Watching National Hockey League games used to be known as something only white Canadian guys do. But, it turns out, a lot of newcomers from Karachi and Mumbai tune in too.
Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment was amazed to discover that South Asians love hockey. Now, the sports conglomerate is adjusting its marketing strategy to fit the country's rapidly changing demographics, ensuring hockey remains Canada's national game. Tactics include broadcasting NHL games in Punjabi, refurbishing rinks in communities with high concentrations of new Canadians and touring a mobile "Leafs dressing room" that lets fans "touch and feel the experience of the Leafs."
MLSE's reach into new markets reflects a broader trend of multicultural marketing, as everyone from accounting firms and banks to arts organizations and fitness clubs tap into the country's new - and lucrative - consumer groups.
Sixteen per cent of Canada's total population are visible minorities, a proportion that is expected to grow to one-fifth by 2017, according to Statistics Canada. In the Greater Toronto Area, visible minorities already account for 43 per cent of the population, and 42 per cent in Vancouver.
Most were born outside Canada.
But there is diversity within diversity. And understanding cultural nuance is key to penetrating these new markets, says Jan Kestle, founder and president of Environics Analytics.
Last month, the Toronto-based marketing company launched a microtargeting tool, called Locate Diversity, that enables companies and organizations to read the consumer habits of ethnic communities. With it, they can pinpoint who is most likely to take a Caribbean cruise, buy a Mercedes-Benz, drink microbrewery beer, shop at Banana Republic and use online dating services.
"The nation's diversity is an old story," Ms. Kestle says. "But the sheer size of Canada's ethnic population means one-size marketing campaigns no longer fit. You need to understand the tastes and needs of different communities."
Locate Diversity uses a sophisticated computer market segmentation program, PRIZM C2, which incorporates government estimates, immigration, economic and psychographic data to classify Statscan's 54,000 neighbourhoods into one of 66 lifestyle types. Category names include "Park Bench Seniors" and "Villes Tranquilles," a working-class Francophone cluster.
Thirteen of these groups are ethnically diverse, with between one-third and-two thirds of residents born outside the country. They are located mostly in Vancouver and Toronto.
MLSE is using the program to leverage Toronto's shifting demographics to its advantage not only with the Leafs, but with the National Basketball Association's Raptors and Toronto FC, Canada's first Major League Soccer team. "A lot of new Canadians really want to be a part of Canadian culture and they can make an emotional connection through sports," company spokeswoman Rajani Kamath says.
One of the programs, Hockey in the Neighbourhood, provides equipment and ice time to first- and second-generation young people who have never played the game. MLSE is also involved in community outreach: Leafs right winger Jamal Mayers dropped by his alma mater this week, Toronto's Holy Name Catholic School, to connect with the diverse student body.
It's not just MLSE tapping into a potential new hockey audience. CBC Sports now broadcasts some NHL games in Punjabi, Cantonese and Italian. The Punjabi broadcasts are so popular they've been picked up by Rogers in Toronto and Shaw in Vancouver, turning hosts Parminder Singh and Harnarayan Singh into celebrities.
Other companies have introduced similar marketing efforts. Vancouver City Savings Credit Union sponsors events such as Vaisakhi, a Sikh festival, in Surrey, B.C., spokeswoman Kelly McNeill-Sproxton says. Vancity also hires people who speak Punjabi, Mandarin, Italian and other languages.
