If you read Graeme Paton’s article on the front cover of the Telegraph last week, you will know that 800,000 school children in the UK do not speak English as their first language. This figure accounts for one in seven (14.4%) of primary school kids and 10.8% of secondary school kids.
The rise is coming from the number of school kids from immigrant families. Their numbers have doubled in a decade and in some areas the kids account for over half of the school pupils. In Tower Hamlets for example, only 23% of pupils speak English as a first language at home, with the figure for the whole of inner London primary schools being under 50%.
The rapid expansion is naturally causing schools a challenge, but the article reminded me of the challenge it is creating for communications as well. A while back our head of TV, Neil Johnson, flagged the issue to me and the article made me want to share it wider.
The conversation I had with Neil related to the effect it was having on our kids’ clients. After all, if 1 in 7 of your target are not watching English TV, reading English press or visiting English websites at home, then clearly we have a problem/opportunity. That said it is not just a consideration for kids clients, it affects all, as the changing population isn’t solely down to massive influx of independent five year olds leaving their families and homeland for education abroad!
Look around the average office in town and I am guessing we are not the most representative bunch, and this is part to explain why clients have been slow to tap in to the opportunity.
To be successful, we can’t just put the existing message out to the right people, in the right place, at the right time. If you look in a foreign press title you will see straight away how an ad designed for the Sun or Telegraph sticks out like a sore thumb. It will take a genuine commitment from clients and agencies to understand the target and then speak to them on their terms and in their language.
Obviously this is a challenge, but with a potential one in seven of your target being largely neglected, those that are brave will certainly reap the rewards.
Sam
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