Consumers are increasingly diverse in today’s global, multicultural economy. And yet, not all companies have checkpoints in place to make sure their marketing campaigns are resonating with customers across a diversity of populations and groups.
Aside from potential backlash from consumer groups and the media when messages inadvertently offend, according to the Content Marketing Institute those companies are missing opportunities to grow their customer base—and losing money!
Consider these numbers from a blog posted on the Institute’s website:
- Women’s buying power and influence drives 70 to 80 percent of consumer purchases today, according to Forbes;
- African Americans, Nielsen reports, constitute 14 percent of the U.S. population and spend $1.2 trillion annually. What’s more, consumers of color also demonstrate outsized influence in a number of key consumer categories;
- Since 2000, minority consumer markets have grown faster than the buying power of whites, according to the University of Georgia, with the biggest increase coming from Asian Americans.
If executed with attention to the full spectrum of consumers in a targeted audience, multicultural campaigns can both unite people and result in considerable success. The Content Marketing Institute offers the following powerful strategies that companies can employ to ensure that they understand their audience’s sensibilities, nuances and needs:
- When brainstorming the best ways to connect with a target audience, start with what the individuals in that group have in common, then explore the nuances that give them different perspectives;
- Meet your targeted audience where it is. That means talking and listening to individuals in that audience, using the language they use to connect in a relatable way, and thinking past your product or service to focus on the impact you want to have on them;
- Enlist the help of members of your team who are part of that audience, and test content on them to see how it resonates. If your team lacks diversity, bring in outside help;
- Finally, look at companies that are getting multicultural marketing right.
They can provide insight on how to execute successful and inclusive campaigns that create value for the individuals in their targeted audiences.