BIZ Online NGLCC

By Kimberlee S. Williams 

Welcome to The M Word!

If you're reading this, it's most likely because the title caught your eye, not because you happen to know me or you're a talented mind reader (although you could be!).

No, more likely it's because you recognized the title's not-so-subtle reference to Showtime's hit series, "The L Word."

That's what we call marketing. It's all about grabbing your attention, even if you can't quite explain why, and getting you to do something, even if you occasionally don't want to. In this case, I wanted you to read my column, and here you are.

Of course, all that assumes you're a lesbian, or a member of the greater LGBT community, and you've been paying attention. It's a risk we take in targeted marketing, but it's a calculated one when you're trying to reach a very specific market such as the LGBT or African-American markets.

I should know. It's my job. As co-owner and marketing director for FEMWORKS, a boutique multicultural marketing agency and photography studio based in Newark, N.J., I help my clients tap into the more than $600 billion dollar LGBT market, specifically the multicultural LGBT market.

While FEMWORKS has just recently become a National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC)-certified company, I've been in the multicultural marketing business for more than 10 years, focusing on African American women and the African American LGBT community. I have a passion for bringing people together to increase brand loyalty, profit margins and empowerment. I've been drawn to this field because it fosters a personal synergy in my life, bringing together my love of the arts, communications and graphic design.

In the last decade, "diversity in the workplace" has become more than a catchphrase, it's an industry trend. And the results don't lie—companies that successfully integrate multicultural practices within all areas of their business stand to gain significant financial and social benefits. Now more than ever, marketing budgets are dedicated to the multicultural dollar as a viable expansion market, and as an influencer of the tastes and trends of traditional customers.

Companies that strategically incorporate multicultural marketing in the coming years will undoubtedly gain new business opportunities and foster brand growth. When executed correctly, it can also expand corporate reputations, thereby signaling to multicultural groups that a trusted partner is in the house. Many corporations have gotten the proverbial memo, and more are catching on every day.

The M Word will discuss how to gather what we call "intimate insights" into multicultural consumers, using traditional and innovative research methods. In the coming months, The M Word will feature interviews with African American LGBT community experts, showcase cutting-edge trends and analyses, and present best practices and innovations. This monthly column will be a ready reference for LGBT small business owners and our allies in corporate America as well as anyone seeking to create a lasting and empowering brand relationship with multicultural consumers.