Pierpont Communications, Inc.

Your business is ultimately nothing without them, your marketing message revolves around them and your long-term growth is tied to them. Customers are the bottom line and their faces are quickly changing. So why do so many companies conveniently overlook certain customer segments?

If you look around, there’s a good chance you won’t find the same customers today that you did 20 years ago. Today’s target market is growing more diverse, with unique sets of beliefs and buying patterns. In fact, more than 50 percent of the population in the state of Texas is Hispanic, African-American or Asian. Nationally, these ethnic groups will be the majority by 2050.

For most marketers and advertisers, it’s much easier to put each target market in neat boxes and create messaging with diverse faces. But just like mass marketing, multicultural marketing requires researching, planning and executing. And if you think customers aren’t paying attention, think again.

As a bilingual, bicultural Latina, I definitely take notice and appreciate it when a company makes an effort to connect with me. Take for instance this Rethink Possible – Ripple Effect ad from AT&T. For starters, the ad is in English. The message is strong - a young man makes his family proud by becoming the first Latino U.S. president, an obviously deep cultural aspiration. Of course, the AT&T product is to thank for it all, but you get the idea.

Another company making strides in their multicultural marketing is Procter & Gamble. Their “My Black is Beautiful” campaign is not solely about reaching one’s pocketbook but connecting and creating a movement (i.e. brand loyalty). The most interesting part about Procter & Gamble is that their message isn’t product-focused or segment-driven, it’s a commitment understood and embraced by the entire company.

Don’t get me wrong. These efforts take time and they’re a little easier if you’re a large Fortune 500 company like AT&T or P&G. But any company looking to tap into the multicultural market buying power can do it. Here are a few tips to help:

• Ensure serious buy-in from senior management – If there isn’t a financial or time commitment from the leaders and decision-makers, these efforts are going to fall flat.

• Do your research, avoid the stereotypes and get to know the communities – Work to find out who your target market is, what they look like and what they are looking for.

• Show them you know them – Use that research to cater customized messaging and products for them.

• Reinforce throughout the company – From the executive team to the frontline staff, each individual should be well aware of the marketing goals. Make it part of the process (i.e. user manual to arm each employee with the proper messaging and tools).

In the end, you want to avoid the hit and miss and really do your homework.

Is your company taking on multicultural marketing full-force or have you seen any recent examples? We’d love to hear them. Share below.

There’s lots of chatter and speculation lately about whether Texas Governor Rick Perry will jump into the 2012 race for presidency. But another intriguing question is this: What’s next for San Antonio Mayor Julián (“WHO-lee-on,” not “JOO-lee-un”) Castro?

Castro is only 36 years old, grew up in a politically active family and is part of the rapidly growing Hispanic demographic. There’s little doubt that he will eventually seek higher office than the one he now holds. He’s been carefully nurturing a national profile - he met with President Obama and other senior administration staff to discuss jobs and green energy initiatives, and even bantered with comedian Stephen Colbert on TV. It’s no secret that Castro is, as Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood put it, “on the radar” in Washington, a rising star with huge potential in the Democratic Party.

Every young, charismatic Hispanic politician in San Antonio sooner or later is compared to the legendary Henry Cisneros. Like Castro, Cisneros is a native San Antonian with an elite education and truckloads of political savvy. But while Cisneros has a Bill Clinton-like ability to energize a room, Castro is “cerebral, serious, self-contained and highly efficient,” according to the New York Times after one of the young mayor’s visits to Washington. “If he were an energy source, he’d be zero-emission.”

Castro was considered a possible contender for the U.S. Senate seat soon to be vacated by Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison, but decided to pass. He easily cruised to re-election as mayor this past spring and could remain in the mayor’s office through 2017. Countless opportunities higher up the political food chain, including a possible Perry presidential run, could open up a number of statewide offices for a Castro run. An appointment to a high-level post by the next president is also a distinct possibility.

But whatever turns the political roller coaster takes in the upcoming years, look for Julián Castro to emerge as a major player.

Now a month into my internship at Pierpont, I’m looking back and reflecting on my very first week here. It seems so silly now that I stressed over how many cups of coffee to make, or that every time the phone rang my heart skipped a beat because I was afraid to answer calls incorrectly. A mere month ago I was experiencing some serious ‘first week jitters’, but hey, as this is my first internship at a respected professional public relations firm, I say it’s only natural to feel a little apprehensive.

Here are five pieces of advice that helped me get through my ‘first week jitters’:

• Remind yourself of how qualified you are. This may seem a little vain but if you didn’t have a lot to offer, you wouldn’t have gotten the position. Reminding yourself of little things that make you unique and capable will give you an extra confidence boost.

• Get to know your co-workers. However big, or small, your office may be, it is important to know everyone’s name by the end of your first week. That way you can greet everyone in the morning and bid farewell at the end of the workday. These little things will help you feel more comfortable and will help you feel you’re part of the team.

• Learn the company. This one may seem obvious but it is important to know your company’s goals. Once you fully grasp the big picture, you’ll have a better understanding of how your work contributes to bringing that picture together.

• Try to go over and beyond. The last thing you want is to feel like you’re not doing enough the first few days. By going that extra mile you will have confidence that you are not only meeting expectations but also showing everyone how motivated and excited you are to be a part of the company. Arriving early and staying late the first week are also ways to show dedication.

• Plan out your outfits. Guys, you too! The last thing you want is to be late to work during your first week because the shirt you wanted to wear is at the dry cleaners. Also, wear clothes you are comfortable in. If you wear a new pair of shoes that give you blisters, you are stuck wearing them until closing. Yikes!

Are there other tips that you would like to offer? Post them below!

Today, waiting in line for a new driver’s license is no longer the huge pain it once was – I just grab my phone and am instantly connected to endless entertainment. (Well, at least until the battery runs out!) My mobile device literally saves me from complete boredom during the long wait.

Like me, the rest of the world is spending more time on mobile devices than ever before. As the Microsoft Tag Infographic shows, we are well on our way to a point where mobile will be the primary digital means for information. So what does this mean for companies and organizations today? If you want to be on your customers’ radars, then you need to actively market to them in the mobile space.

However, mobile marketing isn’t simply your current marketing campaign – done on a phone. It’s a lot more complex than that, and many companies and organizations falter by taking a “build it and they will come” approach. These companies adopt mobile marketing merely because they want to do it before their competitors or because it’s trendy, rather than choosing a strategy that supports ongoing customer relationships.

Asking yourself the following questions can help guide your business towards developing a successful mobile engagement strategy:
• Who is your audience?
• What is your goal with mobile marketing?
• What outcome do you expect?

A good example is Diesel’s I Like Diesel campaign. Based on people’s love for sharing what they do, what they are thinking and what they like (after all, the Facebook “Like” button is clicked three billion times a day!!) the company used QR codes to give customers any easy way to show off their favorite Diesel products. Customers scan the code with their mobile phone and share it on their wall by clicking “Like.” Customers who “liked” a product got a discount on it, which seems like a fair exchange for advertising the item to all of their Facebook friends.

Mobile has created a new realm with its own rules. Customers expect value, real-time information and personalization. As such, any mobile outreach efforts should, at a minimum, address these expectations.