JUNE 19, 2003

MARKETING


Does Your Business Speak Spanish?
The Hispanic market is big -- and getting bigger, but tapping its potential requires a deft touch, as two experts explain


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The California Milk Processor Board (CMPB) launched its first Hispanic advertising campaign nearly a decade ago, taking "Got Milk?" to the Spanish-language audience. Translating its popular advertising campaign wasn't nearly as simple as it seemed, however, and CMPB has learned a lot over the years, made some mistakes, and broken ground for a host of companies struggling to sell to the $500 billion Hispanic market.


Can small business tap this lucrative audience? Smart Answers columnist Karen E. Klein turned for some insights to Jeff Manning, executive director of the CMPB (which is funded by California milk processors and administered by the California Department of Food and Agriculture) and Anita Santiago, creative director and president of Anita Santiago Advertising of Los Angeles.

Q: You two took the wildly successful "Got Milk?" advertising campaign to the Spanish-speaking community. How did it go over?
Anita: Actually, it didn't. I pointed out to Jeff during our initial meetings that "Got Milk?" can translate literally to "Are You Lactating?" in Spanish. Along with the wording problem, I knew that Hispanic women would not find the idea of running out of food -- or milk -- funny. So, the "milk deprivation" campaign wouldn't work in this market.

Q: How did you change the approach to suit the audience?
Jeff: We took a different, far more traditional approach, building on a generational strategy. The original campaign carried the tag line Y Usted, żLes dio suficiente leche hoy? ("And you, did you give them enough milk today?") and was built around family recipes that used milk as the main ingredient. We later expanded the strategy to include out-of-the-glass drinking situations, and the tag line changed to Familia Amor y Leche ("Family, Love and Milk"). The campaigns position milk as an essential part of the family, and of the Hispanic culture.

Q: So there was a huge strategy shift involved in reaching this market. Does it always take that big a leap?
Anita: While the Hispanic market is a great opportunity, business owners do have to think completely differently to reach it. Before they invest a lot of money in Spanish-language advertising, entrepreneurs should figure out whether they have a product or service that the Hispanic community will need or want, whether they can actually satisfy that need, and whether they can market it in a culturally sensitive way. They also need to remember that if they want those customers, they may have to hire bilingual employees, or set up their business in a different way to serve that market.

Q: How does an entrepreneur set about studying the Hispanic market to determine whether it will be a viable one for his or her company?
Anita: Look into obtaining some kind of expertise, or counsel, from those who understand the Hispanic market and its habits. It will help make your marketing efforts worthwhile and it won't be a waste of money. I also recommend that people avail themselves of all the census figures and demographics they can get, especially in regard to the local population. After that, you analyze your budget, decide what kind of return on investment you need, and that will dictate what kind of media you'll be using.

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