Marketing Plan: Where to Start Define the market. Small business expert Kim T. Gordon cautions against marketing to minorities simply because they exist in your community. “It is wonderful to have ethnic media, but as a remodeler, you have to reach people when they are thinking of doing something to their homes,” says the president of National Marketing Federation in South Florida.
Her advice is to market to minorities only if they fit the demographic profile that defines your best clients, including age, income, age of house, etc.
Define the media. Once you identify that a market exists, consider advertising in ethnic media. Ask an ethnic newspaper for a media kit to find out if they cover the demographic or ZIP code you want to target. “They are often inexpensive, so it might be a complement to your main campaign,” Gordon says. If you already advertise in a major daily newspaper, you can ask your rep for a Scarborough report to see which media minorities in your city use the most. “There is a good possibility this information will be cross-referenced by home-ownership,” Gordon says.
Scarborough Research in New York City is a leader in identifying local, regional, and national shopping patterns and media usage for American consumers. Its research products include 75 local market studies, a national database, and local market Hispanic studies.
For significant campaigns, consult an expert. Gordon stresses that if you choose to market in another language, you must work with an agency that is proficient in that language and better at identifying and using subtleties of cultures within a group. Former remodeler Paul Montelongo ran Spanish ads in Spanish media, and he recommends hiring a professional. “One word or mis-emphasis can turn the tables in a bad way,” Montelongo says.
Work with partners within the minority community. Clifford Tong, owner of ethnic marketing firm Diverse Strategies, advises remodelers to contact professionals who are on the front lines of the market you are targeting, including real estate agents, subcontractors, architects, interior designers, bankers, and mortgage brokers. For example, in Los Angeles there are several Hispanic Realtor associations. “You’re better off forging relationships with people who provide complementary services to that market,” Tong says.