The Great Crosscultural Land Grab

By now, the majority of marketers get it: far from being isolated silos in society, multicultural groups are the ones creating “mainstream” culture. Unless you’re completely landlocked in a white suburb, you’ve noticed that popular music is almost entirely Black, Asian and Hispanic. You’ve also seen television virtually abandon the white sitcom for shows that focus on an eclectic mix of subcultures (Modern Family, The Voice, American Idol, etc.). 

If you’ve been particularly inquisitive, you may have noticed that over the last 10 years, an  

amazing 32% of words added to the dictionary actually come from other cultures (shawarma, raeggeton, manga). Americans are now clearly enthralled by these once-fringe folks.

Likewise, your curiosity may have led you to discover that this influence extends beyond pop culture. Gallup’s “Most Admired” poll, for instance, has been tracking whom Americans most admire, since 1948. In 1960, in the top 20, there was only one non-white celebrity: singer Marian Anderson. Today, that 5% has grown to an incredible 40% of the list! Eight out of the twenty most admired people are either Black or Asian. And importantly, not a single one of those folks is a rapper or golfer. We’re talking two Obamas, The Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela, Condoleeza Rice, Oprah, Malala Yousafzai and Aung San Suu Kyi.  

The tides have been flipped. It is now the minorities—and global influences—that are setting a significant part of the cultural tone for the nation. This much seems to be self-evident. And it also seems to extend into the most personal aspects of our lives.

One study we did, for instance, was with the largest free dating site: OkCupid. With them, we analyzed the communications among their 1 M+ members and discovered some telling dynamics. If you’re over the age of 50, the most common behavior is to try to get a date with someone of your own ethnicity. But if you’re under the age of 35, staying solely within your ethnicity is actually the most uncommon behavior! It’s a complete reversal of attitudes. Millennials are influenced by—and attracted to—multicultural folks to a degree never before seen in this country.

So marketers get it—or are hopefully starting to: multicultural groups in this country can no longer be treated solely as siloed entities. They seem to be at the very epicenter of the creation of American culture. Seeing Hispanics, Asians and African Americans only as a source of additional sales now seems to miss the big picture. Given this, marketers should be asking themselves “How do I connect with and leverage these folks to make my brand part of this new American pop culture?”

The advertising industry has also started grappling with this question. Agencies are now in a heated debate over the turf. Are general market shops capable of becoming culturally aware? Are multicultural agencies capable of doing great general market work? Each side fervently believes that they are the only ones equipped to handle this new crosscultural generation.

But the truth is, very few agencies on either side are truly set up for the task. They’ve been too busy defending their side of the multicultural/general market line to realize that consumers have already long stepped over it and made the line feel almost…quaint.

In the end, the agencies—and brands—that falter, will probably be those that steadfastly stay on their side, while the winners cross-pollinate ideas, insights, and a vibrant mix of cultures to create a brand new era in American advertising. An era, by the way, that consumers are already happily living in.

READ MORE - The Great Crosscultural Land Grab

Avertising Week 2011 "Culture- The New Creative Brief"

Looks like an interesting Panel in NY this morning.  I wonder where these guys were last year as AHAA and the industry came out with knives flashing toward those of us that were talking about it?

All smart folks on the panel. Should be a great chat. If someone attends, please comment with some highlights!

Here's what the panel description says:

As the paradigm shifts from "Multicultural Marketing" to "Marketing to a Multicultural Nation" smart marketers (and their agencies) are realizing that many brands can present a more cohesive brand message by using a single creative strategy across different audience segments

Gustavo de Mello, SVP/Group Planning Director, DDB Chicago
Luis Miguel Messianu, President/Chief Creative Officer, Alma
Joan Dufresne, Senior Partner/Group Planning Director, Ogilvy & Mather
Kim Bealle, Senior Director/Consumer Communications Group, Kraft Foods Beverages
Antoinette Zel, CEO, La Comunidad
Moderator: Rick Boyko, Director, VCU Brandcenter

READ MORE - Avertising Week 2011 "Culture- The New Creative Brief"

Why the new Spiderman is Half Black, Half Latino

I'm sure you've heard by now, but Marvel announced that the new Spiderman in the Ultimate Spiderman series is half black, half Latino. His name is Miles Morales and according to Marvel, "What you have is a Spider-Man for the 21st century who's reflective of our culture and diversity. We think that readers will fall in love with Miles Morales the same way they fell in love with Peter Parker."

