The Hispanic Market

Different ethnic groups have different needs that go far beyond just language. The best way to address these needs is by going beyond mere word translation and developing concepts that provide a custom cultural fit. We understand, for instance, that humor from two different cultures will not make everyone laugh. Even so, Special Audience takes a more contemplative view when crafting Hispanic campaigns.

Special Audience works frequently with the Spanish-speaking community, both in the United States and abroad. Through this experience, we are able to recognize the diversity of this community and tailor our campaigns accordingly. In tailoring our marketing themes we consider the various characteristics present within the community, such as:

• Hispanics that have close ties to their native country, speak Spanish exclusively, and strongly maintain their native culture within American society.
  
  
• Hispanics who are actively integrating into American society, speak Spanish in their home, but may refrain from using it elsewhere.
  
  
• Hispanics who are already acculturated into American society and don’t necessarily speak Spanish, but may still desire to preserve their roots.

Many marketing strategies have been off-target because they missed one important thing: that each Hispanic, just like members of any other group, is an individual. The companies behind such campaigns were just broadcasting their nets.

One example involves the Coors Brewing Company a few years back. In it they used the headline "Decade of the Hispanics". This "Decade" lasted only three months. The Coors campaign flopped because the "Decade of the Hispanic" headline was displayed in areas where Hispanics aspire to being, or who were already fully acculturated into, mainstream American society. What happened? No one heard the message. More research would have revealed who the target market was and helped this campaign succeed.

Another misstep was made by Campbell's Soup, who thought that tomato soup was the favorite in Spanish speaking neighborhoods because it sold so well. They should have looked a little more closely. As it turns out, the reason tomato soup was such a big seller in some neighborhoods was because the word "tomato" is the same in English as in Spanish, doubling the number of sales. The high sales weren’t made because of an affinity for the soup, but because it was a product they understood.

Our special consideration of the variations in culture has provided valuable insight used to provide effective targeted marketing, allowing you to reach a broader range of Spanish-speaking individuals.