U.S. Hispanic Marketing pitfalls are unfortunately common for such a buzzing segment of consumers
There are currently over 60 million Hispanics living in the U.S. and this number is growing. They are currently 17.4% of the U.S. population and represent about $1.5 trillion in purchasing power!
Clearly, the U.S. Hispanic population is a huge market, and it can be very beneficial to market to them!
Wondering what to watch out for when marketing to U.S. Hispanics? We will walk you through some of the most common pitfalls marketers make while trying to appeal to the U.S Hispanic market!
Common Pitfalls Marketers Make When Appealing To the U.S. Hispanic Market
Not Having Bilingual Speakers in the Company
If you are trying to appeal to the Hispanic market, your company must have Spanish speakers.
One reason Spanish speakers are so important is because of translating. Some English phrases do not exist in Spanish or its literal Spanish translation can be something completely different.
For example, “mortgage” can be translated to “hipoteca”. However, in some parts of Latin America, “hipoteca” is known as a last resort. In America, a mortgage is typically viewed as a positive thing, not a last resort. Therefore, marketers should use another word, such as “préstamo” instead.
It is also important to hire bilingual employees so they can build relationships, come up with marketing strategies that will appeal to different groups of Hispanics, etc.
Not Prioritizing Them
The U.S. Hispanic population is growing, making them a huge market to appeal to! However, many companies are still unsure of how to target this group. As a result, they may end up excluding them.
Marketers must do research to find a way to target this demographic. It is not enough to market by using Hispanic music, decorations, or Spanish. You must dive deep to connect with them.
Unsure Which Language to Communicate in
Many U.S. Hispanics are bilingual and despite what many American marketers think, simply targeting this group in Spanish is not effective.
Something many companies have started doing is having a Spanish option on their website. Hispanic viewers can simply click to convert the website language to Spanish.
When setting up this option, companies must be careful translating. They must ensure that their site speaks directly to the Hispanic market by modifying the messages according to the target audience’s wants and needs.
For other forms of marketing, do research on your target audience to decide when to use Spanish.
Not Using Emotion
In general, Hispanics respond more to products marketed in an emotional way rather than in a formal way. They also care more about family, as many Hispanic countries have a collectivist society, rather than an individualistic like we have in America.
Messages of celebration, humor, and family tend to be the most successful when targeting Hispanics.
3 Main Areas to Watch out for in U.S. Hispanic Marketing
Homogeneity
Many Americans make the mistake of assuming all Hispanics are the same.
While many people believe all Hispanics are Spanish-dominant, they fail to consider what generation Hispanic they are. There are recently arrived Hispanics, first-generation Hispanics, second-generation Hispanics, and so on.
For example, marketers need to be careful to not market to someone in Spanish just because the consumer has a Hispanic last name because there is a chance they may be a 3rd generation Hispanic who does not speak any Spanish.
So marketers need to be careful about how they market to each generation, including which different tactics and the language they use.
Socioeconomic
Another misconception many Americans believe is that all Hispanic consumers are economically lower-tier.
One study showed that Hispanics’ consumption rates grew 72% faster than non-Hispanics and that a share of U.S. Hispanic households holds between $150,000-199,999 in yearly income.
Therefore, it is important for marketers to not market to U.S. Hispanics based on their socioeconomic status, but rather by current and future trends in their community.
Culture
Many Americans assume Hispanics all share the same culture, however, Hispanics are one of the most diverse groups of people.
In fact, Hispanic countries consist of 21 countries with different customs! Each country celebrates different holidays, has different traditions, has different specialty cuisine, and so on!
Marketers must be aware of how each country differs and appeal to each differently, instead of trying to appeal to each group in a single way.
Looking to Upgrade Your U.S. Hispanic Marketing?
Here at Colibri Content, we are experts in Latin America and how to successfully market to each group of U.S. Hispanics. With our help, these marketing pitfalls will be easy to avoid!
If you’re looking to reach the U.S. Hispanic market or trying to break into the LATAM market, contact us today at Colibri Content!
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