Smart move from Marvel, I think. Just envision a young Millennial, living in a generation that's 45% non white, listening to 90% black artists, seeing a black president, consuming anything but American food...and then think of Peter Parker. Slight disconnect?

Is this the beginning of a tide-change? Will most villains on TV cease to be black or Hispanic? Will our heros be more like Miles? I hope so, for the sake of this new generation. I can't imagine the "bad black or brown guy" is a nice stereotype to grow up with.

My guess is that as this new generation grows up and they're able to take over creative duties from out-of-touch older dudes, the tides will inevitably change.

The same thing will eventually happen in advertising, albeit more slowly.

Peter Parker-like brands don't seem to have much of a future with this new generation.

READ MORE - Why the new Spiderman is Half Black, Half Latino

Univision strikes a nerve with "New American Reality" video

I'm sure you've seen it. It's a video Univision created to spur interest in the Hispanic market. Frankly, it's a very smart piece. Inspiring but not pushy, thought provoking and very nicely executed in a great tone of voice. The thoughts are progressive too. They talk about Hispanics being bilingual and living in both worlds. Not the typical 'head in the sand' approach some in Hispanic marketing have taken ("What? Hispanics speaking English?! No, señor! Not here!")

But what's pretty interesting is the reaction from the viewers. The video seems to have been publicized heavily among Hispanics and Hispanic advertising pros, obviously. But a few non-Latino admirers have found their way to the video as well...and their--shall we say, Xenophobic--reactions are pretty loud and forceful. They see this whole Hispanic think as an invasion of their country.


Check out the word cloud below. You see a lot of "like" and "good" and "proud," which comes mostly from Latinos reacting positively to the message. Then you also see "Spanish," which is a predictable discussion topic..."we don't all speak only Spanish" and "I still speak Spanish at home."


The interesting part, though is the next layer of words: "America, White, Hate, Ignorant, English." Those words are really mostly used in an aggressive tone "If you are a true American...don't wave the Mexican flag" or "Enjoy having the dreams of your founding fathers completely obliterated by mexicans, america!" Anyway, nuts-a-plenty.

Now, if you get past all the anger and name-calling, what you'll see is that the discussion is actually about the identity of the country. The Hispanic commenters are saying that "being Latino doesn't make you any less American," while the other folks are claiming that unless you drop the language, forget your roots and completely blend in...you're not American. "My forefathers did it! So should you!"

But that's what's different about this wave of immigration, isn't it? It's not about to get cut off like the Northern European one was, and this time, young folks are embracing the different cultures, consuming the food, listening to the music...

I think we're facing a cultural change in this country like none it has ever experienced. The basic definition of "American" is changing. Some find it objectionable, while others celebrate it. Either way, it's happening and the implications for marketers are impossible to ignore.

READ MORE - Univision strikes a nerve with "New American Reality" video

Jarritos goes to GSD&M?

No offense at all to GSD&M, but I have to say I'm a little disappointed Jarritos didn't go to a Hispanic shop or group.

I'm sure GSD&M's work was great and the brand will do great (I love their Southwest work). It just seemed like the perfect brand for a young, edgy Hispanic shop to own and break into the Gen Market. It was a perfect situation: an undeniably Latin brand, a US consumer that loves consuming cultural authenticity and discovering the next cool cultural thing...who better to tell that authentic story than Hispanic ad pros?

Maybe there's a lesson for us in this. (Maybe not). But maybe it's that the more narrowly we (Hispanic ad pros) focus on the short-term game (getting those Spanish media dollars), the less relevant we are for the (potentially) bigger game: the young, multicultural general market.

