Asian Lunar New Year Beginning February 10, 2013 Ushers in Year of the Snake: Kang & Lee Advertising, Premier Agency Targeting Asian Multicultural Market in Both the US and Canada, Explains Significance

New York, New York – January 29, 2013 – The Year of the Snake begins on February 10 as the Asian Lunar New Year is celebrated by several of the largest Asian groups in North America including Chinese, Vietnamese and Koreans. The Lunar New Year is represented by a cycle of 12 years, each year denoted by a different animal zodiac.

“The Asian Lunar New Year is one of the most significant holidays within several important segments of the Asian community,” said Cynthia Park, President, K&L Advertising. “For many Asian families, this a time of renewal and celebration, with harbingers of good fortune for the new season. It is also a time to bring family together for feasting,” added Ms. Park.

For Chinese, the largest Asian population that celebrates this holiday in both the US and Canada, the Lunar New Year is also known as the Spring Festival, and in pre-modern times it would signal to farmers in China that they must begin preparation for the sowing of their fields.

In addition to elaborate holiday meals at home or at restaurants with special New Year dishes, families and friends pay visits to each other, exchanging greetings and gifts which signify auspiciousness and good fortune. For example, Chinese and Vietnamese give children “red-envelopes” with good luck money for the New Year, and Koreans offer newly minted money as a symbol of fortuitous beginnings. Business people in the Asian communities also celebrate the holiday with colleagues and employees.

The U.S. Census (2010) shows that the Asians are the fastest growing population in the country, increasing four times faster than the total U.S. population. According to the Census, the U.S. population identifying as Asian-alone, or in combination with another racial group grew by 45.6 percent from 2000 to 2010.

In Canada, where visible minorities represent more than 16% of the total population, Asians are the largest ethnic group comprising more than half of all visible minorities (Statistics Canada 2006).

The Asian Lunar New Year is also the one period in each year that marketers who target Asian consumers – regardless of product category – most often develop Lunar New Year greetings ads and/or special promotional offers tied to the holiday.  Indeed, Asian marketing activity has continued to grow dramatically, reflecting the exploding interest within corporations in North America in reaching multicultural consumers.

“As the Lunar New Year is celebrated by some of the largest Asian populations in North America, it is also a great time to remind brands and businesses – both big and small –  that Asians are a critical consumer market,” noted Saul Gitlin, EVP, Strategic Services, K&L Advertising. “The needs and preferences of Asian consumers hold enormous business potential for companies in diverse product categories.”

Fun Facts for the Year of the Snake:
Snake Years: 1905, 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013 (February 10, 2013 – January 30, 2014)

Chinese Calendar Year: 4711

Famous People Born in Year of the Snake: Charlie Sheen, Robert Downey Jr., Taylor Swift, Joe Jonas, Daniel Radcliffe, Hayden Panettiere, Martha Stewart, Demi Moore, Abraham Lincoln, Picasso, Dean Martin, Simon Garfunkel, Jack Black, Audrey Hepburn, Bob Dylan, Jean Simmons, Oprah Winfrey, Virginia Woolf, and Greta Garbo

Snake Characteristics: Thoughtful, Wise, Rational, Stingy, Intuitive

Best Careers for Those Born in the Year of the Snake: Scientists, Potters, Analysts, Jewelers, Spiritual Leaders, Sociologists, Astrologers, Magicians, Investigators

‘Lunar New Year’ In-Language:
– Chinese (Mandarin): “Chun Jie” (Spring Festival)
– Chinese (Cantonese):  “Sun Nin” (New Year)
– Vietnamese: “Tết Nguyên Đán” (Festival of the First Morning)
– Korean “Seollal” (‘New Year’)

‘Happy New Year’ Greetings:
– Chinese (Mandarin): “Gong Shee Fa Tsai” (Wishing you get rich)
– Chinese (Cantonese): “Gung Hay Fat Choy” (Wishing you get rich)
– Vietnamese: “Chúc Mừng Năm Mới” (Happy New Year)
– Korean: “Sae Hae Bok Man Ie Ba Due Se Yo” (Get lots of luck)

Lucky/Special New Year Foods:
-Chinese: Dumplings, Rice Cake (called Nian gao)
-Korean: Rice Cake Soup (called Duk-kuk)
-Vietnamese: Rice Cake (called Bánh chưng)

Other Chinese Zodiac Animals: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.

Next Lunar New Year: Year of the Horse: January 31, 2014 – February 18, 2015

About Kang & Lee Advertising
K&L Advertising is the leading multicultural marketing consulting and communications agency specializing in reaching Asian multicultural consumers in North America – ranked #1 Asian multicultural agency in the U.S. by Advertising Age Magazine in April 2012. K&L is also an emerging leader in Asian marketing in Canada. With offices in New York City and Toronto, K&L services a wide range of blue-chip clients in diverse product categories.

For more information visit www.kanglee.com.

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Contact:
Yartish Bullock-Okeke, Jessalin Lam & Lisa Skriloff Multicultural Marketing Resources, Inc.
212-242-3351
yartish@multicultural.com,  jessalin@multicultural.com,  lisa@multicultural.com

Saul Gitlin
K&L Advertising
212-375-8130
saul.gitlin@kanglee.com