Virtual Incentives sat down at IIEX to discuss multicultural marketing techniques businesses can implement to connect with Latino consumers. They also discussed the importance of culturally relevant market research, and meaningful brand positioning. The panel discussion “Beyond the Numbers: Understanding and Connecting with Latino Consumers in Meaningful Ways” featured five Latin-American marketing experts. The discussion opened with the shared experiences of growing up Latino in predominantly white American communities and feeling that their cultural identity was not embraced. Their experiences made them acutely aware of their Latino identities and inspired their passion and mission to advocate for nuanced Latino representation.
The Latino Influence and Buying Power Across Industries
Latino consumers’ immense size and cross-industry influence make them a worthwhile brand investment. In addition, Latino culture has also significantly impacted sports, beauty, fashion, food, and culture. Panelists discussed the “Chola makeup trend” and the adoption of Latin holidays and traditions. “There’s so many non-Latinos that have been celebrating the dia de los Muertos!” Latin music stars like Bad Bunny top streaming charts, while Selena Gomez has the most followers on Instagram. Not to mention, Mexican food is the most popular ethnic cuisine in over half of the United States.
The buying power of the Latino community is substantial. Latino Americans comprise nearly 20% of the U.S. population (62.5 million) and have immense economic influence. Latino buying power has a significant ability to influence brand success. If U.S. Latinos had their own country, they would have the world’s 8th largest GDP. This data proves why it is worthwhile for brands to prioritize their multicultural marketing efforts and make meaningful connections by understanding the diversity within the demographic.
Brands who make an ongoing commitment to connecting with this demographic will be surprised to see “[w]hat influence [the] Hispanic market can have when you capture the heart and mind of the Latino community.”
Notable Brands Effectively Celebrating Hispanic Heritage
Panel members discussed various brands that successfully connected with the subtleties of the Latino experience and the importance of brands understanding the level of impact they truly have. A few of these include Nike’s collaboration with Jarritos, Columbian singer J Balvin’s collaboration with Jordan, and Netflix’s Latino platform “Con Todo” promoting the show “Wednesday” and featuring talent like Jenna Ortega and having cultural conversations tied to ideals that the Latino community holds close to heart. Target has consistently shown success with its Más Chévere campaign because it doesn’t just come around once a year; it’s built long-term support through longevity.
How Insights Builds Multicultural Marketing Strategy
Valuable data and insights are beneficial when targeting this demographic because they can reveal pain points and desires. Coca-Cola’s “Open Happiness” campaign was successful because marketers acted on insights that revealed that Hispanics living in the United States tied happiness to living and achieving the American Dream.
Market research revealed that a pain point for Latinos was the ability to be the go-to friend or family member to help move items or conduct heavy lifting. This insight was a driver for Latinos to purchase vehicles. For over a decade now, Honda has appealed to the Latino value of helping friends and family by featuring trucks as vehicles to assist moving in their multicultural marketing campaigns.
Advice for meaningful multicultural marketing efforts
The panelist offered advice to brands wanting to connect meaningfully with other demographics. They emphasized the importance of avoiding stereotypes, simply translating English to Spanish without looking deeper into context, and leveraging abilities to dig deeper into Latino cultural insights. Brand leaders discussed how many audiences may consume “content in English, but also understand Spanish.” Highlighting that it’s not just translating the messaging but “trans-creating” the work and making it relevant to the culture for it to be impactful. Multicultural marketing campaigns should strive for longevity and not confine themselves to just one month a year. Determine what your brand means for the Hispanic consumer. Then, craft messaging to be more relevant and impactful to the Hispanic community.
- Don’t be paralyzed with fear. Just do it! Talk to the consumer.
- Think of them in your earlier marketing strategies.
- Immerse yourself in the culture.
- Be intentional! Give context to who in the Latino market you are marketing to by highlighting nuances between different ethnicities and identities.
- Develop strategies for maintaining long-term engagement and building lasting connections.
- Take your insights and see how they translate into the Hispanic community.
Conclusion
Building authentic connections with Latino consumers requires a long-term commitment and deep research to fully understand your intended audience. Moreover, multicultural marketing efforts are truly successful when genuine brands commit to creating diverse outreach efforts that resonate with this multifaceted community. By immersing your brand within the culture, you can successfully take the path toward meaningful and sustainable engagement with this vibrant and influential community.