertising, including a toll-free number as a call-to-action. Response rates are outstanding, but ABC Mortgage fails to complete the strategy by not staffing its contact center with Spanish-speaking agents. The company created a winning strategy, but the lack of follow-through meant it was unable to adequately serve its new customer base. As a result, those customers probably aren't coming back.
What's Working … and What's Not
Last year, Gary Berman of Market Segment Research teamed up with the Association of National Advertisers to find out what consumer industries are doing a good job marketing to a multicultural audience. One sector that is faring well is telecommunications. Early on, phone companies discovered the value of marketing to U.S. multicultural consumers who were calling friends and relatives in other countries. Thus, the industry had the time to test strategies, gain experience and establish best practices that guide it today.
Another industry that is ahead of the game is the automotive industry, which has been marketing to multicultural customers for the past 15 to 20 years. Generally, automobile manufacturers have established a successful, fully integrated approach to reach multicultural customers.
A prime example is General Motors, which recently added a new Ford truck to its lineup—the 2005 F-150 Lobo edition, designed specifically for the Hispanic market. Ford unveiled the Lobo, which means "wolf" in Spanish, in conjunction with the Mexican holiday Cinco de Mayo, and even enlisted singer Pablo Montero as part of the Lobo's advertising campaign.
Ask the Experts
Multicultural marketing is all about execution. You can gather the best research, implement the most innovative ideas and hire the best translator, but if you don't execute every detail down to the correct shade of red, you run the risk of failing when you deserve to succeed. If your idea of multicultural marketing is translating an ad, you have much to learn. To be successful, you must capture the culture, from the language to the customs, and address the real motivation behind buying decisions—all the while providing campaign support through your service channels.
Of course, choosing the right channels for your multicultural marketing program can be an overwhelming process. Even the most savvy and well-funded marketers may need help somewhere along the way. After all, this is a new approach. One of the best ways to minimize problems and further your chances of success is to enlist the help of a multicultural marketing expert who can help you outsource some or all phases of your program or provide valuable insight. Outsourcers can help companies reach multicultural audiences through results-driven campaigns that take advantage of the best tools in the business.
If you consider looking for help, be sure to look for a partner who already has a history of marketing to your target audience.
Thomas MacDonald is executive director of marketing for TeleTech In Culture, a business unit focused on providing multicultural marketing solutions that enable clients to provide relevant in-language customer communications along all customer touch points. He can be reached at (303) 397-8288 or thomasmacdonald@teletech.com.
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