Ethnic, cultural or multicultural marketing strategies are campaigns that effectively reach minority subcultures in the United States.  Our scope involves the major Census groups:  Asian American, Native American, African American, and Hispanic/Latino.  Multicultural marketing does not focus on non-English languages as a key tactic, because the complexities of reaching these population segments involves understanding each group's popular culture, which translates to effectively integrating your brands into ethnic popular culture. 

Visible minorities have been here for many generations:  Asian Americans have been here since the middle 1800s, well before the arrival of other European immigrants.  Latinos have been here well before the 1800s;  much of the United States was Mexican land that was lost to the United States after the Treaty of Guadalupe in 1848.  Both population groups are comprised of segments of not only new immigrants who frequently are more comfortable with languages other than English, but are also comprised of generations of native born Americans who may have varying degrees of bilingual proficiency, or none at all and are English speaking only.  This latter group can be further segmented into different categories, often more affluent and who also require in-culture marketing to reach them in an effective manner.

Highly acculturated groups tend to also be more affluent than their founding immigrant ancestors, which makes reaching them smart business.  To be effective, ethnic multicultural marketing strategy requires understanding the psychographics each group cultures, to comprehend in-culture nuances and subtleties.  Whether you are Asian American, Latino/Hispanic, African American or First Nation seeking to market to other visible minorities or to the general market, Cultural Marketing Communications can help you.  These segments are among the fastest growing and most youthful markets in the economy, far beyond that of the general market. 

Importance of Ethnic multicultural markets

The 2000 US Census showed an explosive population increase in ethnic multicultural markets.  The US Commerce Department reports also indicate major population shifts:  as of Census 2000, African Americans, Hispanics and Asians account for 79 million out of 281 million Americans.   Buying power is the total personal income of residents available after taxes that can be spent on goods and services, otherwise thought of as disposable personal income.  Total buying power of ethnic multicultural markets from African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans have been projected at $2.3 trillion by 2007. 

 

Trends Another segment of ethnic multicultural marketing is the significant impact in buying power of a rapidly growing, youthful population of people of mixed race.  The younger demographic generation of this heterogeneous segment is projected to not only change the way we view race and ethnicity in America but with increasing population numbers will further impact consumer products in ethnic multicultural markets.

 

The Selig Center for Economic Growth indicates buying power for 1990-2013 for  ethnic multicultural markets indicate formidable economic clout.  Their projections for 2013 are that these population segments will have an economic clout (buying power) of:

• African Americans,  $1,239.5 billion

• Native Americans,  $84.6 billion

• Asian Americans,  $752.2 billion

• Hispanics,  $1.4 trillion

• Multiracial,  $141.2 billion

The Selig report indicates that the buying power of just the Hispanic and African American market alone "are larger than the entire economies of all but thirteen countries in the world."  The buying power of the un-segmented General Market is estimated to be at 11.8 trillion. 

Internet Trends are provided where available, for Asian Americans, Hispanics and African Americans.  There is a dearth of data available for American Indian Internet users, although the plethora of websites, blogs and often university sponsored websites on First Nation as well as tribal indicate Internet and technology adoption by Native Americans.