Of course there's a way to do both, but it seems we've created such a unique and siloed niche of an industry, that our credentials in the bigger pond are, well...not there. Too bad, because I honestly believe the talent is there--not to mention an absolutely authentic connection to the culture.

And again, congrats to GSD&M on a surely well-deserved win. And good luck to Jarritos. (My kids LOVE the Mandarina one)

READ MORE - Jarritos goes to GSD&M?

The Impact of Crossculturalism on the English Language

Originally posted by Kevin Hartman at Artistic Science 

Language is a record of culture. One can deduce things about a culture based on how its members speak to each other. In Korea, for example, speakers base their culture on respect in relationships. The result is three phrases that are the equivalent to “thank you” each with a differing degree of formality to be used based on the relationship between the speaker and the listener.

It is not only the words of appreciation that people use to indicate culture. One can make a case that as culture develops, languages expand and words take on new meanings to capture this evolution. We can quantify cultural trends by examining the creation of words.

The best way to survey the record of language change is to observe words added to the Modern English Language. Through the analysis of the way the dictionary has changed in the past 10 years — some words added, other taken out – we can gain a better understanding of shifts in American Culture.

In approaching this research the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) was identified as the best candidate for a dictionary source. The dictionary is considered to be the most conservative within the English language. The editors of the OED have strict rules about adding words based on usage. It makes for a great resource to track changes over time.

On March 14 2000, the Oxford English Dictionary began a subscriber-based model that allowed digital access to the dictionary. The digital database also highlighted quarterly modifications made to the dictionary. Over the 10-year period from June 14, 2001 to June 10, 2010, thirty-five revisions were posted and 3,907 words were added to the dictionary.

By examining these words it becomes clear that the majority of the words can be classified into five different categories:

In the past ten years it is clear that these 5 classifications have been pervasive throughout American culture.

Over the past 10 years, new technologies have arrived in popular culture. The web, smartphone, digital camera well as countless new gaming systems have all been added to the technological landscape. All of these items, as well as other technological progress, require words to describe them. Despite all of this evolution only 18% of the more than 3,900 words that were added to the OED can be classified as technological.

 

In addition to technology, the world’s inhabitants have come to realize that they need to take care of their environment in order to give future generations the ability to thrive. The environmental movement has come to the forefront of popular culture. Discussions on a carbon tax, the discovery of new species and new words for differentiating organic and non-organic foods all occurred in the past 10 years. Yet only 11% of all words added to the OED in the past year can be classified as environmental.

One of the subjects that received the most press in American culture over the past ten years was politics. Two wars were begun in Iraq and Afghanistan. The first black President of the United States was elected. The Tea Party movement gained traction in the American landscape and the two major political parties diverged using rhetoric to differentiate themselves from each other. Still only 9% of the words added to the dictionary over the past ten years were political in nature.

As Baby Boomers age, they will continue to need more medical treatment. Advances in the medical and pharmaceutical industries and the production of new drugs have helped make the healthcare a key driver of language. But in spite of such shifts within culture only 13% of the words added to the OED can be classified as medical in orientation.

The largest category of new additions to the OED was, in fact, the result of the influence of other cultures. New English speakers brought with them customs, traditions and food from their cultures and introduced them into mainstream society. The resulting shift in the English language was the needed linguistic reaction to the cultural vestiges spread amongst the general public. Over the ten-year analysis period, 31% of the words added to the dictionary had a cross-cultural theme. This group was the largest segment of added words within the analysis by a wide margin. 

One can expect the cross-cultural trend in American culture to continue. As the world becomes an easier place to explore and borders are overcome by instant communication tools, our language will continue to evolve. The reflection of these changes will illustrate the sharing of culture and the seepage of cultural nuances into the mainstream arena.

How does your brand communicate with its customers? Do you speak to them at their level using words they will understand? Language is a lagging indicator of culture. As marketers, communications must be part of the forefront of culture. Which of the five major themes does your brand most closely align with? Are you using vocabulary that aligns with your target segment and demographic?

Examine the language of your brand. Audit the words you are using and measure it over time. Make sure that the language evolves with your brand and your audience.

