Melting Pot Marketing

I love living in the United States. I know that, given the current state of American foreign policy, patriotism isn’t something that’s necessarily in vogue right now, but I just don’t care. As far as I’m concerned, this is the greatest country in the world, a land of opportunity and freedom. It’s not just me either. The millions of immigrants who enter America each and every year seem to think so too.

So, what happens once these immigrants have settled down? Well, just like anyone else, they go out and spend money. Whether it’s out at the grocery store, the movies, or a restaurant, they are purchasing goods. Unfortunately for marketers, despite the fact that immigrants buy stuff like anyone else, they don’t respond to advertising like natural born Americans. Whether it’s a language barrier, or cultural incongruities, advertising the same way to different types of people will almost certainly lead to problems. This is why advertisers are taking proactive steps to immigrant marketing.

In marketing, it’s important to actively seek out opportunities for growth. In the case of ethnic and immigrant advertising, this means taking the time to learn their cultures or even their languages. Ignoring a segment of society that great is a surefire way to damage the bottom line, and there’s nothing that makes CEOs and investors angrier than damaging the bottom line.

So, what does this mean for us? Well, like it says in the article, “This is where specialists with detailed knowledge of an ethnic group's traditions and tastes come in”. Those specialists could be us if we take the time to get ourselves prepared while we’re still in college. If we have the opportunity to take classes in language, culture, and history, and we have the spare electives to do so, why not? A potential employer may be more impressed by a mastery of Spanish than a 4.0 GPA. After all, the more tools at your disposal during the interview process the more likely you are to secure a job.