How do brands become culturally fluent?

4 Dec

Written By Rochelle White Communications

What is culturally fluent?

For us, it looks like this:

Being culturally fluent means as a brand you have the ability to understand, relate, engage and communicate with people from different cultural backgrounds.

Your brand becomes more appealing and gains a wider more diverse and inclusive customer base.

Rochelle White Communications 👍🏽

Cultural fluency in marketing?

Cultural fluency in marketing refers to the ability of brands to understand and connect with the cultural values, beliefs, and practices of their target audience. It involves creating marketing strategies that reflect the diversity and nuances of different cultures, while avoiding stereotyping or cultural appropriation.

Why is cultural fluency important?

There are several reasons why cultural fluency is important in marketing:

Connect with diverse audiences: The world is becoming increasingly diverse and marketing strategies that reflect this diversity can help you connect with a broader range of consumers.
Avoid offending customers: Insensitive or offensive marketing can harm your brand's reputation and alienate customers.
Build brand loyalty: When consumers see that a brand understands and respects their culture, they are more likely to feel a connection to you and become loyal customers.

“Working with RWA has been transformative. We’ve been able to better understand the values and priorities of Gen Z & create messaging that resonates with them on a deeper level. This approach has not only improved our brand perception among Gen Z consumers but has also allowed us to make a positive impact by promoting inclusivity, sustainability & social responsibility.”

— Josh, Marketing and PR Manager UK and Europe

How to build cultural fluency into marketing?

To build cultural fluency into your marketing, we recommend you follow these best practices:

Research and understand the culture: Before creating marketing campaigns, it's essential to research and understand the culture of your target audiences. You should learn about the cultural values, beliefs, and practices of your audience and how they relate to the product or service being offered.

Work with diverse teams: You should work with or bring in diverse teams that reflect the diversity of your target audience. Having a team like this can provide unique perspectives and insights that can help you create culturally sensitive marketing campaigns.

Avoid stereotyping: You should avoid using stereotypes or cultural appropriation in your marketing campaigns. Stereotypes can be offensive and harmful, and cultural appropriation can be seen as disrespectful and insensitive.

Use inclusive language and imagery: You should use inclusive language and imagery that reflects the diversity of your target audience. This includes using diverse models and creators in content, advertising and avoiding gendered or racially charged language.

Be Authentic: Finally, you should be authentic in your campaigns. Consumers can spot inauthentic marketing, and it can harm your reputation.

Data and insights: positive impact on brands

Building cultural fluency into your marketing can have a positive impact on awareness and reach, leading to increased engagement, customer loyalty and your bottom line.

Here’s some examples:

Increased sales: according to a study by the CEB, brands that create an emotional connection with their customers can see a 50% increase in sales. Creating culturally fluent marketing campaigns that resonate with target audiences help brands create emotional connections.
Improved reputation: You can create campaigns that improve your reputation with customers. Trust us when we say that when you understand and respect culture, this can lead to positive word-of-mouth recommendations and increased brand loyalty.
Increased brand awareness: Increasing brand awareness can attract new customers who can be a mix of demographics who identify to your brand's values and message.
Positive social media engagement: This can support and generate positive engagement on social media. Consumers are more likely to share and engage with campaigns that resonate with their values, leading to increased reach, engagement and awareness.

There’s a reason that many brands from independent to luxury are starting to be more cultural fluent across their marketing, tone and messaging.

Click here to find out more about how culture actually influences marketing.