Chiqui Cartagena, a Hispanic market thought leader, recently wrote an excellent post entitled "Who Are We Really? And Why Marketers Should Care" over at Adage. Here's a snippet:
We need to stop using old, stereotypical definitions of groups -- such as "general market" and, yes, "multicultural market" (neither of which mean anything, really) -- and start thinking about consumers and treating them as real people going through real life stages whose cross-cultural identity affects the way they consume products or services, communicate and behave.
Chiqui makes an excellent point about the need for marketers to go beyond the labels and understand the cultural, personal, and societal impact we have in America. Going beyond the labels will help us all to grasp the fibers of cultural richness that exude from all angles.
Those of us who recognize and agree with Chiqui's insight should be inspired to take our dynamic and different approaches to the next level. Our efforts should lead to an end result fertile with creativity, innovation, and inspiration. Only then will we truly go beyond the norms of business as usual.