Ethnic Marketing: A Strategy for Marketing Programs to Diverse Audiences Dallas L. Holmes, USU Extension Adapted from an article by Lisa A. Guion & Heather.

Ethnic Marketing: A Ethnic Marketing: A Strategy for Marketing Strategy for Marketing Programs to Diverse Programs to Diverse

AudiencesAudiences

Dallas L. Holmes, USU Dallas L. Holmes, USU ExtensionExtension

Adapted from an article by Lisa A. Guion Adapted from an article by Lisa A. Guion & Heather Kent, Florida State University & Heather Kent, Florida State University

Cooperative Extension, 2005.Cooperative Extension, 2005.

Ethnic MarketingEthnic Marketing

Marketing means publicizing your Marketing means publicizing your name, program and services to your name, program and services to your target audience.target audience.

Ethnic marketing uses personal Ethnic marketing uses personal marketing strategies that best reflect marketing strategies that best reflect the values, biases and beliefs of the the values, biases and beliefs of the ethnic audience you are targeting.ethnic audience you are targeting.

America:America:Melting Pot or Tossed SaladMelting Pot or Tossed Salad

Homogenous mass of acclimatized people

Diverse mix of individuals and

cultures

Ethnic Marketing StrategyEthnic Marketing Strategy

Because America is Because America is a “tossed salad” a “tossed salad” society, it is society, it is important to tailor important to tailor your marketing your marketing strategies to match strategies to match the norms, values the norms, values and traditions of and traditions of the group you are the group you are targeting.targeting.

Three Steps for Three Steps for developing an developing an effective marketing effective marketing strategy:strategy:1.1. Consider ethnic Consider ethnic

diversity.diversity.

2.2. Determine the level of Determine the level of ethnicityethnicity

3.3. Develop and Develop and implement your ethnic implement your ethnic marketing campaign.marketing campaign.

Step 1: Consider Ethnic Step 1: Consider Ethnic DiversityDiversity

TO AVOID:TO AVOID:– Lumping all the Lumping all the

members of your members of your target audience into target audience into an unidentifiable an unidentifiable mass (Melting pot mass (Melting pot mentality).mentality).

– Addressing all Addressing all members of the members of the target audience with target audience with a general marketing a general marketing approach.approach.

TO DO:TO DO:– Value the cultural Value the cultural

uniqueness of your uniqueness of your target group.target group.

– Value cooperation Value cooperation and bridge-building and bridge-building with community with community leaders and other leaders and other organizations organizations working within the working within the community.community.

Step 1: Consider Ethnic Step 1: Consider Ethnic DiversityDiversity

TO AVOID:TO AVOID:– Considering diversity Considering diversity

as a matter of image as a matter of image building—token building—token minorities in your minorities in your marketing marketing campaigns.campaigns.

– Interpreting diversity Interpreting diversity as a matter of as a matter of altruism (charity for altruism (charity for “those poor people”)“those poor people”)

TO DO:TO DO:– Value the cultural Value the cultural

beliefs, symbols and beliefs, symbols and practices of your practices of your target group.target group.

– Value linguistic Value linguistic differences, as well as differences, as well as accents, practices and accents, practices and social conduct.social conduct.

– Value word-of-mouth & Value word-of-mouth & interpersonal interpersonal communication to communication to spread your message.spread your message.

Step 2: Determining the Level Step 2: Determining the Level of Ethnicity of your Target of Ethnicity of your Target

GroupGroup The level of ethnic The level of ethnic

marketing you marketing you need depends need depends upon how much upon how much your audience your audience identifies with its identifies with its ethnicity.ethnicity.

Depends on: Depends on: – Environmental Environmental

conditions (family conditions (family upbringing, upbringing, neighborhood neighborhood ethnicity)ethnicity)

– Economic conditions Economic conditions (education, income)(education, income)

– Social conditions Social conditions (place of birth, (place of birth, length of stay in length of stay in U.S.)U.S.)

Step 2: Determining the Level Step 2: Determining the Level of Ethnicity of your Target of Ethnicity of your Target

GroupGroup People with a People with a high degree of high degree of

ethnicityethnicity are possibly: are possibly:– First generation immigrantsFirst generation immigrants– Grew up outside of AmericaGrew up outside of America– Not fluent in English, speak mostly Not fluent in English, speak mostly

native languagenative language– Speak with a heavy accentSpeak with a heavy accent– Live in high-density ethnic areasLive in high-density ethnic areas– Higher level of ethnicity=Higher degree Higher level of ethnicity=Higher degree

of ethnic marketingof ethnic marketing

Step 2: Determining the Level Step 2: Determining the Level of Ethnicity of your Target of Ethnicity of your Target

