Images of Ethnic Minorities

Coming from such a culturally diverse background as Miami, it is interesting to note the differences in how minorities are portrayed in the media and in advertisements here in Berlin. As the world becomes more convergent and people travel from their homeland, awareness of cultural differences and the importance of personalizing marketing messages become ever more imperative.

Detail

View the short clip below to hear a discussion on the portrayal of Turks in German media and the history of Turks in Berlin.

Discussion

The Turkish people represent 40 percent of the population here in Berlin. That is an enormous minority group to completely ignore from mainstream media. Of course, their may always be found independent, small publishers or advertisers that market only to the Turkish people and therefore tailor their messages accordingly, but for mainstream, popular media, this ethnic group is significantly underrepresented.

For the most part, advertisements in Berlin feature the typical Anglo-Saxon-Germanic person: light hair, pale skin, and standard Western attire. So what becomes of the hundreds of thousands of Turks living in Berlin? Berlin is actually the third-largest Turkish city in the world, behind Istanbul and Ankara. Slowly they are beginning to penetrate the market and gain recognition with marketers, according to locals who have been here long enough to notice the small change. More ads with traditional Turkish clothing are being aired, more Turks are appearing in advertisements and media, and more time is being devoted to research topics specifically with Turks in mind. This represents an incredible opportunity for culturally competent people who are familiar with Turkey. Because personalization of messages is the new frontier in marketing, those who are able to discern between cultural tastes and preferences will be favored.

Highlights

- Berlin media portrays and represents very few minorities, with the Turkish people just beginning to emerge into mainstream media outlets

- cultural competence and consideration is key in the field of marketing, especially in a world where borders are coming down across the globe

- the Turkish population has significant buying power in Berlin, and could dramatically affect the market share of products tailored more toward themselves.