This article is part of a larger series that focuses on diversity and equity in marketing through the amplification of Black and racially diverse authors. As a company, we are committed to identifying actions we can take in the fight against racism and injustice, and elevating BBIPOC voices is paramount to inspiring change. Follow along and read other posts in this series here.
This post is authored by Juanita Velez, Multicultural Marketing Expert and Founder of HYPE.
In less than nine months, you’ve brought to light the important issues that have been swept under the rug of many brands and pressured them to share actionable next steps on how to address them. As conscious consumers, our thumbs have eagerly been scrolling through Instagram carousels, reading brand statements, or black squares shared in hopes to find one that supports our values.
While the discussion around Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) has been the focal point of our attention; all too often we’ve forgotten, dismissed, and maybe even replaced the effort of teams responsible for researching, learning and ultimately building a business case for marketing to diverse audiences.
You may have heard of the party analogy when defining DEI:
Let’s imagine that we are on the planning committee for this party with an overall goal to increase ticket sales. Think about some of the questions you may have had to work through as a committee before sending the invitations out. Perhaps the below come to mind:
Lastly, the biggest question of the committee: how can we increase sales among the communities that reflect our company’s values, that we want to show up?
The questions you just reviewed are the foundational elements that make up a marketing brief.
While DEI looks to shape corporate cultures to be more diverse, equitable and just; inclusive multicultural marketing aims at growing the business by investing in research and strategic initiatives to authentically market to multicultural audiences.
After years of research and building business cases for multicultural marketing initiatives within Fortune 50 brands, I define Multicultural Marketing as a niche within marketing growing a brand’s marketing goals within a clearly defined ethnic/race-specific audience such as Hispanics, African Americans, Asian Americans, LGBTQ+ or perhaps BIPOC and non-multicultural segments as well. This automatically forces this team to be intentional about learning this target audience’s motivations, aspirations and purchase drivers for the brand’s product or service.
And while we understand that the term multicultural can take on a variety of definitions, it is also equally important to differentiate multicultural marketing from other niches that fall under the marketing umbrella as a profession:
And yes, the above can seem overwhelming, subjective and counterintuitive in a country that’s on an accelerated path to becoming “minority-majority” led by 2040. However, it is extremely important for the differences and similarities to be evaluated thoughtfully and intentionally when building a credible relationship between your brand and audiences that you’re actively seeking.
In 2016, the Association of National Advertisers’ launched the Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing (AIMM) with a mission to create a powerful voice that elevates multicultural and inclusive marketing to promote business growth in an increasingly diverse marketplace. Their efforts have been catalytic in driving awareness of the opportunities that exist. In a 2019 report by AIMM, only 5.2% of marketing and advertising spend was allocated to multicultural efforts even though multicultural consumers make 40% of the U.S. population (U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2016). [One of the many reasons why it’s important to fill out your Census]. Top highlights from the the 2019 report by AIMM that are extremely important to consider as marketers:
Earlier we made a clear distinction between DEI and marketing; however, we’re about to tie it back in because everything is interconnected.
One of the consequences of insufficient DEI efforts within corporations is the lack of representation within the workforce. When we lack diverse perspectives across teams, especially in marketing departments, our efforts result in non-diverse and inclusive work. The 2018 ANA/AIMM AdSpend Trends Analysis exposed that 50-60% of top U.S. advertisers spend less than 1% of their ad budgets targeting multicultural audiences. This narrow operational mindset has also exposed some truths of why brands don’t allocate more resources:
While I wish I could tell you exact details of what the future holds, 2020 is a literal representation of this dynamic and ever-changing thing we call life. If you were to ask me for my forecasted opinion, I’d share that 2020 has and will accelerate the importance of capitalizing on these unique audiences for accelerated business growth, across all sectors and industries.
Younger—more diverse—generations are taking leaps and jumping into leadership positions that hold power and influence.
Communities are starting to recycle their dollars within, empowering and supporting Black and Brown-owned small businesses to thrive.
Women of color are taking ownership of their lives and careers disrupting the family lifestyle that has for so long ruled our existence and diminished our control to seize opportunities.
We are not only growing in population, but also in education. Now more than ever, we have the highest graduating numbers of Black and Latinx students. (National Center for Education)
And as education becomes a power tool for financial growth, our median household incomes and purchasing power are reaching the highest levels that have ever existed.
If the above doesn’t sound appetizing or necessary for your brand, reconsider understanding the reality of your target audience. Acknowledging the evolution of your marketing efforts is just as important as updating your product or service over time. It takes research, resources, time, and intentional commitment in understanding these audiences and creating authentic relationships with your brand.
I’ll leave with one last bit of advice – don’t wait until it’s too late. As conscious consumers, we are well aware of the brands that have been there from day one, the ones that are just now starting, but committed and the ones that just want our money.
Make a conscious effort to win with your actions before you win our pockets.
Juanita Velez is a product of the immigration surge during the 96’ Olympics. Born in Colombia, but raised in the A, she has trail-blazed her way through Atlanta’s UPS and Delta Air Lines corporations as a global social media expert. Having founded HYPE, Hispanic Young Professionals and Entrepreneurs as part of a solution to a gap she experienced heavily during her corporate climb, Juanita has propelled exponential opportunities for the next generation of multicultural Atlanta. Her true passion is serving others by connecting people in the community to opportunities. Juanita is a social entrepreneur and corporate professional who values humility, vulnerability, compassion and perseverance. She has shaped a career focused on inclusion, opportunity and drive.
Visit this page to see more in the series, or check back for our next guest post.
Marigold is a family of global marketing technology brands including Campaign Monitor, CM Commerce, Emma, Liveclicker, Sailthru and Vuture. By joining together these leading brands, Marigold offers a variety of world-class solutions that can be used by marketers at any level. Headquartered in Nashville, TN, Marigold has United States offices in Indianapolis, Los Angeles, New York City, Pittsburgh and San Francisco, and global offices in Australia, London, New Zealand and Uruguay.