Is there an alternative ethnic PR suitable for France?

Here are the different types of ethnic PR and Marketing:

The ethnic icon: it’s the oldest and the most stereotyped; it’s the other’s presence in the advertising’s sphere. It’s been almost 150 years that Black, Oriental, Asian or Jewish people are used as symbols in order to claim the merits of an authentic product (Banania, Uncle Ben’s, Vahine…)

The heroic icon: it’s represented by real people who are perfect examples of a successful integration, like Zidane, Ronaldo, Dessailly… They are not only “part of the decorum”, but actively promoting the message.

The multicultural communication: it’s the “politically correct” trend; it’s giving life, in created images, to a reflection of the society where we are talking in (Orange, Benetton…)

The strict ethnic Marketing: it’s the one that makes the debate today in France; however, it’s less depreciatory than the ethnic icon, which, in most of cases, makes the other appear inferior, in a pure colonialist and racist tradition. It’s also less depreciatory than the multicultural communication which most often uses the other as a part of the decorum, and not as a real actor. This 4th trend concern most often products with an ethnic target (Mecca-Cola, kasher and halal products, specific phone cards for the 3 Maghreb countries…)

Source:
RESIS, Reseau d’information Strategique pour les Entreprises,
in Altema, le journal des tendances de la consommation, Dossier, Avril 2004.
(RESIS, Strategic Information Network for Companies,
In Altema, the consumption trends magazine, Feature, April 2004)