Multicultural Marketing

English language proficiency as a criterion in audience selection

Audience size and English language proficiency are often the two most critical selection criteria for multicultural marketing campaigns. IDENTITY Communications, the intelligent multicultural marketing agency agrees, and disagrees. Here’s why…

The audience selection for multicultural campaigns can be a little formulaic. Pick the largest language population for a particular demographic (age, gender etc), then consider their English proficiency as a way of further ranking them. For example, if the campaign targets all people 18yo+ then multicultural marketers might pick the largest 20 language groups in Australia, then they’d rank them by the proportion with low English language proficiency (those who claimed to speak English “poorly” or “not at all” when they answered the 2016 Census).

Use the table below to rank/sort languages by the respective columns – currently it’s ranked by groups with the lowest ratio of English proficiency.  On top that is Marra, an Australian Aboriginal language spoken in the Northern Territory around the Roper, Towns and Limmen Bight Rivers. Of eight people who speak Marra at home, 75% claimed to have low English language proficiency. Rounding out the top 3 are Zomi and Rohingya, mainly spoken by migrants from Myanmar.

LanguageTotal% Low Eng
Marra875%
Zomi 1,105 60%
Rohingya 2,245 56%
Warramiri1856%
Chin Haka 4,806 52%
Karen 10,271 51%
Ritharrngu2540%
Wagiman1937%
Hazaraghi 22,270 37%
Mongolian 2,144 34%
Mon28234%
Khmer 35,428 33%
Gooniyandi13833%
Korean 108,999 32%
Ngarinyman23231%
Hmong 2,451 31%
Vietnamese 277,405 31%
Murrinh Patha 1,971 31%
Wu 3,383 31%
Chaldean Neo-Aramaic 17,170 31%
Tibetan 1,474 30%
Dari 30,437 28%
Pintupi14728%
Uygur 1,023 27%
Lao 9,981 26%
Mandarin 596,713 26%
Burmese 16,320 26%
Timorese49926%
Uzbek52426%
Wergaia1225%
Cantonese 280,947 25%
Hakka 8,986 25%
Kirundi (Rundi) 3,098 25%
Acehnese10625%
Georgian19724%
Javanese7424%
Assyrian Neo-Aramaic 28,349 23%
Auslan 10,114 23%
Pashto 9,232 23%
Tatar11023%
Kurdish 6,202 22%
Anuak24022%
Kinyarwanda (Rwanda)87921%
Galpu9021%
Thai 55,446 21%
Luritja95621%
Mandinka57920%
Ngaliwurru2520%
Ngaanyatjarra 1,113 20%
Tigre17120%
Lingala30020%
Tigrinya 4,578 19%
Oromo 3,045 19%
Loma (Lorma)7419%
Min Nan 17,907 18%
Turkish 58,354 18%
Persian (excluding Dari) 58,315 18%
Somali 14,176 18%
Dinka 12,700 17%
Djambarrpuyngu 4,286 17%
Belorussian18817%
Moro (Nuba Moro)19417%
Bosnian 15,830 17%
Serbian 53,802 17%
Kpelle1817%
Dhanggatti3716%
Arabic 321,723 16%
Albanian 9,177 16%
Pitjantjatjara 3,127 16%
Macedonian 66,020 16%
Greek 237,586 16%
Romany16516%
Mann9016%
Japanese 55,969 15%
Lardil6515%
Ewe54215%
Russian 50,318 15%
Nuer 2,154 14%
Tetum 1,105 14%
Kaytetye12014%
Turkmen33214%
Madi93414%
Balochi25514%
Fulfulde52814%
Warlpiri 2,305 14%
Alyawarr 1,548 14%
Serbo-Croatian/Yugoslavian, so described 6,066 13%
Cypriot, so described24713%
Nyamal3013%
Wagilak2313%
Gupapuyngu14713%
Ndjebbana (Gunavidji)17813%
Italian 271,598 13%
Croatian 56,888 13%
Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole) 6,172 13%
Yankunytjatjara41913%
Portuguese 48,853 13%
Liyagalawumirr4813%
Kune17812%
Na-kara5712%
Mandaean (Mandaic)16312%
Nunggubuyu27812%
Rembarrnga4112%
Bilinarra4112%
Acholi 1,091 12%
Swahili 11,465 12%
American Languages11812%
Amharic 6,811 12%
Bari85412%
Harari57511%
Shilluk23211%
Aromunian (Macedo-Romanian)4511%
Daatiwuy3611%
Yinhawangka3611%
Azeri44211%
Spanish 140,818 11%
