Demand generation and multicultural audiences.

This week I want to talk about practical tips to consider when marketing to multicultural audiences. First I have to mention that I’ve always had trouble with the term “multicultural marketing.” What does that really mean? When is marketing not “multicultural?” Different cultural dynamics are prevalent even within an organization in any complex sales environment. Logistics people speak a different language than that of procurement. As marketers we have to be aware of variances in every segment we are addressing to and ensure clear communication as well as preempt any potential issues or concerns.

But let me get back to the subject in hand without attempting to boil the ocean with my ramblings. Organizations that sell to multi-language audiences encounter added challenges in successfully strategizing their marketing outreach. One of my pet peeves has always been the fact that marketing materials often get translated into different languages as an afterthought like; right before it all goes to print. And the translation might even be done by the CEO’s high school senior son’s Spanish teacher. The result is often disjointed literal translation, inappropriate visuals and stop-and-go flow in material being presented to the multicultural audiences.

Here are some practical tips to consider in designing demand generation programs for multicultural audiences:

SEO is your friend. SEO is one of the most important components of any demand generation program. When it comes to multicultural audiences search optimization even becomes more of a focal point. It is imperative that you consider working with “in country” resources when it comes to determining and maintaining keywords. Language is a living thing and every country has their own contemporary terms reflecting the local current issues, trends and consumption patterns. Your audience might use a term pertaining to a current local political regulation that your US based translator might not know about.

Cultural variations matter. Decision makers and influencers can vary dramatically from one country to the other. For instance if you are marketing to French Canada vs. EU French audience, you might need to consider different dynamics in purchasing journey of your buyers vis-à-vis the influencers. In some cultures influencers can have much more power in purchasing decisions than we might assume. It is a good idea to carefully research who the influencers are in each market and how they affect the purchase before designing your demand generation program. Lead nurturing can become treacherous if you overlook to include a particular segment of the audience.

Social media might be the secret ingredient. Many cultures are much more open to social media outreach and they might be more willing to engage in a conversation with a brand online. On the other hand, especially in EU countries privacy concerns can be an even bigger issue. Social media is definitely more forgiving medium in terms of budgeting concerns than that of traditional print/media. Because it is much cheaper to tweak the messaging as you move along. But tread gently and test, test, test before you broadcast your message out into the world. And remember to have someone who understands multicultural dynamics at the helm of your social media communications.

We live in a world of one-to-one communications and cultural sensitivity is more important than ever. No one understands this better than someone who has experience with multicultural communications. It is a very exciting time to be in the marketing field, indeed.