It should be no surprise by now to any marketer that demographics in the United States are changing. We already see the realities of the ‘new America’ as Hispanics and non-Whites are now a majority of people under age 16, according to figures released in June by the U.S. Census Bureau. In Connecticut, nearly 45% of kids under 5 are of a non-White ethnic / racial group.

This rapid demographic change is being led largely by the Hispanic population, which doubled in the U.S. between 2000–2010, and is expected to double again when results of the 2020 Census are released early next year.

This transformation isn’t relegated solely to population shifts; the combined purchasing power of minorities stands at nearly $4 trillion, according to the University of Georgia’s Selig Center for Economic Growth.

While these seismic shifts in population and purchasing power are undeniable, marketing / advertising spending directed to these customer segments is not following suit. For example:

• Hispanics make up 18% of the population, but only 3.6% of advertising dollars are allocated to reaching them
• Blacks make up 13.4% of the population, but only 1.4% of advertising dollars are allocated to reaching them
• Asian make up 5.8% of the population, but only 0.1% of advertising dollars are allocated to reaching them

Reaching vs. Connecting with Customers

The question then is: why are brands and companies allocating such small percentages to the customer segments that are representing the fastest growth today, and for the future?

Some reasons may be systemic, such as the fact only 12% of Chief Marketing Officers identify as either Hispanic, Black or Asian. Others may be agencies convincing their clients they are “reaching” multicultural segments through general market advertising and marketing initiatives. After all, minorities consume English-language media, right?

While this is true, as marketers we need to understand the difference between reaching a target audience and connecting with them. A true connection with a customer comes from understanding them — and in the case of minorities, how they may differ culturally — and integrating those insights into our marketing communication.

This process is called transcreation and it differs greatly from translation in that it’s not focused on what language to communicate in, but rather, on key insights and determining cultural relevancy of your message so it resonates with them.

Adapting to the New Demographic Landscape

How can brands and companies begin to adapt for the ‘new America’ where Whites will be the minority? Here are a few tips:

Eliminate preconceived notions: Start by recognizing marketing to minorities is as involved as marketing to the general market. Recognize that changes need to take place within your organization to prepare for the ‘new America’. Evaluate where you may need to supplement your capabilities by collaborating or subcontracting an agency that specializes in multicultural marketing

Transcreate, don’t translate: Effective multicultural marketing is not as superficial as simply translating messages developed with insights of the general market for use in multicultural marketing, or just swapping out images to include people of color. Culture plays a significant role in how any group decides to purchase or consume a product or service. This is as true as the difference between marketing to Whites and Hispanics as it is in marketing to men and women, straight and LGBTQ+, young and old, etc. In many ways, all marketing is cultural.

Reassess your customer: Now may be a perfect time to take a fresh look at your customer and potential customer market. Chances are who you thought your customer is has shifted with the population, and your customer base is more multicultural than you think. This is especially true for brands that are looking to reach younger populations since the younger the audience segment, the more multicultural it is.

Allocate budgets to your audience: Many companies think they don’t have a budget for multicultural marketing. Rather than spending all your budget to reach general market audiences, begin to allocate some to reaching your changing potential customer base, which is becoming more and more multicultural.

Walk before you run: If you are not ready to take a full plunge, start by conducting a test in a market segment, a geography or across one product line. Since the minority population and purchasing power is driven largely by the Hispanic market, Hispanic marketing is the best place to begin.

Don’t be afraid of making mistakes: In today’s climate of racial justice, many brands are paralyzed by fear of mistakes and potential backlash. However, if efforts are genuine and transcreated, the chances for success are high. Again, consider collaborating with experts in multicultural marketing that can help you navigate the path forward.

Don’t expect overnight success; building a strong and trusting relationship with new customer segments takes time. The good news is chances are your competitor is still on the sideline — start soon and stay ahead!

— Wilson

Wilson Camelo is a marketing and public relations expert who specializes in the Hispanic customer segment. His years of experience have helped a wide variety of brands / companies reach diverse audiences and grow their followings in our changing demographic landscape.

The post Multicultural Marketing: Not Just a Translation appeared first on Elements.

“Why,” I ask my introductory composition class as I hold up an ordinary writing implement for their perusal,“do we who speak English call this a pen and not a frying pan?”

Panic-stricken looks appear on the faces of two dozen first-year college students who are struggling to navigate their first days of classes, and who are now looking at each other and  wondering whether there is a secret campus code that no one bothered to inform them about.

We sit in silence for a while until eventually someone calls out, “Uh, because that’s what we were told?”

“Exactly!” I say. Two dozen first-year college students breathe sighs of relief.

But I am not finished with them. “Now suppose,” I continue, “that you are having a quiz and the instructor tells you to put away your books and take out a frying pan and some paper?”

Still not sure what to make of the person in front of the room, students gaze at the ceiling for inspiration. I prod them a bit. “Knowing that you had to write for a quiz, would you pick up a pen regardless of the instructor’s actual words?”

