The New Age of Ethnic Marketing - Brief Article

Brandweek, March 19, 2001

Another way that the demographic revolution has touched corporate America is that executives are beginning to understand the potential of capitalizing on the diverse cultural backgrounds of their own employees to improve the quality of the goods and services produced. Similar to the process in the wider society, the ethnic composition of the business sector is also shifting, albeit more slowly than some would like to see, and firms that market ethnicity are able to use ethnic resources within their own ranks. As one design manager at Hallmark described it, "Artists and writers drew from their own ethnic heritages--which, in this studio, are particularly diverse. But we decided early on that they should have the freedom to express any cultural theme that they cared about and wanted to study."

To illustrate, he pointed out a gift bag in the Common Threads line that reflected an African American style but had been designed by an Asian staff member. By giving him encouragement to follow through on his interests in "the other," the corporation was practicing the very philosophy that its product line promotes. Similarly whether Jewish or not (and most are not), members of the design team for the Tree of Life division, a collection geared especially to appeal to Jewish consumers, are enrolled by Hallmark in Hebrew and Judaism classes and are frequently sent on trips to Israel, all for the purpose of cultivating the highest levels of cultural sensitivity in the creative process.

Interviews conducted with individuals involved in ethnic marketing reveal a consistent pattern of passionate commitment to their work. To be sure, they hold the conventional goals of increasing market shares and profits in the business world, but they are motivated also by the emotions associated with expressions of personal identity. These professionals are able to find meaning and inspiration in the workplace by building on their own cultural strengths. Furthermore, they typically carry an enthusiastic sense of purpose about their niche in corporate America. When Gary Berman, president of Market Segment Research, clarifies concerns that are central to his firm--the questions of what, if anything, differentiates any ethnic group from the general market and which media will make a significant impact--he quickly adds, "And then the issue is how does one reach them in a culturally meaningful and respectful manner?"

Oftentimes, ethnic marketers are involved with the manufacture and promotion of goods and services that they and their families want and do consume themselves, products that were unavailable to them in an era of mass consumption. Amy Hilliard-Jones, an African American who now heads her own ethnic marketing agency in Chicago, began her specialization by asking a simple question of the Gillette corporation in Boston when she was first hired in 1980 after graduating from the Harvard Business School. She wondered if they had a shampoo for women with hair like hers. She asked not only out of interest in the company but also because of personal concern about her own haircare. That inquiry led to her development of the highly successful White Rain Shampoo and Conditioners line and to Hilliard-Jones spending the next 10 years with Gillette.