Allison+Partners Launches New M365 Offering to Advance Global Multicultural Marketing Efforts

The specialty analyzes marketing programs across various multicultural dimensions to deliver more diversity-forward, inclusive and authentic campaigns

Allison+Partners announced the launch of M365, a multicultural marketing offering that brings together a team of specialists with expertise in ensuring diverse consumer groups are seen, heard and valued every day of the year. M365 is an evolution of the agency’s approach to multicultural communication and explores audience engagement through three distinct multicultural dimensions: cultural heritage, cultural status and cultural integration.

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“Many brands approach multicultural marketing as an afterthought and treat diverse consumer groups as a single monolithic entity instead of recognizing and understanding the unique nuances and cultural differences within each group”

Each multicultural dimension explores heritage, racial identities, sexual orientations, lifestyles, attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, points of engagement and best channels to engage. The offering leverages research, data science, cross-channel insights, media relationships and measurement reporting to implement successful local and global multicultural campaigns.

“Many brands approach multicultural marketing as an afterthought and treat diverse consumer groups as a single monolithic entity instead of recognizing and understanding the unique nuances and cultural differences within each group,” said Ro Hawthorne, vice president of M365. “This is because they fail to research and understand the target audience, which often leads to cultural insensitivities and less engagement. Our team of specialists help clients anticipate cultural and economic shifts to create more diversity-forward and inclusive campaigns. This ensures we’re good stewards, cultural anthropologists and continue to ingrain ethnographic studies throughout the creative process.”

The specialty collaborates with brands across industries and has a global reach to enhance intercultural storytelling across continents, a critical component for clients doing business or expanding globally.

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M365 offers several cultural-driven approaches to help clients create more effective and inclusive multicultural marketing campaigns that truly resonate with their target audience. Strategies include:

• Incorporating data science and technology through a digital-first approach to promote authentic brand awareness that uniquely reflects today’s multicultural consumer and the platforms where they consume content
• Creating relevant moments that tap into cultural trends and conversations
• Keeping pace with the ever-evolving societal shifts of multicultural audiences
• Leveraging research such as quick pulse surveys, focus groups and data insights to help clients understand motivations, aspirations, and key purchase drivers

M365 has already helped clients like Toyota, Aflac and Denny’s build and create authentic connections with multicultural consumer markets. The team executes some of Toyota’s multicultural public relations, supporting key cultural moments throughout the year such as programs like Native American Heritage Month Chef Collab to share the history of Indigenous Americans and food or Steeped in History to share the stories of how African American history affected local US cities and Lunar New Year to authentically celebrate Asian culture.

For Aflac we launched their first purpose campaign, Close the Gap, to highlight the health and wealth gaps in America and position the company as a leader in addressing medical debt.

The focal point of the multifaceted campaign was the brand’s first animated short film, The Park Bench, scored by Nas and developed by Black creators, where Aflac’s duck brings joy to a family struggling through the father’s sickle cell diagnosis and shows their journey to recovery. The film was an official selection at Brand Storytelling 2022, an official Sundance Film Festival sanctioned event.

The campaign launch was a success with half a billion impressions and counting, with stories in Forbes, Campaign US and AdWeek; film and talent coverage in Essence, Hollywood Life, InTouch Weekly; and live interviews with KTLA and ESPN.

The team also supports Denny’s activations for HBCU sports in campaigns like the Orange Blossom Classic between two powerhouse HBCUs Florida A&M and Jackson State University. As the title sponsor, Denny’s was pivotal in bringing this important classic back to the HBCUs after a 40-year hiatus.

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