Predictions about the Death of Total Market Are Wrong [INSIGHT]

By Roberto Orci, President and CEO, Acento

Some very bright people, whom I respect as colleagues, have expressed skepticism about a Total Market approach.  But they miss some key points in their understanding and its viability.

The article Requiem for Total Market quoting David Morse and Pedro de Cordoba does a good job describing Nielsen’s definition of the New Mainstream.  It is a fact that today America is more diverse and smart marketers will reflect that in their go-to-market calculations. There is no going back to the days of silos for clients or agencies.  Clients are changing and they expect their agencies to keep pace.  Will it be easy? No.  Will it work?  Yes.  And we have seen ample evidence of clients who are doing excellent campaigns that reflect smart thinking and collaborative efforts between their agencies and well as stand-alone programs. There is no one-size fits-all solution when it comes to a Total Market approach.

Successful marketers recognize that you cannot target consumers only via language or narrow media definitions any more.  Consumers of all stripes and cultures can be found both using targeted media and what we have long called mass media.  Our content and media strategies need to take this into account.  A Total Market approach takes all factors into account and develops the strategy accordingly.  It is language and segment agnostic from the start and follows the business opportunity.  Compare that to the past practice of targeting the general market only and, as an afterthought, multicultural segment activities.

The fact that Hispanics are bilingual has tremendous implications on whether you reach them in Spanish or English.  This will dictate which media platforms and languages to use based on what the business metrics point to.  That takes planning, a spirit of collaboration, and often a new way for a clients’ agencies to work together.  It also takes strong leadership by clients because most agencies are comfortable with complete autonomy.

If you are “watering down” a message in general market media to accommodate multiple cultures—that is not a Total Market approach.  The right way calls for understanding your core target consumer and reaching them effectively in both English language media AND in-language media, as dictated by the numbers.

There is no magic in using the term Total Market.  The concept is what matters.  I too like Luis Miguel Messianu’s term All-Inclusive Marketing.  And some smart people call it just Marketing since the right approach reflects what is happening in the marketplace.  And the principle is the same.  Do the right thing for your clients and leave your ego at the door.