Diverse marketing goes hand in hand with cultural intelligence
We have already talked about diverse marketing in our blog. And we had understood it as “a tool to reach specific and diverse audiences.” We also related it to trends such as feminist cultural thinking. And sexual diversity messages. But this time, we want to go further and see how it integrates with the concept of “cultural intelligence.” That is, it is something you should take into account in your business. Because this way you will understand the new realities of the market. Especially to what minorities think and motivate them.
Cultural intelligence* is related to the union between culture and intelligence. As a result, “the ability to interact with other people from different backgrounds.” So, by working with cultural sensitivity, we can cope with the new global business scenario. Besides, it can bridge the multicultural gap. We would also have a competitive advantage of developing soft skills. In other words, those with which we achieve a good integration in work environments.
Let us then approach diverse marketing from the perspective of cultural intelligence. We will also see how cultural diversity is present in corporate environments today. And how the generation of millennials is the one that represents that diversity.
Understanding the relationship between diverse marketing and cultural intelligence
Cultural intelligence is a relevant part of organizational learning. But it also applies to diverse marketing. That facilitates the adaptation of employees to the work style of each company. It also involves emotional intelligence and intercultural skills. As a result, it benefits personal and professional bonds. It also applies to the marketing field because it allows you as an entrepreneur to understand your audience. And even more so when they are part of those minorities that you want to be your customers.
For example, human resources departments create policies to assimilate the arrival of new workers. Then companies must adapt to the arrival of new customers. All because of the celebration of diversity. That is, by listening, empathy, flexibility, or resilience. The concept of the Cultural Quotient also applies to companies and marketing. That is the set of competencies that allow dealing with diverse situations. So, we see how with the awakening of diversity, there are pressures from the corporate world. Moreover, to always do and say “the right thing.”
In this eagerness for political correctness comes a new paradigm of cultural intelligence. That is, as a process that points to a study of minorities with business potential. We will see this next.
Cultural intelligence to turn inclusion into a purpose with benefits
Lili Gil Valleta
Lili Gil Valletta led this approach to cultural intelligence. She is an entrepreneur, CEO, and co-founder of CIEN+ and Culturintel, a technology research and cultural intelligence® marketing firm. It’s a concept manages as a registered trademark. Also, she helps Fortune 500 companies. Lili allows them to understand how to turn cultural changes into business impact. All with the support of diverse marketing.
In her TEDx talk “Diversity is Overrated – Why Leaders Need Cultural Intelligence”, Gil Valleta explains this. She states that diversity is overrated because it’s only possible from its social implication. Furthermore, the basis for supporting minorities by assuming them only as susceptible to rejection. Or lack of opportunities. When what we are talking about is their empowerment. So that they can build a nation and be part of the productive machinery, and Lili explains that we must take the opportunity to fill in the gaps that exist. All because of the misunderstandings of minorities. For instance, the Hispanics. From this, leaders will be exercising that cultural intelligence. Let’s look at how.
The first thing to keep in mind is that the younger the generation, the more diverse it is. And that’s where today’s diverse marketing efforts should be targeted, especially with millennials who are the new mainstream. They represent 51% of the current market. Just look at the statistics we have even revealed in other articles in this blog. Also, the cultural intelligence management proposed by Gil Valleta is best applied. Let’s go a little deeper into this.
The benefits come when this change in the conception of the world is understood
Lili believes that “it’s mathematically impossible for anyone to reach their full potential in business without activating the power of cultural intelligence®.” And she argues this as a trademark. Because she helps to develop “the ability to know and apply cultural competence in the daily routine of companies.” Moreover, she does this from his venture CULTURINTEL and CIEN+. It’s big data analytics and creative consulting firm. They help leaders successfully turn cultural trends into benefits. For example, “by empowering minorities, women and growth markets. But not like altruist mission, but as a business superpower,” Gil Valleta explains.
This entrepreneur says that by 2040 the U.S. will be a nation with a majority of minorities. That is now in schools, and universities minorities are achieving majority status. 8 out of 10 cities in the U.S. have minority majorities. The strategist says that this phenomenon is changing the worldview of companies. And diverse marketing. Also, she applies the concept of cultural intelligence. In that way, she enables them to understand why their customers act in a certain way. We will explain this with the lessons learned from the anti-racist struggle that the U.S. has been going through since last year.
Hispanics analyze with a critical eye
A year ago on CNN’s program “Realidades en Contexto”*, Lili spoke with Patricia Ramos. They talk about the changes that corporations are making as a result of the anti-racist struggle. Also, what they found with the use of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence. That was possible through the “Culture Intel” algorithm. That’s to say that company mined in two weeks more than 780 thousand discussions on all social platforms. And they found that 57% of Americans participating have a neutral position about what corporations say. They interpret this as a high level of skepticism.
In the Hispanic population, the situation did not change a lot. However, Hispanics are the most critical of corporations. That is, “for cultural reasons, Hispanics learn to check with a critical eye what multinationals do or do not do. Proof of this is that 56% of Latino discussions are negative. And categorize this discussion as “empty.” “It is an opportunistic wave in which they do not feel they are participating,” says Gil Valleta. She also points out that this should be a wake-up call to all leaders that there’s a sophisticated market. In other words, in diverse marketing, “the messages must be sustainable. And the change must be from the inside out as an organization, not just with advertising.”
We hope you will develop diverse marketing in your business. And you will understand how to reach your potential customers.
Read this same article in Spanish.
Links in Spanish*