I say this a lot: CALD is not a niche media line on a schedule. It is Australia. The official stats make that very plain. By June 2025, 8.8 million people in Australia were born overseas, equal to 32.0% of the population. The 2021 Census also found that almost half of Australians, 48.2%, had at least one parent born overseas.
On top of that, 5.8 million people speak a language other than English at home, and the most common non-English languages are Mandarin, Arabic, Vietnamese, Cantonese and Punjabi.
Language is not just a translation decision. It is a respect signal.
The bit many marketers miss is this: language is not just a translation decision. It is a respect signal.
SBS research with multilingual audiences found that people who feel their culture and language are fairly represented in news report a much stronger sense of belonging than those who do not, 63% versus 32%. That is not brand data, but the implication for brands is obvious: when people feel seen properly, trust rises and friction falls.
In practical terms, in-language messaging improves comprehension, lowers the “that brand isn’t for me” barrier, and gives people one more reason to choose you over the safer familiar option.
If I were briefing this for a client, I would not start with “how do we translate this ad?” I would start with “which communities matter most, what language cues signal respect, and where do we need cultural context rather than word-for-word copy?” That is the difference between inclusive comms and real conversion strategy.
Key takeaways
01
CALD audiences are a growth market, not an add-on
32.0% of Australia is overseas-born and 48.2% has at least one parent born overseas.
02
Language matters commercially
Comprehension and cultural respect affect trust and response.
03
“CALD” is not one audience
Community, ancestry, language and generation all shape message fit.
Short case example
For a mainstream grocery brand, I would prioritise Mandarin and Punjabi audience testing first, not because they are the only groups that matter, but because both scale and growth justify bespoke creative and retail messaging.
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