Major cultural festivals and holidays represent unique opportunities for marketers to speak to consumers at culturally relevant events and community venues. With the holiday season approaching, this is the time that astute marketers review possible tie-ins with Hispanic, African-American and Asian-American holidays, showing these key consumer groups that their business is important by acknowledging the holidays that are important to them. Three experts in marketing to these groups shared the whys as well as the dos and don'ts for ethnic holiday marketing.

"Marketers that want to establish a relationship with ethnic communities need to address these communities not only when they want to sell or promote services but to acknowledge the important cultural aspects of these communities," said Saul Gitlin, Director of Strategic Marketing Services, Kang & Lee Advertising Inc., the leading full-service advertising agency linking corporate America to the Asian American marketplace. "Acknowledging cultural events and holidays is a way to build a bond, a way to show commitment and a way to recognize their diverse lifestyles." Kang & Lee works with advertisers such as AT&T, Bank of America, the California State Lottery and Sears, all of which develop special community programs to greet consumers on these major holidays. The important holidays in the Asian market include Asian Lunar New Year, which is celebrated by the Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese communities and the Moon festival, celebrated by Chinese and Koreans. During Lunar New Year, many marketers tie in to community venues such as the San Francisco Chinese Lunar New Year parade which is the largest nighttime parade in the US and the largest celebration by Chinese outside mainland China.

Yet new marketers should be careful about using the holiday seasons as their first foray into the ethnic market. "The holidays are good opportunities to greet consumers and offer special sales or promotions connected to the holidays," said Gitlin. "But because there is a lot of advertising greeting during these times, it might not be the ideal time to introduce new products," he said. Asian American consumers are sensitive to the recognition they get from major corporate marketers that they not only have money to spend but that their holidays are important to them, Gitlin noted.

"Tying in to holidays is something that has worked very well," said Isabel Valdés, President, The Market Connections Group, Cultural Access Worldwide, whose company has done research with retailers wishing to tap into the ethnic markets. "Holidays touch you on an emotional level," she said. "The industries that do this well are retail and financial services like banks which have done campaigns during holiday week," she noted. "How people feel about their holiday is very powerful and moving. The fact that a store displays ads in Spanish and celebrates the holiday is one of the most direct ways to tell a consumer, 'We like you. We want your business.' By doing it right, you are building a bond with the consumer."

"The religious holidays are very powerful and unite all the Hispanic communities, such as Christmas and January 6, Los Tres Reyes, when we give gifts," Valdés said.

Howard Buford, President, Prime Access, Inc., a multicultural marketing firm specializing in advertising and direct marketing to African-American, Gay & Lesbian and Latino consumers, concurs that 3 Kings Day is significant for the Hispanic community and notes that his agency has worked on special ad executions for Eastman Kodak around this holiday.

As far as African American holidays, he notes that Kwanzaa, the period between Christmas and New Years', is important in this market. Also, the period between Martin Luther King's birthday in January and then through February, Black History Month is a crucial time, known as the Freedom Window. "This is the time for marketers to show their appreciation of consumers and their embracing of their heritage, their contributions in history," said Buford. "If, for example, a retailer is selling clothes, now is the time to bring out the prints with the African influence," he suggested. "We have done Remy Martin-sponsored events at this time at B. Smith's (in NYC) and in Chicago at the DuSable Museum of African American History."

"You know, all these consumers are members of "out groups." You have to understand the "out group" mentality," he explained. "It means not being included in mainstream advertising. So when a marketer does something clearly for them, that strengthens that relationship. It tells them you're thinking about them, that they're important. It's not just a matter of including them in ads." Understanding and celebrating their holidays is a way to underscore that.

For more information, please contact Lisa Skriloff, 212-242-3351, infobrokr1@aol.com.