Multicultural marketing – the real UK

It’s brilliant how much the UK has changed and yet I still don’t believe that we are truly reflecting these changes in the way we market to the culturally diverse UK of today.

Ethnic-minority audiences stand at 14 percent of the UK population and, at nearly 9 million people, represent more than the populations of Scotland and Wales combined. London, Luton, Slough and Leicester now have white minority audiences, with 55 percent of London’s population made up of ethnic minorities.

And this trend will only continue. By 2016, half of the ethnic-minority population will be under 12, whereas half of the white British population will be under 40.

The disposable income of ethnic-minority groups stands at £300 billion so clearly provides a big opportunity for brands

It’s therefore important that we understand the media consumption of different ethnic groups. There are now more than 60 ethnic-minority television channels with sizeable audiences available in UK homes through satellite and cable. Also, 60 percent of ethnic-minority audiences lead a dual media lifestyle (ie. watch ethnic-minority programming and the best of mainstream programmes). And, finally, the UK has the biggest audience for Bollywood cinema outside of India with an average group size of five watching a typical Bollywood movie in cinemas.

Our multicultural marketing division is now working with more than 20 clients to help them reach different ethnic audiences. The disposable income of ethnic-minority groups stands at £300 billion so clearly provides a big opportunity for businesses and brands. We believe that, rather than focusing on just one big opportunity at Christmas, we should be targeting 27 additional opportunities across the year, tailoring different messages to different events such as Chinese New Year.

Don’t forget the importance of creativity

While the industry is preoccupied with optimising everything – which, of course, is a good thing – we mustn’t lose sight of the importance of creativity.

We know that innovation generates a disproportionate ROI – more than micro- or macro-optimisation – and focusing on all forms of creativity will achieve greater returns.

In 2015, we need to focus on developing even more great examples of award-winning creative media work. To achieve this, we need to ensure that we have the right mindset in the business, are collaborative in the way we work and are open to trying new things without the fear of failure. These elements will be a cultural necessity for any media agency to win in the creative media space.

Effective partnerships

One thing that we learn early on in our careers in media is that collaboration and partnership are a crucial part of what we do. And it has never been more true than today.

We need partners to help us on all fronts, whether that’s tech partners, media-owner partners, trading partners, production partners… the list goes on.

A great partnership occurs when both parties have a passion for growing. You do, however, need to be very selective in choosing your partner. An even more rigorous process of due diligence is required than ever before. Just because the entity exists doesn’t mean that it is the right partner for you.

Partners need to be a good cultural fit with your organisation and leadership, and they need to fully understand the requirements of the business, which, of course, takes time.

Great partnerships, though, can deliver value in spades. They can inspire great ideas, add another dimension, share experiences, provide essential insights, increase capacity and help you reach new audiences.

The Warner Bros Lego ad break, produced by PHD and Drum, was a fantastic example of a great partnership with ITV. All parties worked closely together to push the boundaries and create award-winning work.

So, in 2015, selecting the right partners and working closely with them to develop the best products, work and outcome will be important.

That means there will be winners and losers, so potential partners need to get themselves match-fit and ready. – MediaWeek