Social-media marketing and race
During the 2006 Idaho governor’s race, there was a lesser-known candidate named Dan Adamson who was looking for a way to drum up interest in his campaign. He announced that he was going to try to connect with Latino voters by offering a free taco to everyone who voted in that year’s primary, regardless of which candidate they supported.
Unsurprisingly, he didn’t win.
There’s nothing wrong with trying to cater to a specific group. But if you’re going to engage in targeted marketing, you need to do it with sensitivity and care — not broad stereotypes. And just because something works today is no guarantee it will work tomorrow. McDonald’s Web site for African-Americans, 365Black.com, was online for years before it attracted any negative attention.
The subject of race is never easy to broach. But as Hector Orci notes, too many companies would rather completely ignore a demographic than try to talk to them. But I don’t think it needs to be scary. Don’t bite off more than you can chew — I would not recommend trying to tweet in Spanish if you don’t actually speak it. Just be yourself and take the time to get to know potential customers from all kinds of different groups. Don’t make the mistake of thinking your customers are all exactly like you. Once you understand who you’re talking to, it’ll be easier to decide what to do next.
Is reaching out to the Latino community as simple as translating your tweets from English to Spanish? Is offering Black History Month promotions enough to earn you any love from African-Americans? My guess is you need to dig deeper. When you’re talking to a specific group, your communications need to be honest, authentic and rooted in that community — just like all your other marketing.
Are you using social media to try to reach specific ethnic groups or other demographic categories? How can companies approach these groups in a way that moves beyond stereotyping and creates real engagement? What are some companies that do a particularly excellent job tailoring their message to a specific community?
Image credit, Konstantin Sutyagin, via Shutterstock
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Tags: ethnic groups, marketing, race, social media
Categories: Editor's Take
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Posted by Social Media Storytelling Marketing PR Technology Business Curated Stories Mar. 5, 2010 on March 5th, 2010 at 3:38 pm
[...] Social-media marketing and race Published: March 5, 2010 Source: SmartBlog On Social Media During the 2006 Idaho governor’s race, there was a lesser-known candidate named Dan Adamson who was looking for a way to drum up interest in his campaign. He announced that he was going to tr… [...]
Posted by Darrell Davis on March 6th, 2010 at 2:22 am
I think that you raise a very important issue. But I think the problem of race in social media is no different than race in America. The problem is that the European to often puts themselves at the center of the conversation and tries to figure out how we can "talk to or include them" in what we are doing. Try approaching it from another angle. Try seeing where you can be helpful or add value to the community for that community's benefit. And you are right, you have to do it in a very sensitive way. I applaud you for having the insight and courage to raise the issue.
My recent post Knowing NY Gov. David Paterson
Posted by delagarzapr on March 7th, 2010 at 3:02 am
Thanks for your thoughtful commentary. You're points are right on.
Posted by Raylene on March 7th, 2010 at 5:13 pm
Great article – I explore a similar topic on the socio-cultural aspects of social media in my blog http://rayleneinlondon.blogspot.com/ You raise a valid point about sensitivity, I hope marketing and PR gurus read your article!!! Check out my blog http://rayleneinlondon.blogspot.com/
My recent post Social media tips to boost your business
Posted by Liz Arreaga on March 9th, 2010 at 12:07 am
Of course you must be relevant to reach the Hispanic consumer. Consumers will take action if talk to about something that is important to them. This consumer segment is just as interested in understanding your brand or political stance as much as anyone else. Just make it relevant to their lives – not necessarily your life.
My recent post If you register your site for free at
Posted by Nisha Pawar on March 10th, 2010 at 4:48 pm
There are many different people from different background who hold different sentiments. Different demographics should be reached with a little education and understanding of their core values. It ould be a shame to ignore these potential markets. See http://bit.ly/aeCehc
My recent post Social Media Revolution
Posted by karimacatherine on March 15th, 2010 at 8:27 pm
Hi Jesse,
Tackling the subject of race is/may be touchy and specially when social media is supposed to be the universal way for companies to reach, understand and engage with their customers.
Social media doesn't solve the problem and it can actually, deepens the cleavage, if not properly managed. That is why, more that ever, we need people with cultural knowledge, sensitivity and know-how to work on defining, implementing and monitoring social media.
I have written a post about social media being the great equalizer http://3angelsmarketing.com/2010/02/is-social-med...
Great read, Thank you,
Karima-Catherine
Posted by What will growing diversity mean for social media? | SmartBlog On Social Media on April 14th, 2010 at 8:26 am
[...] as I’ve noted in the past, tackling diversity can be a minefield for business. Companies will have to come up with more-evolved social strategies [...]