We the People: A Memo on Multiculturalism

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BusinessWeek reader Esther Novak is the founder and CEO of New Brunswick (N.J.)-based VanguardComm, an integrated marketing and communications firm that specializes in multicultural strategy.

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Additionally, for many first- and second-generation immigrants, acculturation has taken precedence over assimilation. The ability to retain core values while living in a dominant culture has trumped the old model of shedding native language and customs. "Commonalities" such as preference for emotional connection, grassroots, or digital communication, can be leveraged across multicultural segments for marketing efficiency and effectiveness.

Multicultural Stimulus

I'm not an economist, but I can guarantee you that when it comes time to "sell" a stimulus plan to the American public, the Obama administration will use the same kind of approach to America's diverse audiences it did in the campaign. Residents of Portuguese background in Newark's Ironbound district will hear about its benefits in their local papers and ward leaders; Vietnamese-Americans in Houston will likely receive face-to-face briefings in community center meetings; African Americans in Los Angeles may hear talk of the plan from the pulpits of their churches.

Additionally, the 10 million people with e-mail addresses in the Obama campaign database will be segmented, with messaging tailored to each cultural, ethnic and demographic group. Every venue, channel, social media platform, and messenger will be tapped to bolster the plan, whether it's the press, the Web, advertising, rallies, events, you name it, all filtering up toward local, county, state, and federal policymakers.

But it won't just be about delivering a message to targeted groups. The incoming Administration is sure to have "eyes and ears" responsible for identifying and assessing each group's needs, wants, and priorities—and striving, as much as possible, to find ways of showing how the stimulus package will address them. It will be a complex, often nonlinear process, and probably a good test of the President-elect and his team's discipline. In the end, however, the Administration will need to connect emotionally with diverse America, linking their values and dreams with policy and legislation that brings them out of the economic crisis.

Such a process is worth thinking about the next time you—whether a CEO, an entrepreneur, a manager, or the next U.S. President—deliver a speech, introduce a new product or idea, or appeal to your customers, investors, employees, or target audience.

Understanding the nuances of this great nation's many cultures, and adopting strategies to address them on their terms, can help open or advance a company's fortunes, and perhaps even give it a first-mover advantage with these brand-loyal markets—just as a certain savvy candidate did on Nov. 4.

Esther Novak is the founder and CEO of New Brunswick (N.J.)-based VanguardComm, an integrated marketing and communications firm that specializes in multicultural strategy. She currently serves on the New Jersey Governor's Council for Economic Growth and the Board of the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies.