Making Connections in the Hispanic Market

Nearly half of the United States’ population growth is attributed to Latinos. This signals robust expansion in the Latino market in the coming years. Latino millennials, comprising 21% of the largest generational cohort in today’s workforce, have substantial influence over both culture and spending habits.

When considering your long-term goals, we encourage our customers to explore avenues for establishing trust and early engagement with their brand and organization, particularly among millennials. Adopting a sustained strategy that recognizes diverse cultural heritages, education levels, and languages is key to cultivating lifelong customers.

While some Latinos exclusively consume media in either English or Spanish, a growing segment is becoming bilingual.

• 28% of US Latinos exclusively speak English.
• 55% are bilingual, proficient in both Spanish and English.
• 17% speak Spanish but are less proficient in English.

Language preferences and cultural references often hinge on the media and content domain. Bilingual individuals may opt for English in news and product descriptions but lean towards Spanish, or a mix referred to as “Spanglish,” in social contexts. Striking the right balance for your campaign is of paramount importance.

Tailoring communication to the appropriate educational level is equally crucial. While many US-born and educated Latinos exhibit high literacy levels, the foreign-born (first-generation) population may have lower literacy rates. This group requires simpler vocabulary, more imagery, and audio elements.

Thorough research will enable you to determine the ideal tone for your brand, public health services, intake questionnaires, and customer messaging.

Latino culture is incredibly diverse, encompassing various lifestyles:

• Multigenerational families, where grandparents and parents juggle multiple jobs.
• Bilingual millennials managing work and childcare.
• College-educated single urban dwellers.
• First-generation Americans.
• Bicultural Generation Z students in K-12 schools.

While the majority of Latinos (66%) are born in the US, there’s a rising trend of biculturalism in second and third generations. This evolution is shaping a blended culture among Latino children, whether they have two Latino parents from different cultural backgrounds or only one Latino parent.

Despite a substantial Mexican origin presence (62% in 2017), nearly two in five Latinos hail from nineteen different national origins. These national differences bring diverse communication styles, ranging from passive approaches (e.g., El Salvador, parts of Mexico, Bolivia) to more active, fast-paced, and assertive styles (e.g., Caribbean region).

Cultural stereotypes can lead to blunders due to a lack of understanding. Attention to music, symbolism, and spectator sport preferences across national cultures is vital for adding context to messages. Latino frames of reference may differ significantly from other American groups, impacting attitudes toward credibility, authority, and trust.

Using outdated marketing strategies, such as relying solely on a single Spanish-language television advertisement targeting a Mexican-born consumer, can be a costly mistake. The US Latino population is evolving in terms of demographics, language preferences, media habits, and brand engagement, particularly on social media. Market research is essential for understanding these changes.

Generational differences further complicate the cultural landscape, with households being multigenerational and having mixed national origins. While Latino families tend to be larger and have a higher incidence of multiple generations living together, younger generations often have a higher incidence of single householders. Education and income levels also vary significantly across generations. Understanding the geodemographic profile of your target market is crucial for refining your marketing efforts and messaging.

Riverside and San Bernardino counties, collectively referred to as the Inland Empire, have experienced a momentous demographic transformation. As per the 2020 Census, Latinos now make up more than 50% of the population in both counties. This significant shift marks the culmination of the Inland Empire’s evolution from a predominantly white to a predominantly Latino region, with projections indicating that the area will be nearly three-quarters Latino by the middle of this century. Given this demographic transformation, the well-being of Latinos holds immense importance for the region as a whole.

Why is only 6% of the total U.S. media spend directed towards the Hispanic market, despite the fact that the Hispanic population constitutes almost 20% of the entire U.S. population?

Given that nearly 60% of Latinos actively seek brands that recognize and embrace their unique cultural traditions, and a similar percentage agree that their cultural heritage significantly influences their purchasing decisions, it’s evident that a substantial and receptive market segment exists. This growing population is poised and eager to be engaged!

Moreover, Nielsen’s latest Hispanic study, titled “Cultural Connectivity Transformed: How Latinos are Connecting in Times of Social Distancing,” reveals that Hispanics are increasingly turning to culturally relevant media, including podcasts and streaming services, especially during the social distancing measures of the pandemic, at rates far surpassing their non-Hispanic counterparts.

What better way to tap into this engaged audience than through Hispanic digital marketing across their preferred online platforms? By authentically connecting with this audience, your business can establish lasting connections with potential customers – an opportunity you wouldn’t want to miss out on.