• by Craig Witt , Columnist, May 31, 2018

Many U.S. marketers’ Hispanic marketing strategies traditionally target Spanish-speaking customers around Hispanic events, like Cinco de Mayo or Quinceñeras—and little else.

But as many companies have started to realize, this approach is inauthentic and not an effective way to successfully engage consumers who are part of an increasingly important and powerful market. 

‘Hispanic’ Means Many Different Things

The U.S. Hispanic market is actually comprised of many groups that have myriad interests, traditions and backgrounds. Put together, this demographic has tremendous buying power in the U.S. economy.

Despite this, many B2B and B2C companies haven’t done much to attract Hispanic customers and garner their loyalty. The main reason is a lack of cultural understanding. Cinco de Mayo, for example, gets a lot of attention from Americans, but it isn’t celebrated by most native Mexicans. 

When companies don’t do their research, the results of their U.S. Hispanic outreach are lackluster. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Some Companies Market to U.S. Hispanics Well

The brands that most successfully market to U.S. Hispanics localize their ads and strategies, but treat their Hispanic customers equal to their other customers, which builds trust and brand loyalty.

This philosophy extends to the digital experience, as well. These companies create a robust Spanish-language customer experience equal to their English-language versions. And it doesn’t stop there — they also produce translated marketing material to reach more Spanish-speaking customers. 

Tips to Engage Hispanics Year-Round

The best brands know to engage the U.S. Hispanic market throughout the year, not just on certain “Hispanic-themed” holidays. How do they do it? Here are some best practices:

• Smartphone use for U.S. Hispanics is higher than the market average. Companies would do well to invest in mobile strategies for both Spanish- and English-speaking markets, which need to be as exciting, interactive and informative as their other channels to attract these mobile-centric customers.

• Family, culture and heritage are important to U.S. Hispanics. They keep in contact with friends and relatives in their home countries, and honor cultural traditions. Companies can highlight these values in their advertising strategies to resonate with their audience.

• Instead of targeting the U.S. Hispanic market with a separate strategy, companies should unify their marketing plans. An integrated strategy shows that Spanish-language customers are just as important as the rest of the U.S. market.

Translating content into Spanish is a good first step, but it’s not enough for companies to succeed in reaching the U.S. Hispanic market. Brands that want to engage U.S. Hispanic consumers will need marketing strategies that give them equal attention and reflect their cultural values.

Understanding Hispanic culture, family life, and heritage is important to connecting with this influential and ever-growing demographic.