When you look for a new doctor these days, how many Asian doctors do you find?  How many engineers, professors, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and CEOs?  Did you know South Asians generally over-index the US National Average in just about every meaningful consumer category?  Are businesses ignoring the marketer’s dream come true?  What are the prejudices and biases that are holding companies back from reaching this higher income, more educated, larger families and growing market?

Check out these Census facts:

• With 14.5 million Asians in the US, up 43% from the last census, Asians are the fastest growing minority group, very affluent and high educated, with household income 26% above Whites.

• Asian Americans have the highest educational attainment of any group, 49% have at least a bachelor’s degree (vs. 28% US avg).  They also have the highest household income levels of any racial demographic at $65,637 (vs $38,885 US avg) with 28% exceeding $100K.

• South Asian population has doubled in the last decade.  Indian population, specifically, has grown 70%.  And 67% of all Indians have a bachelor’s or higher degree.  Almost 40% have a master’s, doctorate or other professional degree, which is five times the national average.  1 in every 9 Indians in the US is a millionaire, comprising 10% of all US millionaires.

• South Asian households are 29% larger than the national average.  And 93.6% speak English.

• Although Iran is not technically considered “Asia” by Census, I’ll include for my loyal Persian readers: 51% of Iranian-Americans have a bachelor’s or higher degree, and 1 in 4 hold Masters or PHD.  An NPR report recently put the Iranian population of Beverly Hills as high as 20%.  Almost 1 in 3 households have annual incomes of more than $100K (compared to 1 in 5 US Avg).  According to a study carried out by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Iranian scientists and engineers in the US own or control around $880 billion.

So when you think or speak of multicultural branding or strategy, are you ignoring this fastest growing group?  What marketer wouldn’t want to reach a more educated consumer with higher income and larger families without a re-deployment of marketing dollars?

The 2010 census data reported, of the 27.3 million added to US population in the last decade, only 2.3 million were Whites.  While Hispanics accounted for well over half our gains, Asians made the next biggest contribution.  There is an absolute decline of white population under 18, as well as somewhat smaller decline of black youths.  Hispanics, Asians, and multiracial children accounted for all of the net growth of nation’s youth.  And I believe the Asian numbers are under-reported through Census, since there is a big debate about race versus ethnicity.

The world “Multicultural” was intended to represent a mosaic of different cultures in one platform.  But somehow it became a buzzword limited to initiatives toward Hispanics, as “Diversity” did the same with African Americans.  That’s why I coined the phrase “New World Marketplace” to represent a new type of customer-influencing mainstream culture. It’s important to recognize that various multicultural values have now become part of the fabric and reality of American society.

Here are 10 easy tips to get started that will apply to all multicultural branding and positioning:

• Learn how much of your current sales volume is being generated by multicultural customers.  It may be more than you think.

• Then, learn exactly what demographic groups you could and should target for your products and services.  How much sales potential in each market?

• Get to know your existing and new targets.  You can only do so by spending days in the life of your customers.

• It all starts with the great product, which transcends all cultural differences.  Make sure you have the right product and services and you are speaking to the needs and values of the customers who are actually buying them.

• Research and research more.  Not just about product attributes, but also about how your new customers want to feel and be treated as a part of the totality and oneness of the market.

• Consult with experts.  I am one of so many.  Learn to use the right cultural symbols to avoid offending the very people you’re trying to attract.

• Sharpen your sensitivity to cultural standards and taboos.  Dig deeper into the values and beliefs and leverage on “shared” values.

• Avoid all stereotypes and clichés.  Design your marketing materials to depict multicultural customers in a wide variety of roles.

• Include a multicultural budget in your 2012 budget.  Link compensation to multicultural performance for the sake of profit growth.

• Be authentic, honest, respectful and consistent.  Once you open the doors to build the relationship, stay the course to maintain the relationship.