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Ethnic Media Produce Loyal CustomersBy: Kim T. Gordon One of this country’s most venerable and well-known slogans was recently presented in a whole new light – when it was translated into Chinese. In its first effort to target Asian-Americans, Allstate Insurance Company featured its slogan, "You’re in good hands," in a campaign which premiered in New York and included Cantonese and Mandarin television and radio commercials, as well as print and outdoor ads. Allstate is far from alone in its drive to plumb ethnic markets. Right now, advertisers large and small are realizing the benefits of marketing to ethnic and minority populations and are discovering the advantages of using ethnic media to reach diverse target audiences and niche markets. A closer look at the buying power of ethnic and minority populations, including Asian-Americans, African-Americans and Latinos, is all it takes to convince many advertisers to jump into ethnic media. By 2008, nearly 5 percent of the country’s population will claim Asian ancestry, according to the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia, and Asian buying power will reach $526 billion. African-American buying power topped $688 billion in 2002 and is growing by a compound annual rate of more than 6 percent. Meanwhile, U.S. Census 2000 figures showed that more than one person in eight is of Hispanic origin, and the Selig Center projects Hispanic buying power ($778 billion) will exceed even that of African-Americans ($773 billion) in 2005. Motivate Ethnic Prospects Ethnic media play a key role in reaching and motivating these vitally important groups. Advertising that appears in ethnic media makes an emotional connection with consumers, which is critical to building sales and developing long-term relationships. In California, where the Latino, African-American and Asian-American communities combined make up about half of the state’s population, a study by New California Media showed these groups prefer to get their news and information from ethnic media outlets. What’s more, nearly 65 percent of the ethnic Californians surveyed agreed that they are "more likely to buy a product or service advertised" in an ethnic-oriented publication or program. Latinos exhibited the strongest "advertising loyalty" characteristics followed closely by Asian-Americans. The extent to which ethnic population segments are English-language proficient positively affects their preference for advertising that reaches them in their own language – but that’s only part of the story. Among Latinos, in particular, Spanish is a key marker of personal, social and political identity, and Spanish-language media are important even for those who are fluent English-speakers and regularly utilize other media. Consequently, ethnic media often produce superior ad response rates thanks to loyal readers, viewers and listeners who appreciate receiving communication in their own languages. Lower Your Ad Costs Ethnic media outlets can play a powerful role as a part of your overall media mix. One of their chief advantages is cost efficiency. For example, radio is a preferred medium for reaching Latinos, as this group listens to radio more hours each week than the general market. Yet cost per thousand (CPM) rates for ethnic broadcast stations, both radio and television, are generally lower, even in cases where Spanish-language stations are tops in their time periods, which sometimes occurs in Miami, Los Angeles and New York. You can choose from thousands of ethnic and minority newspapers, magazines, television and radio stations and Web sites to reach your prospects. And there are many small ethnic media outlets to consider along with major players, such as Telemundo stations and Ebony magazine. For help, Allied Media (www.allied-media.com) and the Ethnic Print Media Group (www.ethnicprintmedia.com) represent networks of Hispanic and African-American media. Or visit Mondo Times (www.mondotimes.com) to search for major race and ethnic media in the U.S. and Canada. Get In-depth Coaching on this Topic>> Kim T. Gordon's columns and articles are read by nearly 3 million small and home-based business owners each month. She is the author of two books, including Bringing Home the Business: The 30 Truths Every Home Business Owner Must Know. Copyrighted material. May not be reproduced in whole or part without expressed permission from the author. |
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