In an earlier post, I talked about ‘the comfort of opinion.’ What initially triggered it was coming across and reading a JFK Commencement Address at Yale University.
“We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought. Mythology distracts us everywhere – in government as in business, in politics as in economics, in foreign affairs as in domestic affairs.”
Needless to say, we often come up against popular myths within the context of multicultural marketing and reaching diverse audiences. So, for the record, and after a discussion with some folks around the office, here’s our initial top 10 …
1. “I can reach them in the mainstream”
2. “Cultural media is only consumed by recent immigrants” –
3. “Print is archaic/unsophisticated”
4. “Canadians don’t cross markets”
5. “I don’t have to adjust my promotional calendar to meet the cultural nuance of the market I’m targetting”
6. The media buy is a “language buy”
7. Multicultural marketing in Canada is equivalent to the South Asian audience
8. The South Asian market is Indian
9. The Chinese market is the Chinese from Hong Kong
10. There is 1 Chinese newspaper in Toronto
Joe M says:
December 12, 2008 at 11:49 amThe one that gets me the most is those companies that try to fit cultural marketing to their schedule. Usually its just a case of not thinking about the intended audience and a little prodding goes a long way.
Here are people who have been trained since Marketing 101 to consider the target and they try to get Chinese people to come celebrate New Years on January 1. When all around them three weeks later will be Lunar New Year messaging from Chinese businesses or the culturally savvy. Which has a greater cahnce of success?
Or those who think Santa in an ad aimed at a primarily muslim audience will still get through because after all its Canada. I have nothing against Santa and I think I can safely say most Muslims have nothing against the Jolly Old Elf either… but with Eid happening three weeks before Sanata gets in his sleigh why not message around that?
It all boils down to cultural marketing as an afterthought and so inadequate budget means you can only just add it to the plan you have… which is a mistake so monumental you might as well not even bother.
admin says:
December 12, 2008 at 12:22 pmThanks, Joe …. yes … you raise the notion of “cultural marketing as an afterthought”, which can sometime connect with #6 (the buy is a ‘language buy’)
Big Marketing For You » Blog Archive » The New Mainstream™ » Multicultural marketing myths says:
December 12, 2008 at 7:14 pm[...] unknown wrote an interesting post today onThe New Mainstreamâ?¢ » Multicultural marketing mythsHere’s a quick excerpt7. Multicultural marketing in Canada is equivalent to the South Asian audience. 8. The South Asian market is Indian. 9. The Chinese market is the Chinese from Hong Kong. 10. There is 1 Chinese newspaper in Toronto. Share it: … [...]
Daphnee says:
December 16, 2008 at 5:54 pmI agree that the landscape is changing and that it’s important for companies to reach out to multicultural audiences in an informed, respectful way. It is imperative that companies do their homework when venturing into multicultural terriories. A one-size fits all approach does not work. Otherwise they might do more harm than good. Case in point: check out the following article: Chinese ‘classical poem’ was a brothel ad at http://tinyurl.com/5shwy4 or http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/chinese-classical-poem-was-brothel-ad-1058031.html
admin says:
December 16, 2008 at 11:24 pmThanks, Daphnee, for your comment — and link. At the very least, it appears as though the Institute reacted quickly and tried to defuse and correct their error. But you’re right, a one-size fits all doesn’t work. Homework and cultural competency a must.
Daphnee says:
December 18, 2008 at 11:57 pmThanks for the quick response!
keep up the good work
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December 30, 2008 at 6:03 pm[...] Re-Tweet from @DoreenatDMS top 10 multicultural marketing myths [...]