Why Authenticity Matters

The importance of authenticity to  multicultural consumers has been a constant theme among the authors of PMP books about those consumers.  We are proud that PMP authors have been in the forefront of recognizing authenticity and what it means to the multicultural community.

 Perhaps authenticity is so important to reaching multicultural consumers because so often they have often felt lied to, but Pepper Miller, David Morse, Teneshia Jackson, Erin Patton, Isabel Valdes, Cristina Benitez, and Miriam Muley  (in no particular order) have all stressed in their books the importance of having an authentic voice and message,  not something conjured up just to celebrate Black History Month or Hispanic Heritage Month.

The good news is that multicultural consumers recognize authenticity when they see it and reject positions that are designed to pander to them and their interests. As consumers that may make them  a more difficult group to reach, but companies and their marketers who understand the authentic component as a critical part of their messaging have a much better chance of success. Moreover, multicultural employees are an important part of conveying an authentic voice.


Just saying you care about multicultural consumers or adding a few brown faces into your advertisements does not convey authenticity.  You can learn more by reading any of the multicultural titles at Paramount Market Publishing.

India doesn't want foreign retailers, but the Far East does

The New York Times reports today that India has withdrawn its measure to allow foreign retailers to partner with Indian companies and open new stores.

It's true that India should be an attractive market whose population is projected to outgrow China's by 2050, but it can be a difficult one. Businesses who want to enter the Indian market need to pay attention to a variety of issues including marketing, demographics, and workforce issues. India Business is a book that outlines many of the opportunities and pitfalls of doing business there.

If India does not welcome foreign retailers, other regions of the world do, including the Far East.  Laurent Sausset's new book, Shopping Behavior in Asia,  What Retailers Need to Know for Success in the Far East, is based on surveys of consumers  from all the countries in the region and details what steps specific categories of retailers can take to assure their success.