Messaging for U.S. Hispanics

Getting the Message Right: Developing Relevant Messaging for U.S. Hispanics December 9, 2010 Portland Advertising Federation

Overview Hispanic audiences view the world — and your marketing — through their own cultural filter. This filter is formed by language, religion, culture, country of origin, acculturation and other shared experiences. No matter what you call it, multicultural and specialized markets are increasingly key to successful business and marketing strategies.

Getting Started So… how do you effectively communicate with Hispanic consumers? Observe your audience; Understand the role of segmentation and language preferences; Base your design and messaging on insights into the target audience; Utilize subtle visual cues; Test your concepts with well-chosen focus groups.

Is it a question of language? Spanish has held families and cultures together for centuries and serves as a source of cultural satisfaction for U.S. Hispanics; however… Is Spanish likely to remain the language of preference among U.S. Hispanics? Or will English become more important as consumers acculturate?

Language Stratification Quintiles I Only Spanish II Mostly Spanish III Spanish/ English Equal IV Mostly English V Only English

In Consideration of… Spanish

“ The preference for Spanish-language media is highest among recent arrivals… the future of Spanish media depends on the number of Hispanics who immigrate here.” — Roberto Suro, Director of the Pew Hispanic Center “… Spanish connects on an emotional and visceral level with Hispanics in a way that English does not.” — José Cancela, Principal, Hispanic USA

Saving Spanish “I intend to make sure that my children speak Spanish…” Source: “Made in America: Communicating with Young Latinos,” authored by David Morse, President and CEO of New American Dimensions. First generation 83% Second generation 79% Third generation 57%

To Whom am I Speaking? “I speak mostly Spanish with…” Source: “Made in America: Communicating with Young Latinos,” authored by David Morse, President and CEO of New American Dimensions. Grandparents 72% Parents 47% Cousins 16% Siblings 8% Friends 4% Coworkers 4%

Hispanic Media Habits Spanish remains the preferred language for obtaining news information. Hispanics see Spanish-language media as more fair. Likewise, marketing may be perceived as more “balanced.” Source: TNS Market Development, HOY-commissioned study

In Consideration of… English

“… targeting Hispanics in Spanish can backfire because the younger generations see themselves as English speakers. The reaction can be ‘they assume I don’t speak English.’ For younger generations that may be a condescending assumption.” — Jennifer Aaker, Marketing Professor, Stanford University’s School of Business

Is English Preferred? Confirming a major paradigm shift in language preference, a recent study finds: English is the overwhelming choice among second generation Latinos and becomes nearly absolute among third generation Hispanics. Television viewing habits related to language preference are determined by content: Reality and comedy = English preference Telenovelas = Spanish preference When asked to cite favorite commercials in either language, survey respondents nearly always chose English-language commercials. Source: “Made in America: Communicating with Young Latinos,” authored by David Morse, President and CEO of New American Dimensions.

And Then There’s Spanglish to Think About…

"Sometimes there just isn’t a word in English that really captures what we’re trying to convey. In our attempt to melt both languages and capture the vibe of one culture in the tongue of another, Spanglish emerges." — Bill Teck, Editor of The Official Spanglish Dictionary: Un User’s Guía To More Than 300 Words That Aren’t Exactly Español or Inglés

Did You Know? The term Spanglish was reportedly coined by Puerto Rican linguist Salvador Tío in the late 1940's. Tió also coined the term inglañol , a converse phenomenon in which English is affected by Spanish; the latter term did not become as popular as the former.

Definition of Spanglish Spanglish defies any tight definition, but can be represented by: “ Code switching,” moving from one language to another — “You’ve got a nasty mancha on your camiseta” Adaptation of an English word into a Spanish form — “Quiero parquear el coche” Translation of an English expression into Spanish using English syntax — “Te llamo para atrás” for "I’ll call you back”

And finally, one must consider… Hispanic Teens and Young Adults

“ You can try to define them by their likes and dislikes, but rarely by their ethnicity alone. They are, for the most part, teenagers first and Latinos second. Speak to them in Spanish and they may not understand. Talk to them as if they were gringos , and they may not like it.” — Luís Clemens Marketing Y Medios

Really great Hispanic marketing doesn’t have to “look” Hispanic… “ Americans use coffee to wake up in the morning, to get themselves going, but for Hispanics it’s more a way to welcome the morning and celebrate the new day. So you’re going to create very different ads to speak to these two understandings or uses of coffee.” — Felipe Korzenny, Ph.D., Professor and Director of the Center for Hispanic Marketing Communications, Florida State University

Insights Cultural insights are critical to developing results-oriented messaging, as is the identification of socioeconomic indicators. The key to successfully engaging Hispanics lies in strategic modeling, segmentation and localization. Appeal to all aspects of the consumer, not just his or her ethnicity.

Cultural Connectivity Cultural connectivity is the process of reaching a consumer via “identity” cues: Values Traditions Community Religion Lifestyle Ethnicity/Race Country of origin Degree of acculturation Language preference

Psychological and Cultural Tension One factor consistently ignored in many Acculturation Models is the struggle people face when trying to adapt to a new culture. Psychological Tension is particularly important when it comes to marketing to Hispanics — internal struggle between host culture and “roots.” Cultural Tension is a measure of how much anxiety or psychological tension is experienced by an individual during the acculturation process. Source: “Understanding Hispanic Acculturation,” Synovate

High Cultural Tension These consumers experience an internal struggle with their place in the U.S. and are more likely to: Feel they are discriminated against Keep in touch with friends and family outside the U.S. Shelter themselves and their children from people and things that are not Hispanic Attend Hispanic-oriented events Feel uncomfortable among people with backgrounds different than their own Source: “Understanding Hispanic Acculturation,” Synovate

High Cultural Tension (continued) These consumers will react in a positive way to marketing that makes reference to: Their country of origin and keeping in touch with loved ones back home The uniqueness of Hispanics and Hispanic culture within the U.S. Other images that reinforce a sense of nostalgia Source: “Understanding Hispanic Acculturation,” Synovate

Low Cultural Tension These consumers do not struggle with their place in the U.S. They: Do not feel discriminated against Have close ties to their family in the U.S. Are less likely to attend Hispanic-oriented events Consider themselves less traditional than others in their family Seek opportunities to expose themselves to things non-Hispanic Feel comfortable among people from different backgrounds than their own Source: “Understanding Hispanic Acculturation,” Synovate

Low Cultural Tension (continued) Hispanics with low cultural tension would be more open to communication and marketing that shows: The positive aspects of the diversity of the U.S. Family and friends in the U.S. Other images that reinforce the positive experience of living in the U.S. Source: “Understanding Hispanic Acculturation,” Synovate

Contact Info Laura Sonderup Managing Director and Senior Strategist 303-239-5235 [email_address]

Messaging for U.S. Hispanics

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Messaging for U.S. Hispanics