Do you parquear your car? How about vacunar the carpet? If you're one of the 34+ million of Spanish speakers in the U.S., you may understand this mix of Spanish and English perfectly well. And you may even expect to hear or read this Spanglish in advertising.
The purchasing power of the Hispanic population is currently valued at $1
trillion (that's a lot of dolares). Read on to learn some tips on how to
create
culturally-specific marketing campaigns for this growing market.
Learn about the demographic. Hispanics in the States come from 20+ different countries (although a majority, around 60%, are of Mexican origin). Culturally, they tend to be travel between two worlds — their native culture and American culture. Skim through Hispanic magazines, watch Latino TV shows and listen to Spanish-language radio. You don't have to speak Spanish fluently to get an appreciation of the look and feel of the advertisements that target this demographic.
Bring on the Spanglish. Not only will you be hip to young Latino Americans, but you'll also show that you did your homework. Not all Hispanics speak English fluently, nor do all speak Spanish fluently. Meet them in the middle and reach a broader audience. Obviously, some campaigns will warrant content entirely in Spanish (or in English for that matter), but determine your goals and do your research early on to determine the target language.
Involve the community. Hispanics place emphasis on community, family and cultural pride. Get involved with relevant nation-wide celebrations (i.e. Cinco de Mayo) and local community events, create a cause-related marketing campaign with an Hispanic non-profit, promote special offers for families, and consider cross-promotions with native brands.
To learn about all of our tips on Hispanic marketing, read our article: Marketing to Hispanics for the Uninitiated.
