Growing up Latina and bilingual in the ‘70s and ‘80s, I often wondered where the other Spanish speakers were in my class, in my neighborhood and in my Girl Scout Troops.
¿Donde estan mis hermanos y hermanas Hispanos?
Flash forward to 2008 and Latinos have not only multiplied to the point where 1 in 6 Americans will be of Latino as early as next year, Latino culture has seeped into the American psyche, as evidenced by the popularity of Ugly Betty, Jennifer Lopez, Dora the Explorer and salsa dancing. As a child, I could never have imagined that I would be with my Anglo colleagues enjoying papa rellena, mojitos and puerco asado during a business conference let alone sitting through a presentation on marketing a mi gente. ¡Que chévere!
Today, I had the pleasure of hearing Lisette Hoyo of Accentmarketing, a full service public relations, marketing and advertising agency, share her insights on reaching out to Latinos. The fact that there are several agencies specializing in reaching out to Hispanics speaks to the growing number and influence of my people in the U.S.
Some fast facts about Latinos that Lisette shared with the group:
- By 2050, 25 percent of the population will be of Hispanic descent
- 15 states have more than 500 million Hispanic residents
- 88 percent of Latinos learn Spanish as their first language
- 60 percent speak English
- Latino madres tend to put their family’s health above their own
- Latinos are three times as likely as non-whites to be uninsured
- 15 percent of Latino children do not have health insurance
Lisette mapped out a Latino DNA that resonated with my childhood.
- Latinos value group dynamics over individualism, which is why Latinos are so focused on the needs of la familia above el individuo. This may also explain why my parents are still annoyed with me for moving 40 minutes away from them as opposed to the 2 minutes down the road from them.
- Tradition is the foundation for Latino culture. Despite acculturation, Latinos tend to cling to traditional family roles and are dedicated to Latino culture, heritage and language. As a first generation Latina, nothing would make me more orgullosa than having my son become fluent in Spanish.
- Latinos tend to think more about the present and past, and seldom think of preventive health measures. Instead they prefer to have doctors fix their health problems, instead of maintaining their good health. This may explain why my diabetic father continues to indulge in sweets, but looks to medicinal solutions to keep him healthy.
- Latinos are incredibly spiritual and believe in fate and destiny. The state of their health is often attributed to fate, and is not viewed as something within their control.
So how does this translate to marketing a mi gente?
- Cultural relevance is key to connecting with Latinos but it goes beyond language, casting and music. In other words, keep the Latino DNA when building your campaign.
- Latinos are not oversaturated with non-traditional media messages. Tried and true marking tools such as direct marketing pieces, telemarketing and online communications are still a novelty in marketing to Latinos because these tools are infrequently used when targeting them. These tools are viewed as valuable means of becoming informed knowledgeable among Latinos, especially those new to the U.S.
- Empowerment tools and culturally appropriate educational and informational programs can make a great impact.
- Developing a two-way dialogue via educational offerings that include positive and culturally relevant consumer experiences is important.
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