Experts advise businesses to think multiculturally to increase productivity at AMMA Business Lunch

Australia needs to do more to encourage people from different backgrounds into advertising and marketing if we’re to be more successful in the global market and add value to our brands, according to Dennis Koutoulogenis (left), creative director and copywriter at Jake + DK.

Koutoulogenis will speak at tomorrow’s Australian Multicultural Marketing Awards Business Luncheon about trends in multicultural marketing and adding value to your brand by expanding the audience base.

Says Koutoulogenis: “Globally, multicultural marketing is pretty much mainstream. In Europe and Asia – areas with multiple languages – you have to do it. In Australia, despite having a multicultural country, we can be quite monocultural with our campaigns. Things have improved a lot in the past few years but in order to reach and understand Australia’s diverse and multicultural community, we need more people from different backgrounds in advertising.”

Janice Petersen, SBS World News co-host, will facilitate panel discussion at tomorrow’s business luncheon, held at Sofitel Sydney Wentworth where The Hon. Victor Dominello MP, minister for citizenship and communities and The Hon Paul Fletcher MP, parliamentary secretary to the minister for communications will speak.

Joining Koutoulogenis on the panel of speakers is Ken Woo, asset management and cultural diversity leader at Pricewaterhouse Coopers. Woo will bring an international perspective on finding best access to international markets.

Tamerlaine Beasley, managing director of Beasley Intercultural will also give advice on enhancing workplace cultural competence and productive diversity.

Nominations for the Australian Multicultural Marketing Awards (AMMA) are open until next Wednesday, 22 October. The awards recognise the top marketing campaigns from marketers, advertisers and agencies that speak to all Australians. Winners will be announced at a Gala Presentation at Sydney Opera House on 25 November.

Award categories for 2014 include – Big Business, Small Business, Business Innovation, Arts and Culture, Communities, Youth, Communication, Public Sector and Education and the SBS People’s Choice Award.

Past award recipients include the NRMA, Westpac, Coles, Woolworths, Qantas, Western Union, the AFL and Cisco Computer Systems.

The Awards are supported by strategic partners SBS, Sydney Opera House and the Sofitel Wentworth Sydney.

For further information and to submit a nomination please visit AMMA.