Multicultural marketing: Lessons from the past in predicting the future

By Amy Huber, Doctoral Student – Florida State University, School of Communication

Lessons from the Past

Writings on multicultural marketing penned since the turn of the century reveal several trends borne from current events. In the early aughts, authors cited an unbridled optimism promising a future celebrating the potentialities of multiculturalism (Burton, 2002; Garcia, 2004). In this spirit, those who were once seen as commodities in the American dream were increasingly seen as valuable contributors to it, introducing new foods, clothing, and arts, and increasingly viewed as a potent economic force in their own right (Williams-Sanchez, 2021). Companies responded with total market approaches, though the promise of integrating diverse segments into the totality of marketing efforts, was never fully realized (Morse, 2021). Worse still, the multicultural ethos triggered a backlash from those seeking to retain white hegemony (Morse, 2018; Ulver & Laurell, 2020). While minority groups could likely predict this aggressive stance, many white Americans, myself included, were surprised and upset by the hostile response to America’s latest wave of diverse faces. Yet, some grew apathetic to the concerns of those “on the margins” when facing a myriad of other issues. Later, the murder of George Floyd aroused this same population, who could now see the need for change when watching an unarmed minority man slowly die with a foot on his neck.

In the face of these dynamics, some consumers were quite vocal in suggesting their businesses focus solely on a narrowly defined set of corporate concerns, while others called for those companies where they spend their hard-earned money to take a stance on social justice issues (Morse, 2021). Some organizations acted quickly in their allyship, while others felt a need to negotiate between the interests of their progressive consumers and those on the right-wing. These factors influenced decision-makers not only in consumer-oriented but even business-to-business organizations, such as architecture and design firms, who design the headquarters of corporations and the houses of government (Huber & Dale, 2021).

Decisions of this gravity should be informed by a solid understanding of an organization’s consumer base. Morse (2021) proposes that the attitudes of the young, who are “moving in the direction of racial justice,” can be used to predict the future (p. 43). These consumers often desire brands to show their respect for them, and those causes important to them (Williams-Sanchez, 2021). One can likely predict that as these consumers advance in age and career trajectories, so too will their consumer spending.

History tells us that stasis is perhaps a human inclination, especially when there are benefits to be reaped on the backs of others. Yet, adherence to the status quo, by way of ignorance or silence, may be the downfall for many organizations in the coming years. Research suggests that those proposing right-wing (anti-multicultural) ideologies feel that business organizations are “puppets of a liberal state” and “economic parasites” that represent a “feminized elite,” who strive to marginalize cis male consumers (Ulver & Laurell, 2020, p. 487). Apart from at best questionable moralities and a shaky understanding of facts, this is an audience of fringe consumers that can likely never be satisfied. Beyond a moral case, there is also an economic argument for sidelining these ideals. Demographic shifts suggest these consumers may have a diminishing market share; consequently, organizations may grow less fearful of these groups in the coming decades (Mueller, 2008). Accordingly, organizations should feel increasingly liberated from the considerations of those supporting an American dream borne from a privileged state.

The Future of Multicultural Marketing

One potential benefit amidst the many traumas of the pandemic may be a newfound empathy for those whose backgrounds and abilities differ. Such a paradigm calls for a shared “cultural humility” (p. 66) to allow decision makers to unearth negative stereotypes and biased thinking (Williams-Sanchez, 2021). Moreover, to fully appreciate the viewpoints of others, a keen knowledge of intersectionality (i.e., how identities converge), will be of utmost importance (Crenshaw, 1991). Yet, these insights can only be revealed to those organizations who reflect upon their past and current shortcomings in not only their marketing efforts, but also in their business practices, corporate mission, and organizational goals. Often, this critical analysis will need to move beyond the organization’s walls and be shared with external audiences.

