The ethnic minority population in Britain is sizeable and represents a viable and untapped market segment. In today’s fragmented and increasingly turbulent markets, ethnic marketing offers a new strategic focus for product/market development and, in many respects, companies which ignore this do so at their own competitive peril. Companies wishing to do business with ethnic minority groups will fundamentally have to review the basic premisses of their marketing plans to take account of the growing market pluralism and the multi‐ethnic reality of modern Britain. Accordingly, this paper provides a literature over‐view of the crucial issues which are likely to become the important determinants of success in developing ethnic marketing programmes. It is hoped that this paper will stimulate thought towards detailed examination of good practices, critical success factors and associated principles which might help to improve marketing practices aimed at the ethnic minority population.