Cultural Fluency: It's Time to Take Multicultural to the Mainstream

Recent research shows that most marketing organizations have not yet caught up with this marketing opportunity. Despite the vast amount of advertising spend, only 37% of consumers think advertisers have “done their research” in authentically representing diverse consumers.  

Leading brands are making Cultural Fluency a top priority from the outset, they define mainstream as diverse, and apply diverse-led insights at the core of marketing plans. Moreover, the most successful brands commit to making data and analytics an ongoing part of how they understand their diverse audiences, rather than relying on episodic (and quickly dated) research or gut-and-instinct driven decisions.  They ensure every marketing plan starts with insights from diverse segments.

In times of tightening budgets, these brands get more out of marketing spend by squaring the circle to create targeted marketing that can be used with mainstream audiences.  They do this by applying cultural insights specific to one demographic target in ways that resonate compassionately with the deeply human concerns that connect us all, a phenomenon we call the “halo effect.”

Cultural Fluency accelerates growth. Grounding representation in cultural specifics for one group that nonetheless work across many segments helps brands achieve higher marketing ROI, higher loyalty, and more rewarding performance. 

Brands can’t win with a mentality of that diverse marketing is incremental to mainstream strategy. Instead, winners make cultural fluency the currency for everything they do.

Collage Group was founded on the mission to help corporations unleash the power of culture to drive brand growth. We’re partnered with more than 300 iconic American brands on their journey to Cultural Fluency. Our always-on stream of cultural intelligence offers members access to the largest database of diverse consumer insights and industry-leading subject matter experts available. Contact us at the form below to learn more about how you can gain access to proprietary data, insights, tools and more.

This article was adapted from an article published on MulticulturalMarketing.com on April 4, 2023.