IPG Mediabrands is making a play for the multicultural market by launching a new specialist business, Identity, and said the market had long been a blindspot for the industry.
The new business will be led by Charlie Tannous, who is currently MD of Diverse Communications, a 10-year old multicultural communications company based in Western Sydney.
The company will help IPG plan multicultural campaigns which go beyond simple translation services to include research, concept creation and specialist media buying.
Diverse has worked with clients such as Crown Casino, the Australian Department of Immigration, and AGL Energy on campaigns targeting a multicultural audience.
Announcing the new brand this morning, IPG Mediabrands' executive chairman Henry Tajer said Australia's multicultural community was a blindspot for the industry.
"The Australian marketing sector has a massive blind spot on this, which everyone knows, but we now have a massive opportunity now to help close this blindspot," Tajer told AdNews.
"Australia has largely ignored multicultural Australia, but having a cultural strategy is fast becoming increasingly important for businesses.
"It will be a service to clients, we aren't going to force it on them but it will be a good litmus test for them."
He added that about 25% of Australia's population is from non-English speaking backgrounds, meaning the potential size of market is huge.
Tannous said being picked up by a large reputable business such as IPG meant it would raise the profile of the multicultural marketing industry more broadly, while giving IPG value.
"It will do two things," Tannous told AdNews. "Number one it raises the profile of our sector, and it now means that multicultural aspects can be included from the start of campaigns."
"Instead of being an afterthought at the eleventh hour, we can offer IPG clients that sort of insight right from the beginning of the campaign."
Tannous said marketers had traditionally put multicultural marketing in the "too-hard" basket, saying IPG was the only agency which have had serious discussions around bringing Diverse into the fold.
He added the move would give his team access to great digital capabilities, a vital skill when targeting multi-cultural market.
"You find that the Vietnamese and southern sub-continent communities in particular are getting almost all of their communication from the digital space. So having IPG which can offer more in the space than we could...it allows us to do some exciting things."
IPG expects the team could have about 20 to 30 people within 12 months.
Identity will officially be open for business on November 10, with Tannous continuing as managing director of the new unit.
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