Experts taking part in Marketing’s annual multicultural marketing conference shared some of their insights on how brands can better connect with Canada’s rapidly growing ethnic populations in the upcoming issue of Marketing, out next week.
Which are the most unexploited multicultural marketing segments for marketers?
“In my opinion it is the newly landed immigrants segment and yet there is no effective way for [marketers] to reach this segment effectively. We are all aware over 250,000 new immigrants arrive in Canada each year. Currently the only way to reach them is via mass media. Direct marketing would be the most effective way to reach them. However, the absence of validated newcomer databases that can deliver marketers’ communication to this segment renders this medium of communication unavailable to marketers.” — Andrew Srinarayan, manager–market strategies, Dyversity Communications
“The ethnicities that have started growing in recent years are the ones that remain unexploited. The Filipino and Arab segments are two such examples that have seen quite a few newcomers enter Canada, but not focused on by many marketers.” — Finhas Jhaveri, manager, digital and cultural marketing, Allstate Insurance Company of Canada
“There are thousands of elders here in Canada, parents of immigrants, having come to Canada chasing their children’s dreams but now finding themselves stuck at home either being babysitters or TV addicts. Their needs and wants are not being tapped by marketers because they are a silent audience, at many times not understanding English and left to the mercy of their children. They have resources, but that slowly gets spent on their immediate family. Care for the elderly, recreation needs, loneliness, companionship activities, etc. are areas that can be addressed for this segment.” — Gautam Nath, founder, Multicultural Marketing Society of Canada
“Since 2009, Filipino is the highest immigrant group into Canada. This market is a low-hanging fruit and there are many marketers who haven’t started to target them yet. Having said that, it’s important to note that not all the products and services are suitable for this market. They may not have the same stage of maturity in terms of socio-economic status as other matured markets. Apart from Filipino, the Korean, Hispanic and Arab markets are other unexploited multicultural marketing segments that many marketers don’t seem to reach effectively.” — Sharifa Khan, president and CEO, Balmoral Marketing
Can you share one ethnic consumer insight many marketers might not know?
“There is no small market not worthy of addressing. When we needed paneer cheese for the South Asian market and an Italian cheese maker said he cannot make the product, we pointed to a pressed ricotta he is making which is very similar to paneer. Next thing, paneer is the most profitable product in his plant.” – Nissim Avraham, ethnic marketing specialist, Dairy Farmers of Canada
“Most marketers think one multicultural strategy can work for all ethnic consumers. That’s simply not the case. Ethnic markets are no different from mainstream. The same tactics cannot be used for different market segments within mainstream, so why would they work for ethnic markets? Ethnic markets have the spending power and marketers know that. Unfortunately, the budget given to these markets is not even 20% of what is spent on mainstream.” — Khan
