Adding some nuance to “The Great Debate” [INSIGHT]

By Jose Villa / Sensis

As the discussion continues regarding the viability and implications of the “total market” approach embraced by so many major brands at the ANA Multicultural Marketing conference in early November 2012, I came across an interesting perspective from the folks at ReachingBlackConsumers.com

In their piece entitled “The Great Debate: Cross-Cultural? or Multicultural?” they posit two key positions:

1) “cross-cultural” is one in the same with “total market”
2) multicultural (distinguishing consumer segments) is still the optimal model for engaging African-American consumers

Their first point relates directly to a my recent article “Multicultural, Total Market, Cross-cultural – What Does It All Mean?”, where I distinguish “multicultural”, “total market”, and “cross-cultural” as distinct models. In this case I disagree with ReachingBlackConsumers.com, as I see “cross-cultural” as a different model, distinct from the “total market” approach they are describing.

As it relates to their second point, I think reality is nuanced. While a multicultural (in their case, an African-American-specific approach) is appropriate for many brands, I think using a cross-cultural strategy is increasingly becoming a viable option for many brands (especially those focused on younger consumers). Ultimately, I see room for all 3 models and it really comes down to the unique circumstances of a particular brand or company.

What do you think?