“It is about time that marketers focus on being inclusive and most importantly, bespoke” says Marija Kovacevic, MultiConnexions Media Director.
Ever since the first Europeans began to migrate to Australia and make this great Southern land their home, Australia has always been multicultural. Today, Australia has become markedly more Asian; predominantly driven by Chinese and Indian new audiences, among other Asian migrants.
The below chart shows growth in speakers of Chinese and Indian languages in Australia since 2001. If you live in Sydney or Melbourne, Census data reflects the reality of multicultural Australia perfectly with 1 in 2 Sydneysiders and 2 in 3 Melbournians speaking a language other than English at home.
Australian brands and businesses, some more than others, have begun to capitalise on migration from these two giants through strategic marketing campaigns including advertising.
Once upon a time, marketing agencies and brands used to rely only on SBS to reach diverse audiences. Today SBS is still a very important player and should be part of a successful brand’s media strategy however brands have learned that engaging these audiences requires more than just a 30 second television commercial in English on a Sunday night.
We have seen a major shift in the multicultural industry, and to be honest I think it is about time that we focus on being inclusive and most importantly, bespoke.
Brands marketing consistently to these multicultural audiences have gained new customers and built brand advocates within tight knit communities.
Publishers have also joined the multicultural journey by creating inventory to reach new millennials.
For example, Val Morgan has created an ‘Access Asia’ package which is made up of Bollywood and Chinese films only, oOh!media Limited created a ‘Fly China’ package to reach Chinese tourists, and then there is of course the Chinese edition of AFR, Harper’s Bazaar and Gourmet Traveller that target the luxury-obsessed Chinese market.
All well and good, right? Perhaps not.
Our MultiConnexions research and experience has indicated such a targeting strategy may not be enough by itself.
Our research indicates that new migrants arriving into Australia don’t simply change their media habits overnight – habits that were built over the years in their home countries.
Migrants continue to use country-of-origin websites and social media platforms in Australia, they watch their favourite shows and movies through their favourite streaming platforms such as Zee 5 or Youku and their mobile phones are still set to their own language.
When they arrive to Australia media consumption integration happens very slowly – if brands wait until that integration happens, it would potentially be too late as new migrants’ new brand loyalties are often formed very early on and a first-point-of-contact strategy may not work.
For more insights on Asian audiences in Australia, how they consume media, what triggers them and how to create relevant communication, reach out and start a conversation with MultiConnexions today.
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Image Source: Fairfield Council, Nielsen