BUYER'S FORUM
Breaking The Mold
Amy Spiezio, Managing Editor

When opening a magazine, watching the television, or even setting up P.O.P. at an optical dispensary, the people pictured in the media are frequently the traditional image of an "American"—an anglo. But according to the U.S. Census bureau, that picture is changing.  

By the year 2050, it is expected that the population of whites in the U.S. will dip from 69.4 percent of the population to 50 percent. The other half of the country's
population will be a growing fiscal powerhouse made up of many ethnicities. Angling your business to embrace these potential clients just makes good sense.

When it comes to marketing to a diverse clientele, there are many considerations to take into account. From hiring a multilingual sales staff to utilizing presentation materials that picture a diverse range of models, Eyecare Business has provided pointers for reaching out to these markets successfully through the years.

1988: Experts agree that the Spanish-speaking market is a good one, but Hispanic buyers can't be pushed into buying on the strength of clever jingles. Stressing family values could be the key to attracting some of their business. 

If your practice or dispensary is located in an area that has a larger population of speakers of a particular language, consider hiring a bilingual salesperson.

1996: Wendy Leiberman, president of WSL Marketing in New York, notes: "Cultural diversity should not be viewed as complicated, or even intimidating in your marketing process. It may cost a little more to do
separate advertising, it may cost a little more to have a more tailored marketing mix, but it will make a tremendous difference in making customers feel that you care about them."

2002: Opticians who sell to the African American and Hispanic markets suggest that suppliers could do more to support their sales efforts by utilizing multicultural models in their advertising campaigns and P.O.P. materials. While Spanish-language advertisements are common in Miami, the models are not Hispanic. "I have certain brands that I do very well with here, but I could probably do even better with them if I had marketing materials featuring Hispanic models," says George Sorbino, the owner of Universal Optical in Miami.