A discussion ensues.  Those who favor picking up the pen note that what matters is the context — a quiz requires the use of a pen, and they’re figuring that the instructor was either absent-minded or just plain weird. On the other side, students assert that they would ask for clarification before acting. After all, if the words don’t comport with common sense, how can they be expected to know how to proceed?

I haven’t taught introductory composition for a while now, but I return often to the “Why is this a pen?” question when I think about and discuss in other classes an important truth about language: It is, at its core, a series of arbitrary agreements.

And since that little incident with the Tower of Babel resulted in well over 6000 languages in the world, those agreements are legion, and as varied as the geography they cover. A few examples:  English nouns use only one case ending (“case” is the word used to describe the grammatical relationship of nouns and pronouns to other words in a sentence); that case is the possessive, which we make by adding an apostrophe and the letter “s” (the cat’s whiskers). Modern Greek has four, while Finnish has over a dozen cases. English locates situations and actions in time by conjugating verbs — using verb tenses (you walk, you walked, you will walk, and so on). Mandarin Chinese has no verb tenses, and instead uses numerous other signifiers for the timing of actions.

Nouns are gendered in many language but not in English. The gendering of nouns seems particularly arbitrary to English speakers. (While “pen” and “frying pan” are feminine nouns in both French and Spanish, for instance, “pencil” and “bowl” are masculine nouns in those language. Go figure!). While English has only one tone that serves as a grammatical indicator (the rising voice pitch that indicates a question), many African and Asian languages use multiple tones for grammatical purposes.

Hearing that language is a series of arbitrary agreements sometimes briefly lulls students into thinking that I won’t be too hard on the grammar, structure, spelling, and diction in their papers, and will instead correct and grade only for “meaning.”

They are disabused of this notion the moment their first papers are returned to them.

The other truth about language — and what I really want to teach them — is that it is a remarkable tool. Breath from our lungs, shaped by our teeth and tongues, can delight or infuriate those closest to us. Squiggles on pages can open us to understanding lives and facts and theories.  Like any tool, language can be used with varying degrees of competence. In some people’s hands, it can re-order the world.

Understanding the philosophical concept of language as an arbitrary series of agreements does not relieve us of the obligation of knowing and applying those agreements in the languages we ourselves use, particularly when we write. Speech allows us to communicate meaning with gestures, facial expressions, voice tone and volume, movement, moments of silence. As a professional writer myself, I am acutely aware that on the page — or the screen — our ideas are conveyed only in the words, and the grammatical structures that contain them.

I caution my students about all this before that first batch of papers goes back to them. “Remember,” I tell them, “that I can understand and evaluate what you are writing only by the words you choose, and the order you put them in. Your job is to make sure that what is on the page is what you mean; there is no place else for the reader to go.”

Volumes have been written about what makes good writing, and outlining yet another set of rules is not my purpose here.  Rather, I leave you with this bit of insight from Mark Twain: “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”

The post Guest Blogger Rhea Hirshman :: The Frying Pan and The Lightning Bug appeared first on Elements.

Terry’s latest release is the two-book series called Managing the Design Process. Note to self: I need to add this to my 2013 bookshelf!

Her other design books include Logo Design Workbook, Color Design Workbook and Package Design Workbook (serving as editor/ghostwriter). She has contributed to AIGA online publications Voice and Gain. Terry is a regular contributing writer for design magazines such as HOW,Communication Arts, and STEP Inside Design, as well as the Felt & Wire blog. She also contributes her expertise on design business topics for a feature entitled “Ask Design B*tch” for Rockport Publishers on their blog Rock Paper Ink.

This is just a sample of all the amazing accolades that Terry has accomplished – if you’d like to learn more about Terry Lee Stone visit her at her website.

We are thrilled to have our friend Terry contribute her thoughts below for getting the most out of your design team {us!}, so all of you who manage designers, this is for you!

The Key to Great Performance

All design teams, large or small, require these things for optimum performance:

• Clear goals and objectives
• Unambiguous scope of work
• Well-defined expectations
• Delineated roles and responsibilities
• Agreed-upon chain of command and functional authority
• Relevant information and background for the project
• Sufficient time in which to work
• Appropriate technological tools
• Effective collaboration
• Ongoing communication
• Oversight and management support
• Consistent processes, from creative to communication
• Meaningful recognition and reward system

More educational in nature, so that the client can understand who is who as a design team and how we all work together, there is the Team Work Flow.

 Team Work Flow

Design projects move from big-picture concepting to the highly detailed work of developing a finished piece. This is achieved through a kind of “relay race” within a design team. Typically the team is comprised of different people with varied skillsets working together. However, sometimes one designer wears many hats. In any case, a design project gets handed from content experts to aesthetic experts to technical experts, as the job moves from kickoff to completion (see chart below). Often, the only person constantly participating in the project is the project manager, who is involved in monitoring every aspect.

