Hispanics have made many significant contributions to American culture.
Their influence can be seen in politics to business, film, music, food, and art. Over the years, the impact and size of this segment has grown. Hispanics are the largest ethnic group in America, accounting to more than 17 percent of the total population. Their buying power is expected to achieve $1.7 trillion dollars by 2019, and much of this segment is still young. These facts are pivotal and a main rationale that many major marketing firms deem the Hispanic segment to be highly desirable.
Over the years, Hispanics have gone from first generation Immigrant to their children becoming U.S. born second generation and now their grandchildren are U.S. born third generation. These grandchildren are within the coveted buying age and consume a variety of products and services.
For marketers, understanding this segment’s cultural nuances is important. This is a segment with a strong cultural identity that values its tradition and many are bi-lingual. They continue to connect to their heritage because of strong family ties, ethics, and values. Like all young consumers, smartphones are the key to their daily lives and they tend to use their mobile devices to consume a variety of content. They are willing to consume ads in English and in Spanish. The key is to be very relevant and authentic about their lifestyle/cultural experiences.
As you develop communication messages to support the Hispanic consumer group, be mindful that they are deeply rooted in American culture. Therefore, any experiences you include in your messaging should blend their Hispanic heritage with virtues of American culture. Ensuring authenticity in the message is crucial. Hispanic consumers will continue to grow in importance and influence. So make sure you are taking the adequate steps to understand their influence and capitalize on their significant buying power.
Adele Lassere is a marketing/advertising consultant, freelance writer and author of “Elements of Buying” (a self-help advertising guide), available at Amazon.com. Adele was listed as Black Enterprise’s 2016 Women of Power in Advertising & Marketing and 2013 Top Women Executives in Advertising & Marketing. Contact: [email protected]