To formulate the best responsive strategies to these dynamics, Williams-Sanchez (2021) called companies to employ a culturally relevant marketing strategy, suggesting that each step in this process be marked by critical thinking and constant critique rooted in culture-based evaluations. To do so necessitates that brand and marketing strategists become wholly aware of cultural influences on a multidimensional level. To support this approach, she called for new tools for revealing cultural insights, producing culturally-correct data interpretations, and creating strategic stories. At the heart of this approach are those cultural narratives that highlight universal truths that transcend the specificities of any single culture (Williams-Sanchez, 2021).

In a zeitgeist of inclusivity and opportunity, companies will need to be more proactive than ever before. Those organizations merely reactive to market forces will likely fade from consumer consciousness. Instead of contrasting cultures, marketers will need to highlight their similarities without making crass generalizations. They will need to move beyond tokenizing their consumers and employing cursory semantic strategies that often misappropriate cultural symbols and norms. Given the complexities of this task, marketing strategists may need to lean on experts in other fields and interrogate more data points. Here, questions about target consumers should be asked not only early, but perpetually. Moreover, marketing outcomes will require more critical evaluation, vetting, and testing to ensure their appropriateness for their goals. In sharing their messages, organizations will need to utilize multiple, evolving modes of communication and be unafraid to make course corrections as factors evolve.

To borrow from the old cliché of “putting your money where your mouth is,” organizations may even need to leverage financial repercussions to challenge those policies that marginalize their consumers. For instance, the NCAA pulled the final four tournaments from North Carolina after their state legislature passed the controversial “bathroom bill,” which marginalized transgender and binary communities. Some believe it was this boycott, not constituents’ beliefs, that led the bill to be repealed (Tracy, 2017). Acts of this type of authentic, high-level advocacy will likely be necessary to engender consumer trust in the future.

Whether making a business case or taking a moral stance, successful organizations in tomorrow’s marketing ecosystem will have critically reflected on their past, rectifying early missteps as best as possible. They will prioritize social listening, cultural humility, and new tools to identify the needs and desires of their multicultural consumers. These organizations will be active in their advocacy efforts. Doing so will allow these businesses to speak to their audiences with authentic, strategic narratives that reinforce not only the value of the organization’s products but also the cultural identities of their consumers.

References

Burton, D. (2002). Towards a Critical Multicultural Marketing Theory. Marketing Theory, 2(2), 207–236. https://doi.org/10.1177/147059310222004
Crenshaw, K. (1991). Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color. Stanford Law Review, 43(6), 1241. https://doi.org/10.2307/1229039
Garcia, G. (2004). The New Mainstream: How the Multicultural Consumer Is Transforming American Business. Rayo.
Huber, A. M., & Dale, K. (2021). Red and Blue, on Black Lives Matter: Comparing the Social Media Advocacy Practices of Design Firms in Conservative- and Liberal-Leaning States. Paper to be presented at Annual Conference, National Communication Association, Seattle.
Morse, D. (2018). Multicultural Intelligence: Eight Make-Or-Break Rules for Marketing to Race, Ethnicity, and Sexual Orientation (2nd ed.). Paramount Marketing Publishing.
Morse, D. R. (2021). The changing multicultural marketing landscape. Journal of Cultural Marketing Strategy, 6(1), 39–44.
Mueller, B. (2008). Communicating with the Multicultural Consumer: Theoretical and Practical Perspectives. Peter Lang.
Tracy, M. (2017, April). N.C.A.A. Ends Boycott of North Carolina After So-Called Bathroom Bill Is Repealed—The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/04/sports/ncaa-hb2-north-carolina-boycott-bathroom-bill.html
Ulver, S., & Laurell, C. (2020). Political Ideology in Consumer Resistance: Analyzing Far-Right Opposition to Multicultural Marketing. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 39(4), 477–493. https://doi.org/10.1177/0743915620947083
Williams-Sanchez, V. L. (2021). Culturally relevant marketing: Conceptualising a critical pedagogical approach to multicultural marketing strategy. Journal of Cultural Marketing Strategy, 6(1), 61–72.