Every design team needs to be aware of and constantly be working towards improving their teamwork, some aspects of which include:

• Reliability and integrity
• Cooperation and communication
• Knowledge sharing and collaboration

Design teams, including the client, have obligations to each other and to the project they are working on. Project managers should bridge gaps and facilitate communication and work flow among team members. If everyone understands their role and responsibilities within the team, the project should move efficiently from start to finish and great results can be achieved.

The post Guest Blogger :: Getting the Most Out of Your Design Team appeared first on Elements.

Shark Tablet and Smart Phone Holder

The Shark Stand is able to hold your smartphone, tablet, and business cards or other stationery in one heavy duty and classy stand. The surface is sprayed with a protective rubber coating to make sure your devices are protected.The stand is compatible with all versions iPhone, iPad as well as the majority of other smartphones and tablets.

Speakerboxx

This portable speaker integrates the power and audio connecting cables into the Speakerboxx to ensure you always have your cables. The powerful speakers allow you to listen to music wherever you go and charges via the integrated USB cable. It connects via 3.5mm audio connecting cable making it compatible with most devices like iPod, iPhone, iPad, and other Smartphones, Tablets or MP3/4/5 devices. It also includes a TF card slot, so that you don’t always have to have a portable device with you.

Christmas Tea Set

This leatherette desk caddy holds 12 stash brand tea bags – 4 Christmas Morning Black Tea, 4 Christmas Eve Herbal Tea, 4 White Christmas Tea. When the tea is finished, leatherette caddy can also be used as a desk caddy.

Live Evergreen Seedling

This is the perfect gift for any green or environmental program and the entire tree planting kit is 100% biodegradable! You could give a tree that will last 200+ years which will help to enrich our environment. (Erin planted on of these in her yard years ago and it’s now a full grown tree!)

Belgio Insulated Single Wine Tote

This fully insulated wine tote keeps one bottle cold. It also also has a side pocket that includes a stainless steel waiter corkscrew and a deep front pocket designed for additional storage.

JournalBooks®

Build your brand, one book at a time, with JournalBooks®. As the leader for innovation, design, and quality, JournalBooks has been building a following of loyal fans since 1996. In offering the very best stationery – including vibrant colors, stylish designs, and endless customization options. JournalBooks is bound to offer the ideal journal for your promotion.

ClearView Hot and Cold Drinkware Set

This product has a durable-san acrylic inner and outer shell with dual wall insulation. The set includes a tumbler with two lids, a straw and gift box. Straw & lid colors are available in: black, blue, lime, red, white.

If you’re interested in one of these products, or any additional ideas/products that you might need, please contact Erin at westshoreassoc@aol.com. Tell her Elements sent you!

~Allyson

The post Guest Blogger :: Erin Eberhardt of West Shore Associates appeared first on Elements.

As the acquisitions editor at Rockport Publishers, I have the enviable job of collaborating with many great designers and writer, like Amy Graver, Robynne Raye, Bill Gardner, Richard Poulin, Jason Tselentis, Debbie Millman, John Foster, and Steven Heller, just to name a few. But working on a book can be grueling—just ask any of them. From getting the brief approved, to coming up with an outline, collecting work, writing, then designing the book—it’s a lot of work, but the pay-off is worth it when you see the beautiful artifact and can actually hold it in your hands.

Publishing has been challenging the last few years, with so many stores closing and the proliferation of online content. However, when you rely solely on online resources for your information, you get what you pay for. Here are some must-haves to add to your design bookshelf.

The Graphic Designer’s Electronic-Media Manual by Jason Tselentis

Taking the leap from print to digital design is not as easy as it sounds. Tselentis offers sound advice and information on how to do this gracefully and successfully. The book teaches type and color application, composition, navigation, and customization for digital devices such as the desktop computer, tablet, and smartphone.

Tselentis also writes a column called Nexus for www.rockpaperink.com.

Drawing for Graphic Design by Timothy Samara

When is the last time you stepped away from the computer and just drew on a pad of paper? This book is a reference for designers—both students and professionals—who want to implement drawing as a creative tool for concepting and visual solutions.

Design: Paper, a seductive collection of alluring paper designs by Public School

This luscious book is packed with beautiful designs all crafted with or on paper. But it isn’t merely a collection of inspiring images. It also includes 20 dissections which take a closer look at the design details that make each project so special. You won’t be able to resist this tactile reference.

New Masters of Poster Design, Volume 2 by John Foster

More than 300 opulent posters are featured in this amazing volume with work from some of the best international designers working today, including: The Small Stakes, Paula Troxler, Sonnenzimmer, Young Monster, Zeloot, and many more. In the profiles, Foster is able to capture the personality behind the artist and the inspiration driving them to create prolific, heart-stopping work.

Best Practices for Graphic Designers: Grids and Page Layout by Amy Graver and Ben Jura

This hard-working primer is designed to help all designers have a better understanding of layout principles and working with grids in their designs. Graver and Jura expertly guide readers through the many types of grids, layout techniques, and color and type tips that will make any design stand out, while showing exceptional examples.

All these great design books can be found at www.rockpub.com.

The post Guest Blogger :: Best of Summer Reads 2012 appeared first on Elements.