Q&A: The Nuances Of Marketing To Asian-American Audiences

Over the years, multicultural marketing has frequently overlooked Asian audiences. Hailing from over 70 different ethnicities, Asian-Americans are diverse and frequently misunderstood. Can they even be considered a single demographic for advertisers? For our recent research report Engaging Multicultural Audiences, we spoke to S. Mitra Kalita, CEO of URL Media and publisher of Epicenter NYC. Here’s what she had to say.

Q: Marketers used to think pretty much exclusively about Black and Hispanic audiences when they thought about multicultural marketing. Was there a turning point when they began to address and cater to Asian/AAPI audiences as well? What made this happen?

A: First, it’s important to understand why marketers often excluded us. Asians have been a tiny percentage of the pie chart in polls, market research, trends reports. That kept us ignored and invisible. A few things changed: one, our population has grown; two, we are overrepresented on platforms such as smart speakers and the latest technology; and three, our community got louder and more rooted in coalitions serving all people of color. There’s #StopAsianHate, sure, but we’ve also been a part of pushes to diversify Hollywood and corporate America. 

Asian-Americans are part of the growing diverse consumer purchasing power that also includes Black and Hispanic, so our inclusion is not only a sound business practice, it is important to ensure you’re reaching a growing demographic. Some suburbs – like the one I was raised in outside Princeton, NJ – are not just so-called majority minority but majority Asian.

Finally, I think the treatment of Asian-Americans at the height of Covid forever changed our community. The businesses that “get it” leaned into supporting Asian employees AND consumers. Some good examples from Peloton, for instance, are the rides they did to center Asian culture, the donations they made to #StopAsianHate, and allowing Asian instructors such as Emma Lovewell and Sam Yo to talk about their identities.

Q: There are dozens of distinct nationalities and ethnic identities encompassed by “AAPI.” How do marketers reach them authentically?

A: We have similar narratives in the Latino community, which is not a monolith. This applies for AAPI, for hyperlocal engagement, niche audiences. In my work, I try to be clear on who I am writing about and trying to serve, and how I will make efforts to reach that audience. Sometimes, when it comes to dress or food or culture or holidays, the term “Asian” can actually be committing a form of erasure; not all Asians celebrate Diwali, for example, but an organization that has an AAPI affinity group might want to think about what it’s doing for Diwali or Eid. 

The word “authentic” can be fraught because the serving of these communities cannot be afterthoughts or “over there.” The best way to be authentic is to be honest and true to the diversity and inclusion of Asians as core to your business mission and strategy. Also, it’s okay to connect consumption and community – not everything has to see DEI through the lens of charity.

Q: To what extent should marketers be segmenting even further into addressing subsets of AAPI audiences? How would you assuage concerns that this might limit scope and reach?

A: When it comes to Asian-Americans, more is more. Segmentation can help marketers achieve deeper engagement and also customize messages appropriately. When Epicenter worked with the Asian American Federation to promote a mental-health directory, we had specific and separate strategies for Bangladeshi, Nepalese, and Chinese communities, to name a few. Another time, reaching out to a Tibetan influencer opened up a brand-new segment to us; she decided to go live on Facebook and Instagram from our table and within minutes, dozens of her followers came by. In my experience, the narrower the messenger, the more trusted the messenger. 

You need to be able to meet people where they are AND be culturally relevant. This creates opportunities to provide information that some people may not know they needed or wanted. 

Q: What’s one thing about AAPI audiences that marketers tend to think is true, but isn’t?

A: I think it’s time to retire the tropes about our community being affluent, good at math, and strivers. Sure, some of that is true, but we are a diverse population of artists and creatives, rich and poor, city dwellers and suburbanites. I’d say marketers would do best to home in on whom they are trying to reach and work backward, relying on a mix of data and on-the-ground research, instead of starting with assumptions.

Interested in learning more about multicultural marketing strategies? Download our report, Engaging Multicultural Audiences.