marketing to diversity: engaging canada's new mainstream
TRANSCRIPT
Marketing to Diversity E N G A G I N G C A N A D A’ S N E W M A I N S T R E A M
Multicultural Marketing Conference
Toronto, 26 March 2013
n e w ma i n s t r e a m i s mu l t i cu l t u ra l
So what?
To stay relevant and grow in today’s Canada…
Brands must not only learn how to win the hearts and wallets of ethnic consumers.
They also have to start engaging the so-called mainstream with ideas that truly reflect
its cultural diversity, especially in the metropolises.
First step: Move away from the ‘silo’ thinking
Brands are able to leveraging SIMILARITIES and respect
cultural NUANCES between ethnic and white consumers
Understanding Canada’s multiculturalism
VS.
The Chicken Soup Model
Understand & incorporate the ethnic perspective early on in the marketing process
Product development
Image & positioning
Foundational research
Communication
Cross-cultural marketing works… and it works both ways
Health vs. Nature
Diversity as a source of
innovative and unique ideas
Universal insights
Leading with ethnic insights, early on
Not all ideas travel well across cultures though…
Sometimes brands do need to have a targeted approach to better connect with ethnic consumers
Commonsense fact: Well-executed targeted strategies are likely to do
better than ‘mainstream’ work
Different situations may require different
levels of targeting…
English Canada Quebec USA
Brand Engagement Realism Idealism Celebrate
achievement
Brand Association Need a reason to
Believe Need a reason to
Relate Need a reason to
Desire
Motivating Life Values Individuality (The Mosaic)
Joie de Vivre American Dream
Targeted marketing is not new in Canada
Source: Millward Brown Canada
Basic advertising principles DO apply for ethnic consumers
Successful ethnic advertising…
Does all of the above in a culturally relevant way
Engages consumers
Incorporates the brand
Is easily understood
Evokes a response
Source: Millward Brown
Elements that help boost enjoyment of advertising and engage consumers
Genuine, funny humor
Good music
Broadly appealing celebrities
Feature children
Animals
Escapism
Most enjoyable
US ethnic targeted ads
Genuine, funny humor
Music with cultural affinity
Appealing celebrities or role models
Family & children scenarios
Friends
Escapism
Characters portrayed in a positive way
Functionality
In-language dialogue
Most enjoyable
US general market ads
increases chances of success
Source: Millward Brown
Guidelines when doing targeted advertising
Avoid stereotypes
Embrace diversity within ethnic segments
Targeted advertising is more than diverse casting & language
Dare to be bolder and different
Make your brand the center of the story
Keep the story simple
Connect with consumers emotionally
Stay true to your brand ideal, be consistent
Cross-cultural advertising is placed in ‘cross-cultural’ media options
More targeted work goes to targeted media, both traditional/TV and ‘emerging’
Go beyond traditional media, leverage the digital & mobile opportunity
Understand who your ‘mainstream’ really is at the local level
China
India
Colombia
Ghana
Ecuador
Poland
Philippines
Korea
etc.
Final thoughts…
To target or not to target…
Yes
No
All of the above
Do targeted when needed… and when you don’t do it, ensure that your total
market strategy is culturally inclusive, or cross-cultural beyond just casting
Intelligent Marketing is about finding the right balance between targeted and cross-cultural
Go too far in the
direction of targeted
approaches and
efficiencies are lost
Fail to adapt the offer
sufficiently and you
won’t be relevant to
consumers
Is your organization ready for a diverse Canada?
1. Acknowledge the fact that your market is diverse
2. Having a diverse organization is the right business decision
3. Try not to relegate multicultural responsibilities into an organizational silo
4. Don’t just rely on Jin, Jose or Kesha for your ethnic strategy!
5. Commitment must come from the top of the organization
6. Leverage the expertise of both your general market and ethnic agencies
7. Incorporate the ethnic perspective into foundational research
8. Dare to be less politically correct
9. When it comes to advertising, engage consumers in a culturally intelligent way
that avoids stereotypes and does not force the ethnic factor
T H A N K Y O U !
David Burgos
VP of Cultural Strategy
@DavidBurgos_MB
www.marketingtothenewmajority.com