Multicultural marketing in the US is taking on new dimensions. Back in September, Nielsen unveiled data at an ARF Advertising Week event that showed just how rapid the take-up of smartphones among the Hispanic, Asia-Pacific and African-American populations was. In fact, members of these communities are switching to smartphones far more quickly than the non-Hispanic white population.

When it comes to embracing new technology, these communities are looking at far more than just smartphones. As Jon Gibs, Nielsen SVP/analytics, stated in September: “These populations are much more active in social media.” Kraft Foods is one example of a brand that has adapted its multicultural marketing activity to reflect these new realities.

For marketers, the new multicultural mandate has manifested itself in the agenda for the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) 2011 Multicultural and Diversity Conference in Miami Beach, Florida. Thought-leaders promising to deliver case-history best practices at this week’s event include:

  • PepsiCo (“leading with multicultural insights to stay relevant to customers has become increasingly important”);
  • Farmers Insurance Group (“the company has transformed its sponsorship of the Immigrant Archive Project into a platform that drives consideration by creating emotional connections via multiple touchpoints”);
  • AT&T (“Diversity management impacts more than just human resources and suppliers. It is becoming the key strategic imperative that is driving growth in all business units”);
  • The Home Depot (“the core target of the company continues to shift into a more-complex, intercultural target-the Hispanic base is changing.”)

Warc will be reporting from the conference. Stay tuned to Warc’s conference reports page for write-ups of the key insights and best practice from the event.