Ethnic Marketing: Reaching the Jewish Demographic

Different groups of people will always need to be communicated with in different ways. Understanding cultural sensitivities and tailoring messaging to those needs is what successful marketing campaigns are made of.

A recent Forbes article, “Putting the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Through the Large Family Stress Test” pointed out the efficacy of this strategy. FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automotive) owns virtually half the US minivan market. But they’d do well to ask themselves: who is our target market?

And if they’d ask themselves that, they’d likely answer themselves this: large families. Their follow-up research would reveal that the Orthodox Jewish demographic represents a large segment of their market. Extensive research will prove this point but so will this simple experiment. Take a quick tour of a supermarket parking lot in a predominantly Jewish area and note the number of minivans present. Staggering, right? FCA would do well to nurture and market to this demographic.

Take this example of successful ethnic marketing. JetBlue ran a Passover-themed marketing campaign with a clever play on “The Four Questions,” entitled “Why is This Airline Different from All Other Airlines?” Not only was this a witty ad, but it was a brilliant marketing strategy. Here’s why: Passover is a family-oriented holiday, prime for family get-togethers and vacations, most of which require airfare. A carefully crafted, strategically timed message garners support and gains traction among its targeted demographic.

With Jewish orthodox fertility rates reaching a whopping 4.1 per family, there are opportunities for profitable gains in a wide range of markets, from clothing and toys to food and beyond. Orthodox Jews have also proven to spend significantly on clothing (especially in the holiday season), food, school, and more. For businesses operating in this space, a world of opportunity awaits.

Convinced? Ready to start your marketing campaign? Not so fast.

The Orthodox Jewish demographic a population which needs to be communicated with in specific ways and through specific mediums to accommodate their nuanced sensitivities, which is why strategic ethnic marketing is critical.

There is definitive evidence that Orthodox and traditionally observant Jews constitute an almost exclusive advertising audience – not readily influenced by so-called “mass media.” For example, Jews look askance at the prurience, violent behavior, sexual innuendo, etc. that are commonly found in the media. Accordingly, Orthodox Jews often do not obtain their information from traditional media sources which often discuss and portray these elements.

Additionally, the Jewish people have many times during the year where it is difficult to engage with them. Sabbath, Jewish holiday seasons, and festivals scattered throughout the year means marketing campaigns must be well thought out. These times also present major opportunities as they are times in which Jews make new purchases.

As such, messages to the Orthodox community must be developed in a completely different manner that is attuned to their sensitivities and target them through other Orthodox media sources.

Yitzchok Saftlas, Founder and CEO of Bottom Line Marketing Group, has immense experience marketing to the Jewish population. The team of skilled professionals at Bottom Line Marketing Group have a nuanced understanding of their needs and the market research to back it up.

Bottom line? The Jewish demographic represents an important and lucrative marketing opportunity as its rising population offers considerable power in both the marketplace and political sphere. You just need to know when, how, and why to target it.