Multi-Dimensional Marketing
Leila Morris

When we look at some of the latest studies, it’s clear that we need to go beyond general assumptions. Ethnic consumers are less homogenous than marketers often assume. For example, Spanish-speaking consumers, who are less acculturated, are more likely than are other Hispanics to have stronger traditional values, such as collectivism and group decision making. Seventy-nine per-cent of respondents in the Spanish oriented high cultural affinity segment agree with the following statement, “I am unwavering in my commitment to my extended family.” But only 44% of bicultural Hispanics feel the same level of responsibility, according to a study by Yankelovich.

“Marketers must refine their messaging to avoid generalization,” said Suar-ez-Hammond, vice pres-ident of Multicultural Mar-keting Insights at Yankelovich. Marketers are borrowing cultural elements to stay on top of trends and engage the public. But, they need to recognize that the more cross-cultural appeal a cultural element has, the less authentic and exclusive it becomes. Hip-hop music is a good example. Mainstream hip-hop artists who are known to general audiences are not considered as authentic as more “underground” artists known exclusively by African American audiences.

Healthcare is High on the List of Concerns

Positive healthcare awareness messages are working with African American and Hispanic communities, but there’s still a disconnect. Marketers need to offer specific steps and how-to guides in order to begin affecting behavior, she said. The survey includes the following healthcare statistics:
• 63% of Hispanics and 60% of African Americans cite “the health of other family members” as a major stressor, compared to 51% of non-Hispanic Whites.
• 91% of Hispanic moms, 80% of African American moms, and 67% of non-Hispanic White moms agree to the following statement, “I put a lot of care and emotion into my cooking.” This is important because the “food as love” connection can become a healthcare barrier for ethnic consumers.
• In response to “why I want to eat healthily,” 61% of Hispanics and 57% of African Americans cited “to avoid diabetes,” compared to 39% of non-Hispanic Whites.

Asian Buying Power Has Grown Disproportionately

A recent study by the University of Georgia’s Selig Center reveals that Asian consumers have a lot more purchasing power than their population numbers suggest. Some marketers overlook the Asian community because it is smaller than the Hispanic and African American Communities. The Asian population may be only one-third the size of the Hispanic population, but Asian annual buying power already represents 53% of Hispanic buying power. The total Asian population of the U.S. has grown by almost 20%, since 2000, but the growth in Asian buying power has outpaced Asian population growth three-fold during the same period. This presents lucrative opportunities for marketers and advertisers in diverse product categories, said Cynthia Park, managing director of advertising company, Kang & Lee. For more information, visit www.selig.uga.edu.
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Leila Morris is the editor of California Broker Magazine.
Email: edit@calbrokermag.com
www.calbrokermag.com