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8 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

IV. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES

Four Options Rise to the Top

In-depth interviews conducted by the Organizational Structure committee revealed that
although AIMM member companies are active in Multicultural and Inclusive marketing, the
scope and lifespan of their initiatives vary. Some are pioneers, while others have only just
begun their journey. Those with years of experience fi nd themselves expanding into new
segments after being focused on just one or two. Even the most experienced marketers still
remember that moment when they asked, “Where do I begin?”

Maybe metrics point to an untapped business opportunity, or more qualitative evidence makes
a compelling case for change. No matter the inciting incident, at some point a savvy marketer
will want to launch a Multicultural marketing initiative. Based on feedback from AIMM
members, these are some popular fi rst steps to help set a program in motion:

Identify external resources with the specialized skill sets to quantify the business
opportunity and address culturally specifi c strategic development. This could lead
to engaging a qualifi ed consulting fi rm or agency for strategy, culturally relevant
creative, media, and experiential development and execution.

Staff internal teams with subject matter experts, either by recruiting specialists or
identifying internal individuals with proven Inclusive and Multicultural marketing
experience. Develop training programs to strengthen the cultural capabilities of
internal marketing stakeholders.

Evaluate your existing structure and its history to customize organizational elements
that align with your existing company culture. For example, are you hierarchal
or decentralized? This may infl uence what works best as you add Multicultural
components to each department or better support a stand-alone unit.

As AIMM members worked together to explore structural possibilities and best practices,
it became clear that four structures were most prevalent across brands, independent of
industry: Dedicated, Center of Excellence (COE), Integrated, and Hybrid.

In reviewing these options, it is important to keep in mind that structure is not a static
concept. Structures must be able to adapt to business and marketplace circumstances.
AIMM’s research confi rmed that marketers experiment with and adapt structures depending