How to avoid tokenism in multicultural marketing

In the UK there are roughly 9.3 million people from minority ethnic backgrounds. These groups are the fastest growing with around 80% of population growth attributed to them.

But a study we conducted found that only 1-in-5 brands actively target ethnic minorities. This leads to a reported 69% of those audiences feeling mainstream media has little to no relevance to them, leaving them feeling ‘underrepresented’ and ‘ignored’.

Why, when ethnic minorities in the UK have an annual spending power of over £300bn, are so few brands actively targeting this market?

Location, culture and language

First, location. Where can you physically find these people? This can inform hyper-localized and targeted campaigns.

Look at data. For example, in the UK, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has great data on diaspora of different nationalities; soon-to-be-published census data should give a detailed picture too.

One of our favorite recently-published pieces is the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) data, taken from applicants for right-to-work in the UK following Brexit. Although focused on EU citizens, this is a source of reliable data for understanding the distribution of a target group, giving a more accurate reflection than alternative data sources (respondents had to answer with honest and correct information; it captures the whole population, while the census took a sample).

Second, cultural and religious differences. Marketeers must be sensitive to the nuances of each group, and we must consider each person’s views in our messaging. For example, certain symbols and colors can be seen very differently across cultures and religions. Equally, gender roles can be viewed differently.

Ultimately, marketing materials should reflect ideals built by the individual they are targeted at to be relevant and effective. Educate your marketing teams about those ideals for different target audiences.

Third, language: both the messaging you use and the actual spoken language you are writing that message in. Remember that for many ethnic minorities, English is not their first language.

Messaging should be clear and simple – or, better, translated. In our study, we found translated material significantly more effective in recall for ethnic audiences than material in English.

Adapting product offering messaging

To create an effective multicultural marketing strategy, you must consider what about your target ethnicity makes them different, and why your product appeals to them.

Consider where your audience is going to see your brand – not just physical locations but channels too. Minority ethnic media (newspapers, magazines, community radio and narrowcast TV) can be used to reach minority ethnic audiences. Over 250 such channels in the UK present opportunities for brands to reach these audiences. Brands will find these much more effective than mainstream media as they are targeted to very specific audiences.

Avoiding tokenism

Multicultural marketing is not just about having a visibly minority ethnic person in your marketing. It’s about authentically adopting diversity and inclusion (D&I).

Avoiding tokenism starts internally. A diverse workforce will give your brand a more authentic feel when engaging with minority ethnic audiences and allow you to approach D&I more naturally. People of different backgrounds will provide new ideas and points of view when approaching a campaign.

This means addressing the issue across every level of hierarchy, ensuring that people of influence within the business are representative of the workforce and customer base.

Once your internal team is more diverse and inclusive, your brand will naturally start considering ways of varying campaigns for different minority ethnic audiences. This will help your brand to avoid tokenistic actions within your marketing campaigns, making them more effective and more relevant to your target audience.

Avoiding tokenism means avoiding only activating around holidays associated with a particular community. Holidays are a great opportunity for brands to engage at a time of celebration, but it can often feel as though they are only being spoken to because of that celebration. Consumers can feel as though they are being taken advantage of.

Instead, look to roll your ethnic marketing out throughout the year, and increase frequency during these periods. Minority ethnic audiences will be more aware of your brand when it does come to the period, and the message will feel more authentic.

The best way to avoid tokenism in multicultural marketing is to embrace the cultures and religions of your audiences. This involves understanding the nuances of that audience and adapting your messaging to that audience, just as you would with any other demographic.