 

Originally posted by Kevin Hartman at Artistic Science

READ MORE - The Impact of Crossculturalism on the English Language

Asians beat Hispanics and 5 other 2010 Census surprises (plus a fun map!)

So, most of us in Multicultural Marketing have been anxiously awaiting the results of the 2010 census. It's usually a massive boon to our industry as the average brand manager says "OMG! Where did all these Latinos come from!" (no, seriously, they do...the average brand manager is now young enough to be a millennial raised on Snookie-God help us all). 

Anyway, as we've had some serious chunks of data come in already, I thought I'd highlight a few less than obvious conclusions you may have missed. I've also also summarized the basics at the end of the article. Those are still pretty amazing, so don't skip them!

Six less than obvious conclusions:

1- Asians--not Hispanics--are the biggest % gainers: they grew 43.3% over the last 10 years (vs Hispanic 43%), and now number 14.7M, or 4.8% of the population. Black bumped up from 12.3% to 12.6% of total pop, and now total 39M. Hispanics now total 50M

2- Despite the buzz and hype, Multicultural or Bicultural Americans (those that indicated more than one race), only account for 3% of the population. The census form DOES spell out that you can select more than one race (see right). But despite that, a full 97% of respondents chose to select only one. Obama famously ticked off only "black"--even though he's both black and white--so this 3% is probably more indicative of how we identify ourselves vs actual pop facts.

3- Asians and Whites mix MUCH better than Whites and Blacks: 1.6M people say they are a mix of White and Asian. 1.8M say they are mixed Black and White. Although numerically higher, remember that there are 39M Blacks and only 14.7M Asians. That means Asians and Whites are blending twice as well as Blacks and Whites (mixing rates: 11% vs 5%).

4- The south--of all places--is mixing it up! Blacks are heading to the suburbs in droves: 58% currently live in suburbs, vs 41% of Blacks nationally. Also, Hispanic growth in the south outpaced that of Blacks for the first time ever. The south! Who woulda thunk?

5- While minorities are still a minority (36% of totoal pop), this does not hold true at the State level. The most multicultural states are: Hawaii at 77% multicultural, D.C. at 65.2%, California at 59.9%, New Mexico 59.5%, Texas at 54.7%, Nevada at 45.9%, Maryland at 45.3% and Georgia at 44.1% (Texas is a new member of the Minority/Majority club in 2010!--In 2000% they were at 47.6% minority. Nevada is the fastest grower at 78% multicultural growth). And in smaller geographies, the story is even more surprising. In NY Metro area, for instance, Whites are a minority for the first time in history (49.6% white in all 23 counties)

6- Hispanic growth is of the US-born variety. Although 2010 Census data isn't out yet, the ACS from 2006 shows that 61% of Hispanics were born in the US, and immigration has slowed significantly since the recession hit. I'm guessing the 2010 will show something like 67% of the Hispanic Population is US Born.  And if you're wondering how this affect marketing, I put up some thought starters here.

And for reference, here are the (still surprising) basics we all should probably know:

B1- There's a ton of Latinos: There were 50.5 Million Hispanics in the US in 2010, which is 16.3% of the population. In 2000, it was "only" 35.3M...so in a mere 10 years, the Hispanic population soared 43%. (By comparison, the non-Hispanic white pop "grew" an anemic 1%: from 164.6M to 169.8M)

B2- The country's growth is hugely non-white: a full 90%(!) of the growth in population over the last 10 years is Black, Hispanic and Asian. The largest chunk is, of course, Hispanics, who account for an incredible 56% of the total population growth of the country (Hispanics grew by 15.2M. The total US grew by 27.3M)

B3- Los niños! Ethnicity varies radically when looked at by age. Although Hispanics "only" represent 16.3% of the US, when you look at kids, the picture changes dramatically: for those under 18, nearly 1 in 4 is Hispanic (23%). The younger you look, the more Hispanic it gets. Stay tuned for more data releases from the Census.

And finally, a fun map to fool around with!

READ MORE - Asians beat Hispanics and 5 other 2010 Census surprises (plus a fun map!)