A Personal Perspective On Multicultural Intelligence.

Eight Make-or-Break Rules for Marketing to Race, Ethnicity and Sexual Orientation by David R. Morse

In part two of his book Multicultural Intelligence, Morse (2009) introduces eight rules for the multicultural marketer. These rules are a series of dos and don’ts that marketers should seriously consider when targeting the American market.

1. Boost your Multicultural Intelligence (MQ)
2. Divide and Conquer
3. Don’t trust the Experts
4. Don’t Let the Joke Be on You
5. Don’t Get Lost in Translation
6. Push Their Buttons
7. Market on a Wink and a Prayer
8. Make Up, Don’t Cover Up

All marketers in the US should consider themselves multicultural since the United States is a multicultural nation. Recent statistics have shown the drastic and continued changes in the composition of the marketplace. Not only do immigrants represent one (1) in eight (8) Americans, but their children and grandchildren constitute what is rapidly becoming the majority of the “American born” population; being multicultural is no longer a choice for firms who wish to succeed, it is a necessity.

There were some concepts covered in the book that were particularly interesting, the first was the importance of research. Not only does Morse encourage marketers to invest in research, he underscores the importance of doing research. Many companies proudly boast about reams of research that they have commissioned on their target customers but do they actually read them? They may (or may not) speed-read these reports but focus on the summaries in front. It is important for marketing (and business) executives to do a little of their own research, not just online but primary research as well. This reminds me of my past life as a brand manager in Jamaica; I used to get very strange calls from the Managing Director of the distribution company I worked for on Sundays and even late at night with questions about something he observed in a pharmacy somewhere- that kept me on my toes. Knowing our consumers and customers had to be a way of life, why should it be any different for the multicultural market? While experts and market researchers serve very important purposes, marketers cannot afford blind faith; we should be doing our own homework and showing some common sense. The important lesson to be learned: do not just leave it to the experts, do your own research.

Another concept that really grabbed me was the idea that in order to be successful at multicultural marketing, diversity has to be embraced. Not only do companies need to ensure that all employees receive some level of diversity training, it needs to be part of the company’s philosophy, otherwise it is just lip service. It really comes down to being genuine; consumers cannot only be seen as giant dollar signs, the means to an end (profits). Companies that do this normally end up in “hot water” because they have not really taken the time to really know and understand the market. Diversity has to be embraced not only in advertisements but within organizations as well. Diversity training and research are very important in developing multicultural intelligence as it helps companies to avoid expensive and embarrassing blunders. There is a saying that ignorance of the law is no excuse, this is also applicable to marketing to the various ethnic and cultural segments of the American market. Companies continue to commit what I call “discrimination through ignorance”, something that can be avoided. “We did not know” is not an acceptable excuse for companies who spend millions developing campaigns but fail to invest in the requisite research and so end up being deluged by complaints and backlash from outraged consumer groups.

Segmentation is another concept from the book that really stuck with me. Ethnic markets cannot be seen as homogeneous as they represent not only people from different countries and hence different cultures but individual differences and so segmentation of these markets is a necessity. Hispanics are not all Mexican nor are African- American all “Black Americans”. This is not only true for ethnicities; the LGBT market is an excellent example as it transcends race and is a truly multicultural segment.

The ongoing war being waged in the world of Hispanic marketing is actually quite interesting. Agencies are not able to agree on whether advertising in English or Spanish is the best way to reach these customers and consistently pour their money into Spanish-speaking media. Morse hits on a point that I think marketers have ignored; over time (generations) – more and more Hispanics communicate primarily in English. It appears that “marketing politics” and protectiveness of individual budgets play even bigger roles in where ads are placed than the actual consumers. This further underlines the importance of doing your own research, taking the time to learn the target market and developing multicultural intelligence.

The distinction between “mainstream market” and “ethnic markets” is one I think needs to be addressed. What exactly is the mainstream market? Does it still actually exist? I am not quite sure. When marketers refer to the mainstream market, I wonder if they refer to non- white Hispanics or if they refer to English speaking consumers. Neither would represent and accurate description as we all can agree that multiculturalism goes beyond race or language. The focus should not be on Spanish versus mainstream; the focus should be on redefining “mainstream” and correctly segmenting that market as well.

Morse repeatedly mentions the fact that multicultural marketing needs to go beyond traditionally Black, Asian or Hispanic media houses as cable providers do not stream to customers based on ethnicity- these consumers see all the channels. It should not be that the only time that Hispanics see themselves in advertisements or regular programming is on Hispanic television stations. I was watching the 2011 Grammy Awards tonight while writing this paper and throughout the performances I kept an eye on the Facebook updates that people watching the show were posting. One thing that I observed was that while there were token inclusions of Hispanics such as Jennifer Lopez and Mark Anthony in the presentation roster, and African Americans such as P Diddy and Jamie Foxx, the overall show was a “pop” celebration that featured primarily non- white Hispanics (for want of a better term) performers and winners. An overwhelming number of comments on Facebook expressed disappointment at the quality of the show and the absence of a more diverse lineup and a better reflection of the top performers in the music industry. It is obvious that the organizers of the show attempted to include ethnic minorities but that multicultural sensitivity was clearly lacking.

The issue of humor in advertisements is one that has been the source of much controversy for many companies as both racial and sexual jokes have fallen flat. Companies tread a fine line between humorous and offensive in some advertisements and even television networks targeted to ethnic groups make that mistake. It underscores the fact that humor is not only language based, it is also cultural. Not only to we need to be concerned with whether or not the humor intended translates to non- English speaking target audiences, we should more importantly concern ourselves with whether or not this humor translates to their cultures as well. We sometimes take for granted that people will “get” that some things we say are meant only in jest but this is not necessarily so. The Vanity Fair “Dame Edna” fiasco is testament to the fact that common knowledge is not so common. Assumptions can be detrimental to advertising campaigns and businesses; in the age where interest groups wield enormous power, it may be equivalent to stepping into a minefield.

The concept that really resounded with me most of all was that of the “wink and prayer”, mastering the integration of cultural undertones into ‘normal’ ads. I think that this is the future of multicultural marketing. These ads have relevance to not just “mainstream customers” but to other cultural groups as well just by adding a few simple touches. There seems to be a dearth of ads that feature the multicultural consumer as normal people instead of stereotypical characters such as Hispanic house cleaners and gardeners, Asian restaurateurs and Black rap artistes.
It is very clear that American marketers have a long way to go in reaching their consumers and understanding the new marketplace this country is becoming is a very important part. It underscores the fact that adopting a multicultural outlook is no longer an option but a necessity.

By: Neleen Leslie
Graduate Student
Florida State University