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10 Ways to Improve Your MARKETING TO MINORITIES
By chris | February 19, 2008
Here are a few good ideas on marketing to minorities from the US Small Business Administration :
With the explosion of ethnic and racial populations across the U.S., smart businesses of all sizes are discovering the buying power of the nation’s minorities. Just consider these statistics from the 1990 census. The Asian-American population exploded by 107 percent in the 1980s; Hispanic-Americans, 53 percent; American Indians, 38 percent; and African-Americans by 13 percent. By comparison, non-Hispanic whites increased by only six percent in the last decade. Immigration is a key factor: America continues to take in more immigrants each year than all the rest of the countries in the world combined.
- Don’t make the mistake of thinking that all minorities are alike.
- Learn as much as you can about your potential customer’s traditions and beliefs.
- Be careful when translating English, especially slogans, into foreign languages.
- Use the native language media of the group you want to attract –particularly in print media.
- Have staff members who speak the language of the ethnic group or groups you are targeting, and make sure signs and fliers printed in the appropriate languages are displayed prominently in your establishment.
- Reject stereotypes and cliches.
- In the same vein, sharpen your sensitivity to cultural slurs or taboos.
- If you can afford to hire a specialty advertising agency or marketing consultant, the money will be well spent.
- Be prepared to “educate” your audience.
- Finally, get involved with the minority community.
Topics: Tips Right Now |
March 9th, 2008 at 11:16 am
Hi Chris,
I’m actually glad to see this topic addressed in an article, because, you see, I have a BIG problem with the way churches seem to minister to minorities…that is, they don’t! They always talk about how they want to draw more ethnic groups in, how they want the church to open up their arms and welcome them, blah, blah, blah. When in fact, they actually do not want ethnic groups in the church at all. How do I know this?
Well, first of all, when you want to invite in a certain group or make them feel welcome, the first thing you must do is MAKE THEM FEEL WELCOME. I witnessed this at one church where they said they wanted to invite in more ethnic groups (this was a Southern Baptist flock) and in the church that day was a Lebanese man and his family. After the preacher said this and made some pretty good points as to why we should be more receptive to ethnic groups, the congregants of about 2,500 or so people that day promptly ignored and/or avoided this man and his family with their preconceived and ignorant notions about his culture.
So unfair.
So when churches talk about reaching out, I wonder, who do they think they’re talking to?
March 10th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Bridget,
Thanks for your comments!
I hear your frustration. Though I am not as pessimistic, I wouldn’t go as far to say that churches “don’t want ethics at all”. Some perhaps.
I have found mostly people tend to have trouble enough reaching out to people who are like them–let alone making contact with people from another culture, etc. You are right they should cross barriers. But I would like to give people in churches a little more benefit of the doubt. You could find the same scenario you described above played out in ethnic churches when a person from another race or culture visits their church.
I served in an SBC church as a minister to internationals in the USA and was associate pastor in a Chinese church too. In the SBC I have found a lot of openness to people of all races and cultures. In face 55% of all the new churches started in the SBC last year were ethnic.
Take a look at this post I did some time ago on the subject of ethnicity
http://ministrymarketingcoach.com/blog/2007/01/01/how-to-get-inside-the-minds-of-the-unchurched-people-in-your-community/