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While marketing to a particular race may gain some movement in your campaign, if you use cliches it could backfire. There is a fine line between acknowledging cultural differences and feeding into stereotypes. Example: We know that not all ethnic hair is worn the same way, so showcasing an afro, braids and relaxed hair would be a fair representation, rather than a group of ladies with afros.
Twenty years ago men made up a fraction of the beauty industry. We only marketed to women. I remember creating a Masculine Menu to make men feel welcome. We had assumed they didn’t want to come to the salon, but times have changed and men now make up more than 33% of my business.
We should not allow our marketing efforts to rule out or turn off an entire group of potential customers.
Allow someone’s occupation to give you insight, but never presume a profession.
Example: Teachers are typically not able to come in until after 4 pm This knowledge might encourage us to create a Teacher Happy Hour Menu, but it does not mean we should assume teachers are never coming in during the day!
At the end of the day, remember we are all one! We want to make everyone feel welcome and wanted, but without offending anyone.