So you know you want to being marketing more specifically to different segments of the population, but you aren’t quite sure how to start? Follow these two rules and see your efforts pay off.
Rule One: Personalize Your Pitch
Technology and research now allow marketers to craft pitches based on the market segment they hope to reach. Not using those resources is not just lazy, it seems lazy to customers. If you want to reach a particular segment of the market, you need to craft your pitch so that those customers recognize that you want their, specific, business.
For example, different segments of the population shop for groceries differently. Consider just the grocery shopping habits of different groups:
Asian consumers — Asian households tend to have different shopping patterns than other segments. They tend to buy less on each grocery visit, but visit the store more often. They’re also more likely to buy fresh, perishable items, spending 20 percent more on produce and 50 percent more on natural foods than other populations groups.
African-American consumers — Are more likely to purchase convenience foods than other population segments, but their inclination toward frozen foods is dropping, particularly among Millennials. African-American Millennials are now three times less likely to buy frozen, single serve meals than other population groups.
Hispanic consumers — Data rarely points to a single effective marketing strategy for Hispanic consumers, as the needs, desires and habits within the Hispanic community vary wildly depending on generational status or acculturation level. To reach Hispanic consumers, a marketing strategy needs to be extremely nuanced and focused instead on particular sub groups.
Rule Two: Don’t pander
The film “Crazy Rich Asians” was a huge hit this year, exceeding all expectations and earning $25.2 million in just the opening weekend. The film’s success surprised everyone, but it shouldn’t have. Asian American Pacific Islanders buy movie tickets 75 percent more often than non-Hispanic whites. They also watch and download movies online 83 percent more than non-Hispanic whites. Asians comprised almost 40 percent of “Crazy Rich Asians” audiences during opening week.
Asian audiences flocked to the film because of the almost entirely Asian cast but, more importantly, because the characters weren’t stereotypes and the film wasn’t made as marketing gimmick. Research has shown that customers — and especially Millennial customers — know when they’re being pandered to, and they reject those marketing attempts.
We’ve all sat through marketing that seemed to be trying too hard. It’s a cringe-inducing experience. Know your market and personalize your pitch to your market, but never, ever pander.
At Ebony Marketing Systems, we are experts at designing and conducting multicultural research that meets your company’s unique needs. We tailor our work to best suit you, the communities you serve, and those you want to serve. For more information, call us at (718)742-0006 or send us a message today.
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