Creating Successful Multicultural Marketing Campaigns
Require More Than Lip Service
Consumers are four to six times more likely to buy from, trust, champion, and defend companies with a strong Purpose.
Incited by the global pandemic, economic instability, and ongoing racial injustices, expectations have soared for corporations to play a leadership role throughout these past few years. Consumers are pressuring companies to advance progress on important issues within and outside of their operational footprint. In fact, 83% of consumers state companies should only earn a profit if they also deliver a positive impact.
So, it’s no surprise that for many companies clear and compelling corporate values are what is spearheading successful marketing campaigns. Given the amount of content consumers now consume daily, it’s no wonder that a brand’s marketing campaign not only holds so much power over a consumer’s purchasing habit, but it can and can become the agents of positive social change.
The many various heritage months our nation celebrates are a great place for companies show off their values and serve as a catalyst for increased cultural equality and acceptance.
No matter who you are or what you sell, there is a place for your brand in all the monthly celebrations, especially during this time. Consumers have a strong sense of loyalty and reciprocity, so if you are authentic, rest assured that you will get back. Your ROI will skyrocket if you get creative and position your support strategically.
Here are a few top examples of successful campaigns by companies doing more than just providing lip service.
RPA
Ad agency RPA launched a 28-day social media campaign to spotlight Black-owned businesses in Los Angeles. Headed by the agency’s internal Black employee resource group, What’s Good?, the campaign polled people about their favorite local restaurants, coffee shops, and art galleries. The group created graphics for each and posted them once per day on Instagram, with captions from associates highlighting what they love about the business. RPA’s campaign reminds us that Black History is American history every day, not just in February and this social tribute is an extension of their allegiance to that commitment.
Havaianas
The fashion brand, Havaianas, has gone happy and optimistic for its Brazil Pride campaign, with an upbeat video depicting the diversity and richness of life in the LGBTQIA+ community worldwide – all set to a cover rendition of “I Can See Clearly Now.” But for Havaianas, the celebration of Pride is not just one month a year. The company released its Global Pride product line in March and dedicated 7% of sales of the collection to All Out, a global NGO fighting discrimination against LGBT+ individuals and communities.
Hennessey
In June of last year, Hennessey launched “Unfinished Business” and pledged $3 million to support Black, Asian and LatinX businesses. The spirits brand explained, “Black, Asian and Latinx business owners have always had to overcome great obstacles to success. And in the era of COVID-19, these individuals are fighting harder than ever against a range of inequalities that stand in their way. Hennessy has launched Unfinished Business, a new program that provides urgent funding and access to vital resources for the small business owners who bind our communities together.” Although not directly related to recent racial attacks, by being inclusive and supportive of the Asian community, Unfinished Business offers allyship and a lifeline when many Asian-owned businesses deal with a myriad of issues. Hennessey promoted Unfinished Business with a digital video campaign and a dedicated webpage on the Hennessey site.
Optimum and Suddenlink Business
For Optimum and Suddenlink Business’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration in 2020, we helped the telecommunication company create specialized content that was both relevant and meaningful to their Hispanic audience. We helped the company promote a virtual workshop to help Hispanic Small Businesses with their social media efforts and provided campaign assets such as blog articles, flyers, retail displays, and social posts to highlight local Hispanic companies in the Optimum Business community to help them thrive again post-pandemic.
You can check out how for Hispanic Heritage Month 2021 (Sept 15-Oct 15), we are helping assist in Optimum and Suddenlink Business’s goal to take the celebration a step beyond their 2020 efforts by hosting a panel discussion for Hispanic Small Businesses. The event is tailored to the Hispanic community and an opportunity for Optimum Business to help their community rebuild and shift back to growth after COVID-19. Building up to the panel, we will be helping Optimum and Suddenlink Business create a social campaign, retail spotlights, email, and blog posts spotlighting Hispanic Small Businesses and and updating the digital hub of resources we helped create for businesses can access at any time.
It’s important to remember that representation year-round is a major factor when trying to authentically reach any community. According to a 2019 survey from Adobe, 34% of U.S. consumers stopped supporting a brand because it didn’t represent their identity (race, religion, sexual orientation, etc.) in its advertising. So, in order to trust and relate to your brand, consumers want to see that you care about who they are, and that your product is for them.
Inclusive marketing is the right thing to do for your business. And if you need help crafting authentic campaigns that achieve your objectives, let us know. We would love to help.