Dan (Gio-Dan)22011%
Armenian 10,193 11%
Kiwai3711%
Latin30711%
Walmajarri28011%
Nepali 62,004 11%
Polish 48,080 11%
Hausa20011%
Kunwinjku 1,711 10%
Ukrainian 7,680 10%
Punjabi 132,490 10%
Kriol 7,153 10%
Balinese19610%
Bassa7910%
Basque7010%
Finnish 5,967 10%
Kalaw Kawaw Ya/Kalaw Lagaw Ya95610%
Western Arrarnta43910%
Romanian 12,951 10%
Hungarian 19,895 9%
Gujarati 52,889 9%
Eastern Arrernte3899%
Tamil 73,162 9%
Gurindji4009%
Burarra9969%
Tokelauan9549%
Tongan 17,694 9%
Indonesian 67,894 9%
Urdu 69,300 9%
Dhuwaya3369%
Czechoslovakian, so described1639%
Mayali1458%
Sindhi 1,593 8%
Yawuru618%
Liberian (Liberian English)2498%
Manyjilyjarra3138%
Samoan 44,869 8%
Malayalam 53,206 8%
Ngarinyin388%
Oriya7238%
Meriam Mir2198%
Bulgarian 2,680 8%
Bengali 54,565 8%
Krahn677%
Slovak 5,435 7%
Themne687%
Kuninjku557%
Warumungu3177%
Mangala697%
Telugu 34,433 7%
Maltese 31,987 7%
Malay 17,942 7%
Nyangumarta2147%
Paakantyi437%
Yiddish 1,499 7%
Wangurri597%
Iban617%
Dhalwangu617%
Nyikina617%
Krio 2,529 6%
Anindilyakwa 1,485 6%
Slovene 4,088 6%
Kukatja1306%
Czech 7,931 6%
Bikol1186%
Bardi3216%
Martu Wangka7276%
Gilbertese3896%
Djapu856%
Maori (Cook Island) 5,109 6%
Estonian 1,848 5%
Mauritian Creole 4,200 5%
Sinhalese 64,606 5%
Ganalbingu595%
Catalan4405%
Kannada 9,706 5%
Marathi 13,056 5%
Lithuanian 2,003 5%
Maung3755%
Hindi 159,653 5%
Kashmiri2135%
Bisaya 4,063 5%
Tiwi 2,043 5%
Luo1344%
Mudburra904%
Akan 3,094 4%
Pampangan2504%
Konkani 2,416 4%
Gumatj1164%
French 70,872 4%
Wajarri1464%
Dhivehi5444%
Rotuman3604%
Wik Mungkan4464%
Cebuano 2,821 4%
Tulu5864%
Seychelles Creole5224%
Igbo 2,033 4%
Tok Pisin (Neomelanesian) 3,743 4%
Latvian 2,951 4%
Hebrew 10,343 4%
Icelandic2854%
Fijian Hindustani 2,708 4%
Nauruan3153%
Ga2313%
Luganda4933%
Yindjibarndi3773%
Fijian 8,143 3%
Swedish 8,955 3%
Nyanja (Chichewa)4193%
Tagalog/Filipino 182,498 3%
Norwegian 2,902 3%
IIokano5623%
Guugu Yimidhirr7733%
Nyungar4773%
Gamilaraay1033%
Aboriginal English, so described6543%
Ilonggo (Hiligaynon)6973%
German 79,357 3%
Ngarrindjeri3173%
Tuvaluan2483%
Jaru2193%
Gaelic (Scotland) 1,007 3%
Niue7883%
Maori (New Zealand) 11,751 3%
Kuku Yalanji3242%
Motu (HiriMotu)6912%
Assamese3742%
Dutch 33,836 2%
Garrwa1312%
Tswana4472%
Danish 5,780 2%
Irish 1,946 2%
Swiss, so described7092%
Zulu6672%
Kuuk Thayorre2062%
Norf'k-Pitcairn 1,033 2%
Wangkatha2242%
Shona 11,040 2%
Wiradjuri4572%
Afrikaans 43,748 2%
Ndebele 1,366 1%
Yoruba 2,462 1%
Welsh 1,689 1%
Bemba7841%
Solomon Islands Pijin2941%
Bislama2610%
Kija1640%
Xhosa1580%
Miriwoong1530%
Adnymathanha1410%
Kikuyu1380%
Iwaidja1240%
Bandjalang1150%
Banyjima1060%
Gumbaynggir900%
Gudanji850%
Wambaya600%
Yorta Yorta600%
Gun-nartpa550%
Frisian530%
Kaurna510%
Wardaman500%
Djabugay490%
Letzeburgish470%
Gurr-goni460%
Girramay460%
Gundjeihmi450%
Karajarri430%
Bunuba380%
Yanyuwa370%
Ngarluma370%
Dharawal290%
Ngan'gikurunggurr270%
Narungga270%
Warlmanpa260%
Jingulu240%
Yidiny220%
Bidjara220%
Yugambeh220%
Batjala210%
Waanyi200%
Rirratjingu190%
Kartujarra190%
Kariyarra190%
Wubulkarra170%
Kukatha170%
Muruwari160%
Marrithiyel150%
Yulparija150%
Larrakiya140%
Yapese140%
Wurlaki130%
Liyagawumirr120%
Wangkajunga120%
Arabana120%
Madarrpa110%
Malak Malak100%
Koko-Bera100%
Tjupany100%
Kayardild100%
Jawoyn90%
Worrorra90%
Wunambal90%
Dyirbal80%
Githabul80%
Maringarr70%
Kuuku-Ya'u70%
Palyku/Nyiyaparli70%
Keerray-Woorroong70%
Marrangu60%
Kanai60%
Malngin50%
Alawa40%
Manyjalpingu40%
Gudjal40%
Wangkangurru40%
Guyamirrilili30%
Gurindji Kriol30%
Ngardi30%
Eastern Anmatyerr30%

