September 06, 2007
The most significant risk involved in addressing diversity is, of course, that someone, somewhere is going to be left out of the mix. It's a rightful concern -- one best mitigated by internalizing how truly vast is the field of racial, ethnic, religious, national, sexual and industrial orientations.
September 06, 2007
Some time ago, one of our clients shared with us an issue they had with their Hispanic marketing efforts. Specifically, the issue was with language in direct-mail communications targeting Hispanics. It turns out that a few consumers were upset about receiving direct-mail communications with Spanish-language copy.
September 05, 2007
I'm regularly asked by corporate marketers: Who is Asian American? There never seems to be agreement on this topic, which makes it even more daunting for prospective marketers who really want to understand the mindset of Asian-American consumers.
September 05, 2007
When it comes to marketing and advertising, some issues are more touchy than others. And judging from readers' response to last week's posting, An Inconvenient Mexican, stereotyping is a very touchy subject.
September 04, 2007
The deadline for the AdColor Awards, the first cross-industry coalition designed to celebrate and honor multicultural talent in advertising, media and marketing, is this week. But the debate over AdColor among companies and talented professionals has been quietly stirring for months in e-mails, phone calls and conversations. Feelings range from enthusiasm and excitement to rebellion and mistrust, to simple lack of awareness and misunderstanding.
September 04, 2007
If you have not seen the show "Mad Men" on AMC yet, I invite you to view a decidedly accurate depiction of Madison Avenue in its heyday. The social climate, according to the show's website, was such that "women had barely begun to come into their own. Ethics in the workplace, smoke-free environments, sexual harassment and ethnic diversity were workshops of the future."
August 31, 2007
You know, its funny when I think about the issue of diversity. Sometimes I wonder why we're still having this conversation. After the last census, I figured "OK, NOW the browning of America is undeniable! The sky has opened up and everyone will see the diverse utopian rainbow that is right in front of us. Life is great and the government is good for something after all." HAH!
August 31, 2007
The market-research industry practices need a bit of an overhaul. Pepper MillerI am amazed that, given all the buzz surrounding multicultural, diversity, ethnic, urban and the "Browning of America," the market-research industry has yet to step up and meet the need to better serve the marketing and ad communities. Market research -- particular...
August 30, 2007
Raise your hand if you would take communications created in Spanish for the Hispanic market, translate them into English, and use them to target mainstream consumers. I don't expect any hands to be up in the air. So why in the world do many marketers think it is OK to translate from English-language mainstream communications into Spanish for the Hispanic audience?
August 30, 2007
How many times do we young people have to prove that we're at least as capable of being wondrous as our geriatric counterparts? Consider the most important media and technology ventures of the 21st century thus far: Google. MySpace. Facebook. YouTube. Um ... none of these groundbreakers had a founder over 30 years old. So much for gray hair.
August 28, 2007
After nine years in the U.S., exposed to Hispanic-targeted media and so-called "Hispanic-specific advertising," I feel like an oddity again, because I don't seem to fit the "type" of Hispanic people the media insists on portraying, and researchers insist on "researching."
August 28, 2007
Carol Watson The topic of skin color in both the African Diaspora and Hispanic consumer market is a hot, historically grounded and emotional topic. This week's Ad Age cover story about P&G's 'MY Black Is Beautiful' campaign offers a great platform to continue the conversation. Clarence Smith, former president of Essence, used to paint a pic...
August 26, 2007
Diversity, in fact, is not dead and is the very thing that breathed life into not only my education but also my career.
August 23, 2007
"The speak English, don't they?" Pepper MillerI first heard this statement seven years ago while attending a client meeting. It was delivered by a senior manager who used these words to communicate the rationale among marketers for not targeting African-American consumers. Today, this rhetorical question has become the mantra, of sorts, for m...
August 23, 2007
Jonathon Feit If I were without opinions, you wouldn't be reading this. Once, amid a lecture on the prevalence of bias in the news -- and my contention that it is, in fact, essential -- my Boston University students protested that their journalism instructors had professed (as professors will) the importance of objectivity in our trade. I ...
August 23, 2007
Alberto J. FerrerIn case you haven't heard, marketing to Hispanics is a hot topic in marketing circles these days. Hispanic Marketing agencies are being started at a breakneck speed and general market agencies are jumping into the fray as well. Why? Well, it's difficult to argue with the numbers. "The numbers" are the well-known, well-rehearsed...
August 22, 2007
Talent has no color. Tiffany R. Warren This is what I was told on my first day as an Inroads Intern for Verizon in 1992. Reverend Mr. Murray, a stern but compassionate minister and INROADS Director, said that as a diverse professional you'll be given so many opportunities to enter the corridors of power and prestige and in order to "remain" yo...
August 22, 2007
Bill ImadaWhen I first heard the term PC, the first thing that came to mind was my personal computer. But PC -- as most of us already know -- most commonly refers to politically correct. And everyone seems to be under pressure to be just that: PC. Pressure to be PC is keeping people from being open and honest about their thoughts, experiences...
August 21, 2007
Carol Watson As the kick-off to the new multicultural blog it seems most appropriate to start the conversation at the beginning. The point of entry where most people decide or become aware of the career opportunities in the advertising industry could use some rethinking. What brings an advertising executive into the industry is one of the firs...
August 21, 2007
In politics, the "big tent" refers to a party in which diverse viewpoints are accepted, where the comfort of a unified ideology is exchanged for the clamor of many voices. While political scientists and historians might argue that the big tent has its limits when it comes to winning elections, it's a necessity in industries that hope to reach out t...
