JUNE 19, 2003

MARKETING


Does Your Business Speak Spanish?
[Page 2 of 2]


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Jeff: I think one of the best investments you can make in terms of research is just to get out of your store or office and go visit companies that are successfully marketing to Hispanics. For instance, there are small, independent grocery stores in Southern California that want to bring in more Hispanic shoppers. I tell them to go visit the smaller bodegas and supermarkets that cater to Latino tastes and walk around, observe, and talk to people -- if you know the language. It doesn't cost anything, but you'll see there is a tremendous difference in how the food is displayed, what products are carried, how they set up the meat department, and other things. It's a great education to see how things are done -- and you may realize that you don't want to change your business that much.


Q: What are some of the nuances of the Hispanic population that small companies should keep in mind when targeting their marketing campaigns?
Anita: One big thing is that the majority of the Hispanic market in the U.S. is on the young side, so there isn't a huge demand for senior products like we're seeing in the general demographic. So, an entrepreneur can't just assume that the age ranges are the same. Also, Spanish-speaking immigrants are setting up their homes and raising kids. Luxuries...aren't what most of them are thinking about when it comes to spending money.

Jeff: Remember that geography has a lot to do with your strategy. But then, most small businesses in neighborhoods dominated by Hispanic consumers should already be marketing to them. Also, make contact with the local Hispanic media, such as the Spanish-language newspapers and radio stations. There are also good contacts at the Small Business Administration, the Latin Business Assn., and the Hispanic Chambers of Commerce.

Q: What about online advertising? Are Spanish-language Web sites a viable means of advertising?
Anita: Hispanics are the fastest-growing segment of online users, so that's an area that's changing very fast. Spanish-speakers mostly use the Internet for chats and entertainment, rather than shopping, but AOL is designating a portion of its bandwidth to Spanish-language sites, and Univision has a large online presence.

Jeff: I think business owners can throw a lot of money into online marketing -- and get very little back, if they're not careful. We've found that Spanish-dominant consumers want to touch, feel, and smell the product -- they want face-to-face contact -- before they make a purchase. They're very conservative buyers, so the Internet advertising may be good for awareness, but not for sales. Another drawback is that the Spanish market is still behind the times on using credit cards, which fuel most online purchases.

Q: How can a mainstream business successfully reach the Hispanic buying public?
Anita: The bottom line is that you have to hire someone who is culturally plugged in on the Hispanic side and have someone on the management team who will make a real commitment to the Hispanic clientele. Often, I'm told that a company has opened a new, ethnic-marketing division, and I find out that the person heading it up is an Anglo assistant brand manager who doesn't even speak Spanish. In order to successfully reach this population, you have to hire differently.

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