Creative Hispanic Advertising Tips to Reach Burgeoning Marketing
This post is an excerpt from a presentation by Craig Handley, CEO of Listen Up Español, at the conference Direct Marketing Day @ Your Desk on March 12, 2015
The Hispanic marketplace is growing by leaps and bounds. Projections indicate that the Hispanic population in the United States will increase by 167 percent between 2010 and 2050, whereas the total U.S. population is only expected to increase by 42 percent over the same period. Looking forward, it is easy to see that the Hispanic market is wide open while other markets will stagnate. If you are looking to grow your business, you should consider bringing your products to this market.
This will require re-thinking your outreach approach in terms of the Hispanic advertising. Your television, radio and print advertising will need to change to reflect this cultural variety. Here are some creative tips to effectively reach Hispanic consumers.
Not English or Spanish, but Both
The Hispanic market speaks a different language; however, you cannot approach members of this demographic by simply translating your promotional materials into Spanish. Most Hispanics in the United States speak both English and Spanish, and some even prefer to be approached in English rather than Spanish. It is important to give people a choice. Sometimes, the choice is not an either/or, but a both/and.
For instance, McDonald's carefully inserts “me encanta” into its mostly English advertisements. This Spanish version of the fast-food chain’s tag line, “I'm lovin' it,” really appeals to the Hispanic consumer. You might also include an emotive reference to “your abuela's cooking,” as the influence of the grandmother is an important cultural cue for many Hispanics. Using this Spanish word is likely to connect emotionally with your consumers, just like McDonald’s use of “me encanta.”
Culture Counts
Speaking the language will only get you so far. Hispanics have a different culture than the rest of Americans, so engaging with customers in this marketplace requires cultural nuances that go beyond language barriers. Culture embodies a series of values, preferences and ways of life, so a Hispanic advertising strategy to promote your business will need to acknowledge these cultural issues.
For example, Dallas-based pizza chain Pizza Patrón saw declining sales during the Catholic season of Lent. The company realized that many of its Hispanic consumers were devout Catholics and did not eat meat on Fridays during Lent. Pizza Patrón adjusted its strategy and was able to increase sales by running specials on vegetarian and meatless pizzas. You can learn from Pizza Patrón and pay attention to the same kind of issues when developing a marketing strategy for Hispanic consumers.
A Tailored Approach
The Hispanic market is not monolithic. Age, geographic location, nationality, ethnicity and level of acculturation represent significant cultural and economic differences. A marketing team needs to leverage this information in order to reach Hispanic consumers. For instance, if you want to reach out to young Hispanics with a high degree of acculturation, you need a specific approach tailored to the unique features of this group. This is going to be very different from a strategy designed to reach older Hispanics with less acculturation. Assuming there is a generic Hispanic market is a huge mistake.
Mexicans make up 65 percent of the Hispanic market in the U.S., but in your area, this may not be the case, so don’t cater to Mexicans if you have a very different composition of Hispanic people in your local market. Similarly, while many Latinos love soccer, Puerto Rican people tend to like baseball and basketball. You cannot make blanket assumptions about Hispanic cultural cues without careful research into your target audience and region.
Much like all marketing, speaking to Hispanic consumers requires careful planning. The potential for growth in this market is immense, so take the time and effort to develop a marketing strategy to effectively reach the Hispanic demographic.
Sources
http://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2013/09/03/5-steps-to-capturing-the-hispanic-market-the-last-true-growth-opportunity/
http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/01/marketing-tips-for-reaching-hispanic-americans/?_r=2