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Authenticity Key to Multicultural Communication
Two local proponents of multicultural communication — Asusena Reséndiz, president and chief executive officer of the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of
Commerce, and Deanna McKinley, APR, vice president of multicultural communications at OCG PR — had some advice for those at the Aug. 27 IABC meeting: Successful messaging
begins with authenticity.
Get help from consultants and agencies that understand how to approach the
target audience, McKinley said. Conduct focus groups. Consider more than just
language barriers. For instance, she said, numerous nationalities speak Spanish
— know the nuances. Also:
• Pitch to bloggers in ethnically diverse markets. Spokespeople should look like
their audience. Leverage the value of celebrity, and “celebrity” does not necessarily mean superstar athlete, musician or actor. It could mean a
popular clergy figure or an influential area news personality.
• Consider generational differences that may exist inside cultural groups.
Similar messages may need to be expressed in different ways to reach different
ages. Businesses and organizations may need to produce signage and collateral
materials in multiple languages.
• Choose relevant platforms. Younger audiences respond to social media, McKinley
noted. Radio works with young Hispanics. For young African-Americans, consider
TV.
Reséndiz said the Hispanic chamber is building a grassroots movement that is “taking our message outside the ethnic community.” Hispanics represent 33 percent of Fort Worth’s population, McKinley added, and “they are the youth market.” Nationwide, she said, 23 percent of children under 17 are Hispanic. Any
youth-related campaign or initiative must be Hispanic-driven, she said.
African-Americans are 18 percent of Fort Worth’s population, said McKinley, who sees African-Americans as early-adopters and
trendsetters who like to try out new things.
The Tarrant County LGBT (lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender) population is
estimated at 3-8 percent. McKinley said people in this community have higher
discretionary income, purchase more luxury items and travel more for pleasure.
Given the upscale demographics, she said, “Why would any business not want to reach this community?”
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NEW AND RETURNING MEMBERS
SPJ ... Carolyn Barta, SMU ... Marti Harvey, UTA ... Kelly Gooch, Tyler Morning Telegraph
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PRESIDENT’S COLUMN
Chris Smith, Greater Fort Worth PRSA
Because change is the only constant, we must keep abreast of trends and best
practices, but how many of us have a systematic way of doing this? I noticed on
Facebook the other day ”20 Things the Rich Do Every Day.” Not that the moneyed have all the answers, but some apparently do favor good
habits and a fairly linear way of keeping current. Who knows, perhaps there is
a correlation between these activities and wealth.
According to the article, the rich listen to audio books during their daily
commute. They write down their goals. They read 30 minutes or more each day for
education or career reasons. They network five hours or more each month. They
believe in lifelong educational improvement.
In his book “The Power of Habit,” Charles Duhigg says that experts now know “why habits emerge, how they change, and the science behind their mechanics.” We know “how to make people eat less, exercise more, work more efficiently and live
healthier lives.” Duhigg acknowledges that changing habits isn’t easy, quick or simple — but possible.
Given the premise that it’s wise to have certain habits and that integrating them into our routine can
promote success, my question to you is, “What’s your system for continual professional improvement?” If you don’t have one, PRSA has the tools to get you started.
Each month we offer one or more events for networking and continuing education.
Our membership benefits include subscriptions to informative publications and
daily e-mails with links to keep us aware. Our APR certification provides a
professional, attainable goal. This didn’t start out as a PRSA sales pitch, but if it works ...
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OVER & OUT
John Dycus, Fort Worth SPJ
New SPJ board president David Cuillier, an assistant j-prof at the University of Arizona, offers a thoughtful look
post-convention at what happens next. Welcome and good luck, David. May the linotype gods keep you in hot type
forever. ...
SPJ national has compiled an experts list of members who are available to
journalists seeking information in their areas of expertise. Think diversity,
freedom of information, ethics. Check out the list at spj.org/experts.asp.
Caught my eye. CO2 levels in atmosphere reaching 400ppm for first time in 3 million years. ... Zapping away cocaine addiction with laser light. ... Bladeless windmills: A new source of wind energy? ... Coke’s new ice bottle keeps drinks cool and melts away with no waste. ... Global warming computer models may be overestimating drought risk. ... SolePower insole charges devices using the power of walking. ... Stopping floods with nature’s help. ... The biggest bicycling infrastructure achievement in North America that you’ve never heard about. ... Incredible spray makes anything totally waterproof. ... Philips shows breakthrough 200 lumens/watt warm white LED lamp. ... Nation’s largest indoor organic farm now growing in Chicago.
Closing words: “Jeff, thanks for your support.” — Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s Twitter response to a follower who called state Sen. Wendy Davis “retard Barbie” ... “First and foremost, I’m in.” — Texas State Board of Education member Thomas Ratliff, R-Mount Pleasant, accepting state Sen. Dan Patrick’s challenge to a debate on the CSCOPE curriculum ... “In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows
to blind those who don’t.” — Blaise Pascal ... “No one has ever given me a good reason why we should obey unjust laws.” — Helen Keller
Closing words II, wildfires are the new normal division: “Something will have gone out of us as a people if we ever let the remaining
wilderness be destroyed. ... We need wilderness preserved — as much of it as is still left, and as many kinds — because it was the challenge against which our character as a people was
formed. ... We simply need that wild country available to us, even if we never
do more than drive to its edge and look in. For it can be a means of reassuring
ourselves of our sanity as creatures, a part of the geography of hope.” — author-conservationist
Wallace Stegner
the LaRocque Family catalog ...
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