How multicultural marketing boosts your global relevance

Global businesses have access to consumers from all walks of life, but a connection isn’t guaranteed. Customers’ cultures, values, and experiences shape how they see and interact with brands.

Companies must move beyond generic messaging and create multicultural marketing campaigns that connect with diverse communities. Brands that adopt this approach can build trust and loyalty among diverse communities, increasing their market reach and customer engagement.

This article will explore the definition of multicultural marketing and explain why multicultural marketing is important for modern businesses. Then, we’ll cover some successful multicultural marketing strategy examples.

What is multicultural marketing, and why does it matter?

Multicultural marketing strategies craft marketing campaigns to connect with a variety of audiences. Also known as diversity marketing, it involves tailoring messages to resonate with people of varying ethnicities, cultures, and languages. Companies that invest in multicultural advertising strategies reach more customers and build stronger relationships.

Minority groups are more likely to engage with a brand when they see themselves represented in its messaging. For example, marketing campaigns recognizing cultural holidays, like Lunar New Year, Diwali, or Día de los Muertos, indicate that a company respects diverse traditions. In turn, consumers are more likely to engage with the offering and integrate it into their cultural celebration.

How to create a multicultural marketing strategy in 3 steps

Multicultural marketing is a delicate process. Poorly researched or hastily executed advertising campaigns may seem insensitive or out of touch, harming your business’s reputation.

Here’s how to ensure you craft a diversity marketing strategy that authentically resonates with your target market:

1. Understand your audience

Research cultural groups to understand their needs and preferences. Talk directly to multilingual communities, gather insights through surveys, and study demographic data to determine how different people think, shop, and make decisions. Your marketing campaign will only be effective if it speaks to real values, traditions, and demands.

2. Adapt your messaging and visuals

Translating an ad into another language isn’t enough to connect with locals. People want to see themselves reflected in marketing through cultural references that matter to them.

Every culture has unique customs and principles. Brands that acknowledge them will build stronger connections. For example, if research indicates that the consumers you’re targeting value family ties, consider creating ads that depict family gatherings.

At the same time, global marketing teams should avoid stereotyping consumers’ ethnicities. A well-meaning diversity marketing campaign can backfire if it oversimplifies or misrepresents a minority group. Consult with multiple people from the targeted group to prevent mistakes and make the messaging more relatable.

3. Test and refine your approach

A marketing campaign may not always land with its audience the way you expect. Track online engagement, gather customer feedback, and adjust your approach until you get it right.

Brands that test ad campaigns in smaller markets before a large-scale launch can minimize risk while gaining insight into a campaign’s efficacy. They learn from their audience, leading to stronger, more meaningful marketing strategies and increased sales.

Multicultural advertising best practices for maximized impact

Businesses must approach multicultural advertising with a clear strategy to connect with diverse communities. Here are some best practices to improve impact:

• Build a diverse marketing team: People from varied backgrounds can provide insight that helps you create more authentic content for your target market. A strong team understands cultural differences and avoids mistakes that might push audiences away. If your team lacks representation from a targeted group, consider hiring consultants to provide insight.
• Talk to the people you want to reach: Before launching a marketing campaign, gather input from the community. You can host focus groups, speak with cultural leaders, or work with local businesses. Learning directly from the audience ensures your messaging feels natural rather than forced.
• Check for accuracy and authenticity: People notice when brands get things wrong. A company may tarnish its reputation by misusing cultural symbols, misunderstanding slang, or generalizing about ethnicities. Carefully review your marketing strategies alongside people familiar with the culture to prevent mistakes.
• Make messaging region-specific: A campaign that works in one location might not work somewhere else. Tailoring content to local values makes advertising more effective. Diversity marketing should consider the languages, customs, and traditions that shape how people see brands.
• Work with influencers who understand the community: Partnering with social media influencers who belong to a minority group or local audience builds trust. People often engage more with brands when they see someone from their own culture representing the product or service, as it emphasizes authenticity.
• Use localization to improve impact: Comprehension doesn’t guarantee connection. Even when ads are translated accurately, they may lack cultural nuances or common idioms that resonate with consumers. Localization tackles this problem by adjusting content to fit local languages and customs.

Localization doesn’t have to be challenging. Smartling provides various marketing translation services that simplify the localization processes. For example, Smartling’s translation management system makes it easy to maintain a multilingual website, especially as your content evolves. Our Global Delivery Network (GDN) auto-detects changes to your website and sends them for translation instantly, ensuring localized web experiences across every language. Smartling makes it easy to keep your translated content up-to-date and connect with consumers worldwide.

Inspiring multicultural marketing examples: Strategies that work

Connection with diverse audiences requires thoughtful and inclusive marketing strategies. Here are a few standout marketing examples from global brands that embraced diversity and inclusion to maximize impact:

Coca-Cola’s “America Is Beautiful” ad campaign

Coca-Cola debuted its “America Is Beautiful” commercial during the 2014 Super Bowl. The ad celebrated diverse communities and showcased the many cultures that make up America. The visuals showed people from various ethnicities, religions, and minority groups going about their daily lives—families sharing meals, kids playing, and communities coming together. Coca-Cola also included a same-sex couple, making history as one of the first Super Bowl ads to feature LGBTQ+ representation.

This ad provides a strong example of how marketing strategies can reflect real-life diversity. By representing different cultures, identities, and lifestyles, Coca-Cola connected with a broad target market and reinforced its commitment to inclusion.

Fenty Beauty’s inclusive launch

In September 2017, Rihanna launched Fenty Beauty with a focus on diversity. Unlike many makeup brands at the time, Fenty Beauty offered 40 foundation shades to accommodate people of all ethnicities. This approach filled a gap in the beauty industry, where darker skin tones were often ignored.

The initial marketing campaign featured models of different ethnicities confidently wearing Fenty Beauty products, reinforcing that beauty comes in many forms. The launch was a huge success, bringing in millions and making Fenty one of the global leaders in makeup sales.

Amazon’s “The Show Must Go On” campaign

In 2020, Amazon launched its holiday ad campaign, “The Show Must Go On.” It told the story of a young Black ballerina who had been chosen for a lead role. After months of preparation, her performance was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of giving up, her family and neighbors came together to support her. Using Amazon’s products and services, they organized an outdoor show where she could still perform.

The commercial highlighted themes of perseverance, community, and hope. It connected with people by focusing on real-life struggles and the power of coming together, making it one of Amazon’s most memorable holiday ads.

Empower your multicultural marketing strategy with Smartling

Connecting with a global audience doesn’t have to be complicated. A strong multicultural marketing strategy ensures businesses reach diverse communities in multiple countries by building trust and connection. As customer demographics evolve, companies that focus on cultural relevance gain an advantage.

Smartling’s translation solutions help you localize marketing campaigns and deliver the right message in every language. Smartling easily integrates with your existing tech stack, connecting seamlessly to CMSs like WordPress and Contentful, marketing tools like HubSpot, and visual design platforms like Canva. For e-commerce brands, Smartling’s Shopify connector makes it easy to translate your Shopify store, helping you reach shoppers everywhere with ease.

Ready to take your content localization to the next level? Our free eBook, “The Ultimate Guide to Translating Your Marketing Materials,” explains how to reach more people, connect on a deeper level, and grow your multilingual brand worldwide. Download it today and start making every word count.