When English proficiency is used, language groups such as Hindi, Punjabi and Tagalog/Filipino are often excluded. This makes sense for mass awareness campaigns because these groups are able to access information via ‘mainstream’ comms. In Australia, cultural media are relatively limited compared to mainstream options, so these groups are more likely to be exposed to campaign messaging via mainstream channels.

But what if we wanted to go beyond driving awareness? What if we wanted to drive consideration and action?

Even  groups with very high English language proficiency, advertising in-language, in either ethnic media or mainstream media, has a positive effect in terms of awareness, trust and likelihood to buy, according to a new US study by the Cultural Marketing Council (CMC). Their report, Digital Lives 2018: A World of Digital “Everything” Through a Cultural Lense found “ads placed on platforms with cultural content have more power across ages and languages… Spanish-language ads – even in mainstream sites – create more engagement with Hispanics. The CMC conducted an online quantitative study of 3,500 total 13 to 49-year-old respondents with equal representation of non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic African-Americans (NHAA) and Hispanics (HISP), as well as in-home qualitative among 15 respondents.

As can be seen in the image above, placing Spanish-language advertising on sites with content for the Hispanic community will lead to this audience paying more attention to the product, trust that brand more and ultimately more likely to buy that product. The results were similar regardless of whether the language on that site was in Spanish or English. Similarly, placing advertising on a site with African-Americans content, although the site is in English, dramatically increases the likelihood of purchase.

What does this all means? Well, if it’s a simple information campaign which doesn’t involve consideration and behaviour change, and you’re spending a decent budget on ‘mainstream’ channels, then translated advertising placed in cultural media may not be essential for groups with high English language proficiency such as those born in India and the Philippines.

But… if you are a car brand who want to stand out in a competitive market, it makes a lot of sense (and dollars) to use cultural media to build awareness, trust and consideration for your brand.

And that’s why our media planners used Indian media for the Sonata campaign for client, Hyundai.

Agree or disagree? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section.

Have questions? Send us an email, we’d love to hear from you. 

thangngo

Recent Posts

Diverse Australia: Why it heralds the end of multicultural marketing

WARC, 27 July 2022 With the 2021 Australian Census revealing the significant increase in the…

2 years ago

Office of Responsible Gambling releases multilingual ‘Number that Changed My Life’ campaign

Mumbrella, 22 July 2022 The Office of Responsible Gambling has rolled out the ‘Number that…

2 years ago

Identity Communcations Announces Kimberly Stafford as Business Director

B&T, 8 July 2022 UM’s multicultural marketing agency, Identity Communications, today announces the appointment of…

2 years ago

What the 2021 Census means for marketers

AdNews, 4 July 2022 We all live in our own bubble with like-minded friends and…

2 years ago

COVID Commentary – Thang Ngo, Identity Communications

AdNews, 1 September 2021 Industry figures are leading the way in getting vaccinated against COVID-19,…

2 years ago