When the 2000 Census was completed, we were advised that the Hispanic population had increased by 50% and that the Black or African American population had increased by 12.3% in just one decade. 

A scant 8 years later on August 14, 2008, the US Census bureau released new information concerning the changing demographics in our nation. 

To quote “The nation will be more racially and ethnically diverse, as well as much older, by midcentury.”

“Minorities, now roughly one-third of the US population, are expected to become the majority in 2042, with the nation projected to be 54 percent minority in 2050.  By 2023, minorities will comprise more than half of all children.”

I think we can all agree that “our country…. it is a changing…. and it is a changing rapidly”.  IS YOUR BUSINESS READY?  No longer can we treat our marketplace as one Giant General Market.  We need to be prepared to interface and serve all of our current and potential customers.   This means being ready not only for today and but for the future.

ANALYZE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD:

Do you know who comprise your market area?   

It is essential to know the base of the area in which you do business.

• Visit your local Chamber of Commerce and secure the information they have about all of the demographics, both current and projected, for your community. It is available at no cost.
• Partner with the local college or university and make an arrangement with their Marketing Department to complete an analysis of your market area. They will be anxious to assist you and this is also a great way to get exposure for your place of business!
• Assign a few of your employees to be a part of this project. They will be your biggest ambassadors with the rest of your employees which helps secure buy-in. Also utilize the Internet to secure additional information about your local area. There is so much information at your fingertips.

TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT YOUR PLACE OF BUSINESS:

In addition to knowing the demographics of your marketing area it is also important to understand who your customers are.

Pull out those deal jackets or repair orders.  Do an analysis of your customers both in the sales and service areas.  What is their makeup?  What percent of your business comes from each group?

• How does this compare to the data you have acquired about your market area?
• Does your employee base reflect the marketplace in which you do business?
• Do the products and services you offer fit the customer needs?
• What about the signage? Does it need to be in more than one language?
• How about the areas where the purchasing conversations and decisions take place and are made? Is there room for an entire family to meet and have discussion on their purchase? In some cultures, there is one spokesperson who is the interpreter but the entire family is part of the decision.
• Based on the various cultures and groups that make up your current and potential customers, are the employee’s trained to be culturally knowledgeable and sensitive? It is important to have them prepared to meet, greet, and serve the consumer on their terms.
• Do you have employees who are bi-lingual…not just one employee…so that they can easily assist the customers and make the buying or servicing experience more pleasant?

WHERE DO I FIND EMPLOYEES TO REFLECT MY MARKET AREA?

If you discover that your employee base does not match your marketplace, then it will be necessary to hire and to train the correct people.   So now you are probably wondering how you will locate them particularly if they will need to be bi-lingual.

• Advertise in the local in-language newspapers, on the local in-language radio or in-language TV stations. Whether it needs to be in-language or crafted for the culture you are trying to reach, they should be able to assist you in making sure the terminology is accurate and culturally sensitive. It will be extremely important to have career opportunities outlined to attract the very best in the community.
• Meet with the local church or community leaders and let them know that you are looking for employees from their cultural community.
• Reach out to the local cultural organizations and ask them to get the word out that you want to hire from the local ethnic community. Many cultures also have their own Chambers of Commerce and many of them have also been training people for job placement.
• Don’t forget the local ethnic golf clubs either. This is one of the better places to get the word out that you are looking to diversify your workforce. And make sure that you get the word out in the local barber and beauty shops. This is a BIG meeting place with information being shared and re-shared with all who utilize their services.
• Do not under estimate Word Of Mouth.

CULTURAL GUIDANCE:

Learning about cultural differences in customs, beliefs, traditions, and purchasing practices will help make your place of business be more prepared to effectively deliver services and connect with your community.  One of the ways is to hear directly from the community in regard to their needs and concerns.  You may be asking yourself how you can to get beyond cultural barriers in order to develop cross-cultural connections and one of the ways is to seek outside training from the ethnic group or groups within your marketplace.  They will be eager to conduct sessions with you and your employees to provide knowledge of their culture, traditions, customs, language, values and practices to open the lines of communications which ultimately builds respect and trust, and ultimately integrates your business into the fabric of the multi-cultural community in which we all live.

Based on changing demographics there is clearly a need to have your place of business prepared to serve the community in terms of products, services, and environment. 

IS YOUR BUSINESS READY FOR DIVERSITY AND/OR CULTURAL MARKETING?

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 13th, 2009 at 11:58 am and is filed under Hot Topics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.