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.
The University of Toronto's alumni association has used the Environics Analytics program to delve into the demographics of its 466,000 graduates. As a result, one recent social event, featuring a gospel singer and Caribbean drum ensemble, was targeted at the Black Alumni Association. An "Obama" panel, to highlight the significance of the new U.S. president, is planned for later this spring. Fifty-nine per cent of students at the university are visible minorities.
The YMCA in Toronto recently hired an ad firm specializing in multicultural marketing to help boost markets for its 250 locations in the GTA. Among the initiatives: an indoor cricket field at the Brampton location; expanded child care to accommodate immigrant entrepreneurs with later hours; and more martial-arts programming. When the Y opened a new location in Markham last year, it recruited 14,000 new members through ads in Chinese-language media and a focus on multigenerational families, says Medhat Mahda, a senior vice-president at the association.
Companies that stay in touch with new audiences will maintain their edge, experts say. "Newcomers and minority groups are a lucrative demographic," says Minelle Mahtani, a University of Toronto geography professor.
"It goes without saying, but of course people of colour also buy beer and purchase sneakers. It makes good business sense."
Who's in the 'hood
Canada's 13 ethnically diverse neighbourhoods, as described by Locate Diversity.
Asian Affluence: Wealthy, suburban Chinese families who immigrated in the 1980s and 1990s. They embrace new technology, love to travel and shop at Holt Renfrew.
Furs and Philanthropy: Upscale, middle-aged and older families. They include first- and second-generation Jews and Russian émigrés, and feature empty nesters, widows and larger families concentrated in big-city neighbourhoods who favour a "leisure-intensive" lifestyle.
Continental Culture: Upper-middle-class first- and second-generation immigrants from Italy, Greece and Portugal. They enjoy opera, gourmet food stores and antique shows.
Cluttered Nests: Upper-middle-class urban couples and multigenerational families from Europe, Asia and the Caribbean. They enjoy horse racing and ski shows.
Asian Up-and-Comers: Successful, middle-aged Asian families who are recent arrivals. They attend ballet and like to shop online and at Smart Set.
South Asian Society: Younger, upper-middle-class South Asian families who are seeking economic prosperity in suburban Canada. They include high numbers of blacks, Filipinos and Latin Americans who enjoy sports, auto shows and video arcades.
Suburban Rows: Younger, thriving immigrant families, many of whom work in service-sector jobs and live in row and semi-detached homes. They shun shopping.
New Italy: Established multiethnic couples who enjoy Old-World lifestyles, attend soccer matches, drink European wine and visit their native countries.
Old-World Style: A mix of ages, housing styles and ethnicities, these newcomers are middle class, but worry about financial uncertainty.
Urban Spice: A cluster of well-educated immigrant gateway communities, including blacks, Arabs and immigrants from Asia, Europe and Latin America.
Rooms with a View: Young ethnic singles in urban high-rises in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, including new immigrants from Latin America, Asia, South Asia and the Middle East.
Newcomers Rising: Recent immigrants from South Asia, Latin America and the Middle East who love basketball and are facing hard economic times.
Big City Blues: A wide mix of ethnicities and races, including Indian, Greek, black and Latino, with low incomes, modest educations and uncertain employment.