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Please join our webinar to learn more about connecting with multicultural consumers. And, bonus, you'll get to hear from one of my favorite agency partners, Edwige Winans!

A big thanks to Publicis Groupe UK, The Marketing Society and Sophie Devonshire⚡️ for having me come speak about representation in advertising alongside Marcos Angelides, Emma Harris and Jaswinder Sandhu. Felt amazing having such insightful and encouraging discussions around meaningful topics facing our industry. A few key takeaways: 🔹 Representation requires intentionality - it begins with people, which ladders to product and ultimately the consumer facing outputs (in our case, marketing campaigns) 🔹 Developing inclusive cultures within the workplace, especially for underrepresented groups, creates environments for people to do their best work 🔹 We cannot decouple business impact from social impact. Building products and campaigns for the many creates tangible business impact and drives social change. 🔹 The industry is moving in the right direction, but when it comes to DEI, there is ALWAYS room for improvement Progress is a joint responsibility - we must continue having the uncomfortable conversations, sharing experiences and keeping each other accountable.

Understanding and respecting cultural differences are vital for effective marketing strategies. Inclusive marketing not only mirrors societal values but also fosters business growth. Authentic representation of diverse cultures builds trust and loyalty, while diverse teams bring unique perspectives, driving innovation and success. Continuous learning and adaptation are essential to stay relevant in a dynamic market. Let’s embrace cultural inclusivity in our marketing efforts to build stronger connections with our audience. 1. Understanding Cultural Nuances - Recognizing and respecting cultural differences is key to creating effective marketing strategies. 2. Inclusion in Marketing - Inclusive marketing strategies not only reflect societal values but also drive business growth. 3. Authenticity Matters - Authentic representation of diverse cultures builds trust and loyalty among consumers. 4. Diverse Teams Drive Success - Teams with diverse backgrounds bring unique perspectives, leading to more innovative and effective marketing campaigns. 5. Continuous Learning and Adaptation - Marketers must continuously educate themselves on cultural trends and adapt their strategies accordingly. Read more about the power of culture and inclusion in marketing by Northwestern University here (Source: Northwestern University) https://lnkd.in/ebdBZfAH #CulturalInclusion #InclusiveMarketing #Diversity #MarketingStrategies #BusinessGrowth #Innovation #CulturalCompetence

How can you truly know an audience if your internal team has the same life experience? If they all look the same? If they all speak the same language? You won't. Then you'll end up making mistakes on your social media trying to speak a coded language you don't even understand but think its 'Gen Z slang.' Stop the madness 🖐🏿 Multicultural brand presence starts from the inside out. Before you even think about that multicultural campaign, look inside. Is your team as diverse as the audience you're trying to reach? If not, fix that first. Authenticity starts at home, folks! Your internal infrastructure is everything. Be flexible! Different cultures respond to different approaches. Be ready to pivot and personalize your strategy for various segments of your audience. The ability to understanding subtle differences in cultures can be a secret weapon. It's 2024 and that that one-size-fits-all brand awareness strategy is...a no. Don't let the people trick you into really beliveing diversity, equity and inclusion isn't a thing. It is. And it will impact your ROI if you don't pay attention to it. Fun fact: Companies in the top quartile for ethnic diversity are 35% more likely to have financial returns above their industry mean. #MulticulturalMarketing #AuthenticBranding #CulturalAwareness 

We were honoured to host Neeraj Sharma, Senior Vice President, Strategy, L&K Saatchi & Saatchi, for a highly engaging and deeply informative 94th Leadership Levers Lecture on “Behavioural Economics and Advertising”. Understanding the consumer psyche and the irrationality of the human decision-making process as the key to developing winning value propositions or product features to test in the market. Behavioural economics studies how a customer’s purchasing choices are influenced by factors that are seemingly unrelated to the product itself. These factors can be psychological, cognitive, emotional, cultural, or social. The core principle of marketing is to ensure that the consumer chooses your business over a competitor. Behavioural economics aids marketing strategies by understanding how consumer decisions can be influenced. As a result, making small changes to the product, the branding, or the choices you offer can massively influence consumer behaviour. Neeraj Sharma, in his engaging lecture, highlighted the importance of understanding behavioural economics in understanding consumer behaviour and making key marketing decisions. We, at TimesPro, thank Neeraj Sharma for his valuable time and insightful perspectives. It was truly a pleasure to host him, and we look forward to future sessions with him. Dr NAGENDRA V. CHOWDARY Nandita Gupta #timespro #leadershiplevers #economics #advertising #irrationality #behavioraleconomics

