Editor’s note: John McKay is senior vice president at Data & Management Counsel, Inc., a Chadds Ford, Pa., research firm.

Advertising can play a crucial role in making Asian-Americans feel welcomed and appreciated. Because so few national firms currently advertise to Asian-Americans, the few who do are building tremendous brand loyalties in their category. To reach Asian-Americans effectively, they must be made to feel the ad is directed to them and that they are the audience. Culture-based, in-language advertising is the key.

Mainstream ads are in English, yet most Asian-Americans are not completely at ease with the language. When they open an Asian-language newspaper, few if any mainstream marketers communicate to them with ad copy in their native language. Research findings from numerous research studies have consistently substantiated the powerfully positive impact in-language marketing communications have on Asian-American customer attitudes, corporate image perceptions and purchase behavior.

Sensitivity and understanding on the part of the marketer are required to deliver ads that appeal to the many Asian nationalities. Marketers should not assume they know how a particular group likes to be portrayed in advertising. They must avoid using cultural stereotypes in advertising, store displays and sales literature, and avoid imposing anything patronizing, condescending or gratuitous in the marketing message. Marketers should also avoid communication mistakes by identifying any differences in the meaning of words and phrases among subgroups. By keeping these considerations in mind, marketers can create a positive image in their advertisements to the Asian-American community.

Asian-Americans are impacted by distinctly different cultural themes than the general American population. Advertising messages that are effective with mainstream audiences may not work with Asian consumers, so there is a need to tailor the marketing message to involve and impact the Asian customer. While each Asian culture has different nuances, all share common traits: reverence for family, a high level of responsibility, respect for elders, honoring traditions, importance of unity and harmony. Ads that incorporate these cultural themes are likely to win the respect and appreciation of most Asian cultures:

1. Importance of family. Ads aimed at most Americans seem to emphasize personal choices, independence, and leisure time outside the family - themes that appeal to American society where individualism is valued. Yet these advertising strategies are likely to be less impactful among Asian groups. In contrast to mainstream families, ads aimed at Asian-Americans should instead emphasize family unity as a means to achieve financial success and social status.

Asians are highly family-oriented and typically include an extended family within one household. Many Asian cultures believe strongly in community and avoid any notoriety for individuals. There is a saying in these communities that "the nail that sticks up gets hammered down." Thus advertisers should avoid showy displays of personal wealth or individuality.

Advertising to Asian-Americans should instead portray the family as the focus of daily life. Men and women should be portrayed in traditional gender roles. The decision-maker in the house is usually the mother, and the product should not offend her sensibilities. A more effective advertising message for all Asian groups would be to position the product as helping to improve family health and lifestyle.

2. Cultural heritage. Acknowledge the group’s heritage and uniqueness and the company’s respect for that heritage. Since most Asian-Americans are first-generation and conservative in their social and political views, ads should incorporate an appeal to their strong motivation to achieve prosperity. The Asian immigrant tends to respond most favorably to ads that recognize their need to both meld with their adopted society and to remember what they left behind. An advertiser should focus on the ways in which its product or service can enrich the Asian customer’s life and serve as a symbol of prestige.

3. Corporate history, size and stability. Asians have great respect for qualities such as company size, age, and stability which give ads an air of credibility to Asians. Ads which demonstrate a company’s long history, sound financial structure, and dependability are more likely to succeed with Asian-Americans than with mainstream customers, as Asians tend to have a greater inherent trust for the familiar.

4. Subtlety and tradition. Subtlety and tradition are positive themes that tend to appeal more to Asian-Americans than to mainstream audiences. For example: AT&T bluntly tells mainstream America "We want you back," but it politely informs Japanese Americans in Japanese that "We are waiting for your call." Advertisers should also be alert for mixed messages in their products or promotions. Many Asians follow numerology, for example, so an innocent combination of numbers in a promotion could have hidden meaning to the targeted Asian audience.

An ad must be positioned so Asian-American customers can identify culturally with it. If, for instance, a beverage ad shows two young Caucasian men playing sports, few Asian-Americans would pay attention to it. The ad could be effectively targeted to Asian-Americans by portraying two Asian men drinking the beverage at a picnic with their family. The ad would have a greater impact on, and a higher level of recall among, the large majority of Asian-American customers who saw it, as it integrates familiar and motivating themes of family, culture and tradition.

The focus of advertising targeted to Asian-American consumers should be on developing brand loyalty and market strength through in-language and culture-based marketing programs that are linked back to the Asian-American community. In developing advertising targeted to Asian-American consumers, it is important to make sure the following considerations are incorporated in the campaign:

  • demonstrate recognition and respect for their cultural heritage;
  • communicate in Asian languages via media channels they use;
  • emphasize customer education rather than the "hard sell";
  • Incorporate culturally significant occasions, themes, or items;
  • tailor the message to the culture, language, and needs of the target segment, so they will identify with the ad and recognize that they are the target audience.