GroupGroup People with a People with a medium degree of medium degree of

ethnicityethnicity are possibly: are possibly:– Second generation or acculturated first Second generation or acculturated first

generationgeneration– Spent ¼ to ½ of their lives in AmericaSpent ¼ to ½ of their lives in America– Are proficient in English and their native Are proficient in English and their native

languagelanguage– Speak with a light accentSpeak with a light accent– Live in moderate ethnic-dense areasLive in moderate ethnic-dense areas

Step 2: Determining the Level Step 2: Determining the Level of Ethnicity of your Target of Ethnicity of your Target

GroupGroup People with a People with a low degree of low degree of

ethnicityethnicity are possibly: are possibly:– Second generation and onwardsSecond generation and onwards– Born and raised in AmericaBorn and raised in America– Are bilingual, but prefer EnglishAre bilingual, but prefer English– Speak with a neutral accentSpeak with a neutral accent– Live in low ethnic-dense areas.Live in low ethnic-dense areas.

Step 2: Determining the Level Step 2: Determining the Level of Ethnicity of your Target of Ethnicity of your Target

GroupGroup The group’s level of self-The group’s level of self-

identified ethnicity identified ethnicity determines how much determines how much ethnic marketing strategy ethnic marketing strategy should be used.should be used.– With lower levels of With lower levels of

ethnicity, use more ethnicity, use more mainstream marketing mainstream marketing strategies.strategies.

– With higher levels of With higher levels of ethnicity, use more ethnic ethnicity, use more ethnic marketing strategies.marketing strategies.

Step 3: Launching Ethnic Step 3: Launching Ethnic MarketingMarketing

Of course, we Of course, we shouldshould tailor our tailor our marketing approach to the target marketing approach to the target audience, but audience, but HOWHOW do we know what do we know what they will respond to?they will respond to?

Use the Three “I”s to plan your Use the Three “I”s to plan your marketing strategy.marketing strategy.

Step 3: Launching Ethnic Step 3: Launching Ethnic MarketingMarketing

The Three “I”sThe Three “I”s IIdentify the communities the target dentify the communities the target

group comprises.group comprises. IIdentify the values and beliefs of the dentify the values and beliefs of the

community/communities.community/communities. IIdentify personal marketing strategies dentify personal marketing strategies

that match the values and beliefs of that match the values and beliefs of the community/communities you will the community/communities you will be addressing.be addressing.

Step 3: Launching Ethnic Step 3: Launching Ethnic MarketingMarketing

The Three “I”sThe Three “I”s Example:Example:

IIdentify groupdentify group: : African Americans.African Americans.

Step 3: Launching Ethnic Step 3: Launching Ethnic MarketingMarketing

The Three “I”sThe Three “I”s IIdentify Values:dentify Values: Similar to contiguous Similar to contiguous

African cultures. Thus, African cultures. Thus, African American African American communities differ from communities differ from mainstream American mainstream American cultureculture. .

Value qualities like Value qualities like “telling it like it is,” “telling it like it is,” “seeing the good as “seeing the good as well as the bad”, well as the bad”, assertiveness and assertiveness and speaking up.speaking up.

Give importance to Give importance to orally transmitted orally transmitted information.information.

Like to be Like to be represented.represented.

Receptive to Receptive to organizations that organizations that “give something back “give something back to the community”.to the community”.

Like to see a positive Like to see a positive image of their culture.image of their culture.

View the world from View the world from an Afrocentric an Afrocentric standpointstandpoint

Step 3: Launching Ethnic Step 3: Launching Ethnic MarketingMarketing

The Three “I”sThe Three “I”s IIdentify Personal Marketing Strategiesdentify Personal Marketing Strategies

– Do not be pretentious.Do not be pretentious.– Be sensitive about the authenticity of Be sensitive about the authenticity of

your message. Have facts ready and be your message. Have facts ready and be able to back them up.able to back them up.

– Have African American representatives Have African American representatives present your message.present your message.

– Encourage your African American Encourage your African American audiences to ask questions about your audiences to ask questions about your programs. Do not mistake their programs. Do not mistake their assertiveness for aggression. Let them assertiveness for aggression. Let them discuss their doubts, they will tell you discuss their doubts, they will tell you whether they like or do not like whether they like or do not like something.something.

ReferencesReferences

Guion, L.A., Goddard, H.W., Guion, L.A., Goddard, H.W., Broadwater, G., Chattaraj, S., & Broadwater, G., Chattaraj, S., & Sullivan-Lytle, S. (2003). Sullivan-Lytle, S. (2003). Strengthening Strengthening programs to reach diverse audiencesprograms to reach diverse audiences. . Gainesville, FL: Florida Cooperative Gainesville, FL: Florida Cooperative Extension, University of Florida.Extension, University of Florida.

Tharp, M.C. (2001). Tharp, M.C. (2001). Marketing and Marketing and consumer identity in multicultural consumer identity in multicultural AmericaAmerica. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage PublicationsPublications