Speaker: It’s Time to Make the First Move

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — Companies will enjoy lasting rewards if they are the first among their competitors to reach the multicultural market, John Hawkins, president and chief executive officer of Pathfinder Management Consulting, Cincinnati, said yesterday in a session on multi-cultural marketing at the Path to Purchase Institute’s Shopper Marketing Summit here.

“There are first-mover benefits,” Hawkins said.

John Hawkins. Photo by Brian Morrison Photography

Take Diageo’s Ciroc vodka. Diageo revived the 25-year-old brand by partnering with celebrity Sean Combs.

“When Sean Combs became the face behind it, it became new and cool,” said Hawkins. “Until then, it was a 25-year-old brand sitting dormant.”

As for other ways to win the multicultural consumer, companies need to have sufficient multicultural staffing in place, Hawkins added.

“You need to staff your organization so that the broader community can see that you are what you say you want to be,” he said.

And that means more than just a few people, Hawkins stressed.

“There’s a fatigue that sets in when you only have one or two individuals handling this effort,” Hawkins noted.