by Vasso Vassiliou, CEO Innovation Leo Burnett

I recently had the privilege of participating in a thought-provoking panel discussion organized by Techisland, shedding light on the challenges and opportunities of reaching Cyprus' diverse multicultural audience. Reflecting on our discussions, I've come to realize that addressing these challenges opens up a whole new world of opportunities for marketing, brands, and us as professionals in the island. This journey can elevate our industry to a much more advanced level. Here’s a recap of some of the key insights discussed that led me to the above conclusion:

Embracing the Changing Consumer Behavior: Technological disruptions, global events like the COVID-19 pandemic, and evolving societal values have reshaped how consumers engage with brands here in Cyprus. With everyone increasingly online and attention spans dwindling, brands must innovate to capture attention and differentiate themselves in this digital-first world.

The Cypriot Consumer Today: Today's Cypriot consumer is digitally savvy and socially conscious, actively seeking out brands that offer personalized experiences and align with their values. We've observed changes in purchase habits reflecting a shift towards convenience, with increased demand for ready-made food options, delivery services, and online payments. There's also a notable trend towards supporting local products and small businesses, alongside a preference for healthier life choices. Furthermore, consumers are increasingly socially and environmentally conscious, expecting brands to authentically address sustainability, human rights, and inclusivity in our communication.

A New Diverse Audience: Cyprus’s landscape is becoming much more multicultural with many new communities residing here in recent years. This creates a need for tailoring marketing strategies to resonate with the unique preferences and values of these different communities. Brands must first understand cultural nuances and sensitivities to craft messages that speak directly to each group.

Overcoming Data Challenges: Gathering accurate and detailed data on both local and international audiences' profiles and habits in Cyprus, as well as overall media consumption and spending, poses many challenges mainly due to the small population and advertising spending. Innovative approaches, such as private tools, private research, and partnerships with specialists, are necessary to access comprehensive demographic and consumer behavior data. Hopefully, soon tools, platforms, and research data already accessible in Europe will also be accessible and affordable in our market, as well as any new AI tools and solutions that will provide robust and actionable data.

Adapting Marketing Strategies: The “Glocal” approach is one of the main methodologies we use at Innovation Leo Burnett to adapt international clients' global marketing strategies to resonate with the audience in Cyprus. We take a brand's global message and add a local element to make it more relevant to the Cyprus audience, creating local content featuring Cypriot artists. Sponsoring events or partnerships with local organizations that share common values is another way we develop more tailored and effective campaigns that drive meaningful connections.

Bridging the Gap Between the Local and International Community: There is a significant opportunity to bridge the gap between the local and international communities in the marketing industry. Locals can provide insights into the local consumer, scene, regulations, and other important aspects, while internationals can share their expertise in marketing and cultural insights. Regulatory bodies and committees should become English-speaking and invite international companies to join their membership committees to facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration.
At Innovation / Leo Burnett, understanding the evolving consumer behavior is at the forefront of our priorities. We overcome data challenges, adapt global strategies, anticipate future trends, and strive to effectively reach Cyprus' multicultural audience in this dynamic landscape. Moreover, it's our mission to drive meaningful change that will have a positive impact on our people and our industry.

Join the conversation: What strategies have you found effective in reaching diverse audiences? How can we bridge the gap between all the communities in our field? 

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