Marketing to Asian-Americans

An article in the September 2008 issue of Deliver magazine (a publication produced by the United States Postal Service to encourage direct mail marketing) highlighted the relevance of the Asian-American market as a demographic segment.

Author Vicki Powers writes:

Although Asians only represent 5 percent of the U.S. population, they are among the most educated and affluent U.S. consumers. But the Asian-American market, with its multiple sub-groups and diverse languages, remains a challenge to most marketers.

Asian Americans are one of the youngest slices of the U.S. market. Census figures show that the median age among Asian Americans is 34.8 years. Meanwhile, the rest of the U.S. population has a median age of 36.2 years.

Though they are largely concentrated in three states -- California, Texas, and New York -- Aisan American consumers nonetheless wield significant spending power. According to a University of Georgia study, Asian Americans spent $459 billion on products and services in 2007.

Asian Americans tend to be among the most educated individuals in the U.S. About 48 percent of Asian Americans have earned a bachelor's degree.

They are also among the most affluent Americans, with a median husehold income of $63,900.

If you work with clients virtually, Asian Americans are an excellent target market, because they are extremely technologically savvy as a group. Nearly 52 percent of Asian American adults who use the Internet bank online.

ADG?

I came across this cryptic acronym on a resume recently, and wondered if I was missing out on a new trend. I'm still not sure, but thought I'd put this out there and see if someone else knows if this is "new" protocol.

Generally, if someone is enrolled in college but hasn't graduated yet, I'll choose one of these options:

• Pursuing bachelor's degree in business (YEAR-YEAR) or
• Bachelor's degree in business (anticipated YEAR).
  

But I recently saw an educational credential listed as:
Bachelor's degree in business (ADG YEAR).

That confused me. What is "ADG"? I finally figured it out: "Anticipated Date of Graduation."

I just don't see this one catching on. I mean, couldn't it also be "ADC" -- for "Anticipated Date of Completion"? And if I have this much trouble figuring out what "ADG" stands for, won't hiring managers?

What do you think? Will "ADG" catch on? Or should I still be using "anticipated YEAR"?

Online Reptutation Management

I was inspired by a post on Kirsten Dixson's Facebook profile, where she talked about "smart" businesspeople airing their political views. Having a bachelor's degree in journalism, my professors frequently reminded us of the need to keep our personal views private. But in today's online age, I find that many people aren't paying attention to that.

As I blogged about a few weeks ago, I've joined Facebook. It's addictive... that's for sure ... and part of the appeal is getting to know even more about the family, friends, and colleagues who post about their lives online.

But there is a definite negative to having an online persona. Just recently, one of my former clients lost her job because of things she had posted on her Facebook profile. A former newswoman in Omaha lost her job last year because of a photo on her Facebook page showing her with her arm around a local politician.

Caution your clients to be careful about what they post about themselves online. Spotlighting their political affiliations too publicly might get them into trouble. Posting about their weekend exploits (or, worse yet, PHOTOS! of those adventures) can get them into trouble. Remind them that information that they think is private isn't always ... especially online.

And if they're going to continue to showcase themselves online, at least make sure you tell them to keep their resume updated.

Recruiting 2008 Conference anhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifd Expo

Kennedy Information is sponsoring its Recruiting 2008 Conference and Expo in Orlando, Nov. 16-19. The program, with the theme of "The New Recruiting Mandate: Defining True Talent" will feature more than 30 sessions covering seven specific tracks. The conference will be held at the Florida Hotel and Conference Center.