That’s right, if you’re a South Asian living in the United States, chances are that you are being TARGETED…

We all know that the South Asian market is an untapped GOLDMINE, but the recent SAMMA conference confirmed that more and more big companies are hunting down South Asians as targets for their newest marketing campaigns.  This shouldn’t come as a surprise as the South Asian population is steadily increasing, as well as provides a huge portion of the country’s buying power (compared to other ethnic groups of our size).

A recent article published on mediaweek.com outlines some of the reasons why YOU are now a target of their (the company’s) mass-media marketing campaigns:

“…within the past two years, the advertising has begun to come from outside the South-Asian marketing community. Companies like Lowe Worldwide, the Home Depot, The New York Times Magazine, Mercedes Benz, Volvo and Delta Airlines are all advertising to this audience.”

One of the fastest growing immigrant groups in the U.S., Indian Americans, who represent 89 percent of the Desi population, increased from 815,000 in 1990 to nearly 1.7 million in 2000, a 106 percent rise, per the Census Bureau. Even so, that population makes up less than 1 percent of the total U.S. population versus the Latino communities, which made up 12.5 percent in 2000. Both figures have no doubt since risen.

“The South-Asian and especially the Indian-American numbers will show another marked increase in the 2010 census. And even though they represent just a fraction of the Latino population, South Asians have disposable income in the area of $90 billion,” says Shah, whose estimate is based on the $76 billion figure the market research firm Cultural Access Group arrived at in its 2005 report. “What the South Asians lack in size, they make up for with purchasing power.”

Read full article.
 

So what does all this mean?  Well, for one, it means that you will probably see more South Asians in television ads and definitely see more South Asians on the front lines of these marketing campaigns.  Marketing analysts are beginning to study the culture of our communities and even our buying behaviors, as seen below:

“They like to be connected. Family is a big thing. It’s not unusual for people to shop for a car as a family.” 

According to the above, you’ll probably be greeted by a man named Santoshkumarnarayanan the next time you walk into a Lexus dealership!  As long as “Santosh” still lets me negotiate…i’m cool with it!

When we mention the word COUPON, all of our business owners cringe.  Offering coupons mean you’re doing bad and are desperate for sales right?  WRONG!

Offering coupons to your customers provides more of a value than you think.  Recent studies show that 62% of businesses who utilized coupons on a regular basis had better performance than those who did not.   Additionally, studies show that a majority of shoppers prefer to use coupons when making a purchase.   Check this out - Over 76% of the population use coupons, according to the Promotion Marketing Association (PMA) Coupon Council.  Those numbers should be enough to convince you that your business needs to be using coupons and promotions as a STANDARD marketing practice.

But, we understand that coupons can pose a cost to your business.  Therefore, when you create your coupons or promotional marketing campaigns, make sure to exercise SABAsearch.com’s four B’s to achieve the highest coupon marketing success:

• Be Bold - If you’re going to create a coupon, make it worth while for customers to visit your business or sample your products.  Customers can see right through “unworthy” coupons and turn away from businesses who play in shallow waters.  Be bold, offer a good discount, and create an incentive for customers to visit your business.  Don’t waste their time or tease them with a shallow discount.
• Be Concise - When creating your coupon, be as consise as possible.  “Buy one, Get one FREE”.  The longer your coupon text, the less likely it will be used.  Use keywords such as FREE, Half Off, New, Save, Guarantee, Best, Offer, Easy, etc.
• Be Smart - Save money, distribute your coupon on the web.  Placing your coupons on the web allows it to be more “viral”, which means it can get distributed faster.  It’s easy for consumers to pass on a web-coupon to a friend, but not easy when it’s printed within a newspaper.  Save money and make it viral - use the web.
• Be Happy - When a customer comes into your business with a coupon, BE HAPPY.  Don’t frown at them as if you’re upset to give them a discount.   Welcome coupons and thank them for using it.  Tell them to tell their friends about it.  More coupons received = more revenues.

There ya have it - Be Bold, Be Consise, Be Smart and Be Happy!  The combination of these four strategies are sure to increase the value of your coupon marketing campaign.

SABAsearch.com has made it easy to post your business coupon online (remember the 3rd “B” - BE Smart!).   Our website allows you to post your business coupon or coupons for absolutely FREE.  Your coupon will be viewed by THOUSANDS of South Asians in the Houston area and beyond.  To post your coupon on SABAsearch.com, please login to your account and click the Coupons link in your member panel.  You will need to link your coupon to your business listing.  If you do not have an account, or would like assistance in placing your coupon on SABAsearch.com, please feel free to contact us at Support@SABAsearch.com.

——————————————————————————————
To view all coupons currently listed on SABAsearch.com, please visit the SABAsearch.com Houston Coupon Listings.   If you need assistance in placing your coupon on SABAsearch.com, please contact us at Support@SABAsearch.com

Houston business gurus have said before that South Asians serve as a powerhouse marketing audience, but what makes them speak with such confidence?  Well, we’ve found it’s a combination of qualities that South Asians bring to the table, which are not shared among too many other targeted marketing audiences:

• 55,000+ South Asians in the Houston Area (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan)  **As per the 2007 Census Bureau Study
• Highest Per Capita Income among all ethnic Groups with an average household income of greater than $63,000  (all other ethnicities approx avg:  $43,000)
• 75% of workforce contains a Bachelor’s Degree or Higher
• 57% are employed in a managerial or professional specialty
• Annual buying power for all South Asians in the U.S is $2Billion!
• Demographically, a sigificant amount of South Asians in the US are between 18 and 49
• Over 65% of South Asians use the Internet for finding information

For more demographic information on South Asians, visit Allied Media Corp’s website

The statistics above present an interesting case and question for business advertisers in and around the Houston area.  Is your business effectively tapping into this “goldmine” South Asian market and taking advantage of this huge potential?

Our teams at SABAsearch.com are especially keen on the last point within the statistics above.  Sources say that over 65% of South Asians use the Internet as a tool for finding information.  So this poses another question for the business owners reading this article:  Is your business properly leveraging the Internet to reach South Asian and other niche markets in Houston and beyond?

We are finding that most of you are now answering “yes” to that question, and those who answered “no” are quickly moving towards Internet marketing for your business.  In a poll conducted by SABAsearch.com in 2007, 18 out of every 20 business owners are either already advertising online or are planning to do so in 2008.  These numbers are not surprising.

If you are interested in reaching the South Asian market in Houston or would like to learn more about possible Internet advertising options for your business, our advertising advisors would be happy to speak with you.  Simply email us at Support@SABAsearch.com and let us know your interests or questions.

We wish everyone all the best in their upcoming Internet advertising endeavours.  As seen within the South Asian market in Houston, there is definitely revenue potential in niche markets, which we feel are best reachable via the web.  Good luck!