It’s been a week since we took over the Jo Malone London store to network with like minded female comms leaders. The discussions once again proved to be thought-provoking - one topic being the global world of work. So I’ve been pondering further on this as I got back to my desk. Working in globally dispersed teams has become so common to many of us. What’s brilliant is that it can bring a real diversity of thinking based on different cultural norms. But often they only come about when the team feels trusted to open up and share their viewpoints when they know they will be valued. I’ve been reading more about the relationship between trust and culture prompted by my discussion with Vanessa Pillay at the event. Vanessa talked about her first hand experience of how the two intersected for her when starting a new role in Budapest, just as the pandemic hit. Cue virtual get togethers only and the task of building solid trustworthy working relationships with a team she didn’t know, in a purely 2D format. That’s hard enough in itself, but what’s interesting is that I've now learnt that there is a massive difference between cultures and their baseline trust levels. 🤔 The Oxford University Centre for Corporate Reputation recently published some thinking based on the World Values Survey. It showed the massive disparity between countries when respondents were asked whether ‘most people can be trusted’. Highest results came from the Nordic markets (all above 65%) compared to drastically low percentages in Brazil (3%), Colombia (4%) and the Philippines (5%). 🌍 When you’re starting with this disparity in trust as your baseline, approaches to how you build team relationships differs between cultures. In a comms environment, we have found that working with trusted local experts and encouraging them to speak up is crucial - whether that be in an open group setting or in a one to one scenario. It really can be the make or break of a campaign to understand immediately how something will land, or indeed not. Demonstrating the point quite nicely is the HSBC "assume Nothing" campaign from years ago, which when translated to other languages, read “Do Nothing”.  It clearly hadn’t been stress-tested around the world and goes to show that reflecting cultural norms, including language can often be absolutely imperative to the overall strategy of a programme. In turn if people can see their perspectives factored in as local experts, you quickly build trust. At The PR Network, we work with progressive clients across the world from Australia to Brazil, Vietnam to North America and everywhere in between. After almost two decades, we’ve had to get pretty good at navigating cultural nuances and ensuring that brands are not monotone when landing a campaign in different markets. So if you’d like to know more about building a trusted team for brilliant comms programmes, let me know as I’d love to chat. #culture #globalcomms #pr

Cultural adaptation is the key to ensuring your message truly resonates with diverse audiences. However, many companies still overlook this critical step, leading to miscommunications and lost opportunities. I’ve seen countless examples where brands failed to connect with local audiences because they didn’t consider cultural nuances. By making cultural adaptation a priority, you can avoid these pitfalls and build stronger connections with your international customers. #Brand #Culture #L10n

🌍 Is Cultural Diversity an Untapped Goldmine or a Branding Conundrum? 🤔 Considering today is #CincoDeMayo, I'd like to discuss cultural diversity in #BrandStrategy. In particular, I've found some important dos and don'ts after 15 years of developing brands. ✅ DO Embrace Cultural Insights ↳ Understanding and incorporating cultural nuances can drive stronger connections with your target audience 🌐 ✅ DO Prioritize Global Consistency with Local Relevancy ↳ A unified brand message is critical, but it must be adapted to resonate with diverse markets 🌍 ✅ DO Invest in Culturally Diverse Teams ↳ A culturally diverse team with varied perspectives can help a brand navigate digital and global landscapes more effectively 🤝 ❌ DON'T Stereotype or Appropriate Cultures ↳ Misrepresentation and/or appropriation will hurt your brand's reputation and create a disconnect with the audience ⚠️ ❌ DON'T Ignore Local Market Trends ↳ A lack of sensitivity towards local trends makes a brand seem out of touch 📉 ❌ DON'T Assume One Size Fits All ↳ Failing to customize your strategy for individual markets can lead to missed opportunities 🚫 Embracing cultural diversity *in the right ways* can open doors to new markets and audiences, or even drive brand loyalty. What are your dos and don'ts for incorporating cultural diversity into your brand strategies? #CulturalDiversity #MarketingTips #GlobalMarket #BrandGrowth #DiversityInMarketing #InclusiveMarketing #GlobalMarketing #InclusiveBranding

Picture this: Your brand isn't just seen, but felt by everyone. That's the essence of inclusive marketing. It's not about ticking a box but crafting narratives that resonate with the rich tapestry of human experiences. 🌈 I've witnessed firsthand the transformative power of diversity in action. It's more than representation; it's about cultivating a profound understanding of different cultures, perspectives, and needs. This isn't just about being politically correct; it's about unlocking untapped markets, fostering innovation, and building a brand that truly connects with people on a deeper level. 💡 Ready to unlock the full potential of your audience? Let's embark on a journey of inclusive marketing together. I'll guide you through the process of understanding your diverse audience, crafting compelling narratives, and building a brand that celebrates diversity and inclusion. 🤝 #DiversityAndInclusion #MulticulturalMarketing #InclusiveBranding #MarketingStrategy #BrandBuilding #DiversityInBusiness #CulturalIntelligence #DEI #MarketDiversity #InclusiveGrowth #BusinessInnovation #ConsumerCentricity

#GeneralMills multicultural marketing strategy not only fosters inclusivity but also drives brand loyalty across diverse ethnic groups. Follow for more insights on multicultural marketing! 📈💡 - #MulticulturalMarketing #BrandLoyalty #InclusivityMatters #DiverseVoices #CulturalConnection #MarketingStrategy #EthnicDiversity #ConsumerEngagement #InclusiveBrands #DiversityInMarketing #BrandAwareness #CulturalInclusivity #MarketingInsights #CommunityBuilding #EthnicMarketing #SocialImpact #DiverseConsumers #BrandCommunity #MarketingForAll #creativemarketing #marketingtrends #digitalmedia #digitaladvertising #billiontags