by Karla Fernandez Parker
Source: www.mediapost.com, June 2022
Since the dawn of digital, multicultural marketers have watched general market agencies take over budgets once aligned to specific target markets, such as Hispanic. Then they’re dumped in the ubiquitous bucket called “total market approach.” If you are one of these marketers, let me point out why it’s not working.
Your ads don’t have people who look like us. That means your ads don’t resonate with Hispanics, so your target audience ignores them, passing them by. Hispanics run the gamut in hair texture, skin tones, and eye color. So, even if you do depict someone of Hispanic origin, there are nuances to getting it right depending on who your Hispanic target really is.
Your Spanish is off.If your agency is using a translation service and doesn’t understand the Hispanic target you want to reach, you will still fall flat. While a portion of Hispanics prefer Spanish, there are also segments who are bilingual or English-dominant.
It’s important to understand the target you want to reach to craft appropriate word choices, including understanding country of origin, education level, language proficiency, and colloquialisms. Food is one of the hardest categories to get right, so it’s best left up to Hispanic experts.
You don’t know what your Hispanic target is interested in. Digital marketing is not one size fits all, especially when trying to reach Hispanics. Understanding cultural differences, likes and dislikes, and interests is what the digital platform has to offer. Not getting the contextual parameters right is another area that marketers miss.
Your data are wrong. Targeting by language is not enough. Research your target and leverage the power of first-party data. Leverage the power of publishers who attract the Hispanic market with relevant content on topics like parenting, cooking, and sports figures.
Your ad isn’t personal enough. Getting personal should be easy if you truly understand your Hispanic target. Too many marketers are under the false impression that they have developed a personal touch without doing the research. Doing Hispanic customer journey mapping is a critical step.
Hispanic platforms are overlooked. Often what agencies picks for their total market approach lacks the display partners who specialize in Hispanic audiences. These partners will have the first-party data to make your marketing a success and really pinpoint the Hispanic target who would be interested in your product and category.
Choose channels that work. Savvy marketers are using the right channels where Hispanics over-index, including audio streaming, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. These channels allow for targeting the Hispanic market by interests and cultural cues. Video must be a key component in your campaign, along with an understanding that the Hispanic market does more mobile viewing.
Hispanic marketing requires the same level of research you’ve done for your general market campaign. If you haven’t done it, you’re missing out on the $1.9 trillion in spending this market has to offer.
