Cultural relevancy. A key component for brand success with multicultural consumers.

As we continue to recover from the pandemic, companies are working to regain momentum. It’s inevitable that adjusting your marketing strategy will be necessary as we transition into a multicultural mainstream–driven by the growth of the U.S. Hispanic demographic. In order to increase sales and traffic to websites or stores, reaching minority groups (in particular, Hispanics) is a lynchpin to sustainable growth in the future.

We have become a multicultural nation. This necessitates a culturally relevant mindset, one that genuinely embraces diversity and inclusion. This is the opening ante to connect with any audience and stay relevant. Today’s youth are far more diverse than prior generations. This trend has changed everything. It is estimated that over 45% of US Millennials are multicultural. According to the 2020 Census, Americans 18 years and younger are the most multiracial generation ever. 53% are non-White, and by 2045, it is expected that more than 50% of ALL U.S. consumers will be non-White. These young, ambitious consumers are pressing politicians and corporate America to change their mindset. This is especially true in regards to diversity and inclusion in marketing and corporate philosophy. These passionate people are rallying for changes in leadership, and protesting against racism and bigotry.They refuse to accept discrimination toward minority groups, women, and the LGBTQ+ community.

Today, to be successful as a brand means being socially and culturally relevant. It means being up-to-date with technologies and trends. It means being open to all people and being authentically engaged as a company. The behavior of consumers has evolved dramatically over the past 6 years. Besides offline and online communications, ‘brand experiential’ is crucial to success. It starts in your online touch-points. It’s simply not enough to speak about yourself as a brand. You have to walk the walk. You need to be RELEVANT. To communicate as a trustworthy brand means being personable, approachable, flexible, intuitive and accessible. It means being liberated from outdated business models.

Multicultural campaigns are no longer just about having people of color in ad campaigns, while using the same message you send to your general audience. New marketing strategy has its own set of unique keys that trigger motivation and interaction. For example: The Hispanic audience contains diversified and sensitive nuances, of which many advertising agencies lose sight. Because of this lack of insight, the biggest issue with general multichannel marketing is that it doesn’t account for a meaningful, multicultural connection. Instead, these segments are usually regarded as a one-offs. “Let’s just add a picture of a Hispanic person. Or, “Lets just translate it into Spanish.” When you are speaking to a consumer, you must consider their culture. That applies for your general market audience and for all multicultural segments. If you assume all messaging resonates simply because you have switched out a photo or translated the language, you jeopardize cultural relevancy. You are possibly lessening engagement. And this can damage a brand. Culturally relevant messaging is more important than a face or a language. It’s an emotional touch-point.

A great example of this: We can’t say Americans and Australians are the same because they speak the same language. Each has their own lifestyle and cultural nuance. This that can significantly impact how they applaud or reject marketing efforts. The same applies to U.S. Hispanics. There are many different segments that make up the Hispanic market. Your message should be adjusted to appeal to each.

Society is changing rapidly. It is time for companies to pause and ask themselves: Who do we want to be as a brand? What impact do we want to make? How do we want to be remembered? Do we want to be an agent of change? Here are some nuggets to help secure a successful outcome with multicultural consumers:

Understand your audience: Today’s brands are dealing with a savvy consumer who knows what he/she wants before purchasing a product or service. They have gone online, checked the reviews, discussed the topic with friends and family, etc. They have a pretty good picture of who you are as a brand and what you stand for as a company. The more brands know about particular and diverse consumers, the better chance they have to develop strong engagement, build loyalty, and improve ROI and growth in the years to come.

Be open-minded: Sometimes one of my biggest challenges is cracking open traditional mindsets. On many occasions I have seen decisions from Marketing Executives that seem to have been made based on personal beliefs. Most of the time these decisions are not supported by data. Sometimes companies use third party data about the overall industry, or general market data to make decisions about engaging with diverse communities. This is one of the reasons brands fall short with their multicultural approach. Including not allocating enough marketing dollars long-term for their strategy to succeed.

Differences make you stronger: Marketing and Advertising is 99% common sense. You have a system in place that is configured with Product, Price, Promotion/ Distribution and Research. It is a steady, working machine. Usually, you don’t adjust your plan significantly when catering to different audiences. You attempt a “One Size Fits All approach across different audiences. This is why I believe in market research. It gives deeper insights on how to engage with consumers. It shows where the crossovers are. It highlights things you might shift in executing your multicultural campaigns—while still respecting your overall strategy. Now more than ever, valid data about new AND existing consumers has to be in your front seat to assure success and maximize investment. It’s not about what us marketers think. It’s about what customers are saying. It’s about what they want from your brand. It’s about how to energize and evolve a that brand.

For 2022 and beyond, multicultural consumers will be extremely important to brands looking for growth opportunities. Embracing minorities today is key—they are becoming the new US majority. As Bill Taylor (co-founder and editor of Fast Company Magazine) said, “The true mark of a leader is the willingness to stick with a bold course of action — an unconventional business strategy, a unique product-development roadmap, a controversial marketing campaign — even as the rest of the world wonders why you’re not marching in step with the status quo. In other words, real leaders are happy to zig while others zag. They understand that in an era of hyper-competition and non-stop disruption, the only way to stand out from the crowd is to stand for something special.”