THERE IS NO HISPANIC MARKETING

A common mistake is the assumption that there is a discipline called Hispanic Marketing. The mistake is perpetuated and promoted by self-anointed "Hispanic Marketing experts" who claim their "Hispanic Marketing expertise" is needed to advertise to the Hispanic consumer segment.
These experts claim knowledge of a "different" marketing practice entirely based on their time working or living with Hispanic consumers in a non-marketing function, speaking Spanish as a second language, birth, mission, marriage, or peace corps experience. Imagine trusting your mainstream marketing efforts to a social worker because he once built schools in Belize? While he speaks the language he is not a marketer.

From their seemingly authoritative experience they recite erroneous facts and present misguided marketing strategies. These facts are based on obsolete data, and in some cases simple observations based on a sample of one.

Worse, these flawed strategies are duplicated and overlaid on other categories and products. Marketing principles are ignored in favor or “if it worked once, then it should work again” mindset. As Anne Bradstreet said, “Authority without wisdom is like a heavy axe without an edge; fitter to bruise than polish."

The aforementioned “experts” exist because there is a real need to market goods and services to the Hispanic Consumer Segment. A segment that demands proper marketing practices, just like any other segment in the marketplace.

My philosophy is that marketing is an absolute discipline. A marketing plan is developed properly or it is not a marketing plan.

The essential steps necessary to create a solid marketing plan are similar to the framework in a building. There is a strong base and supporting elements on which to build upon, without them the structure collapses. You wouldn’t build a house on a shaky foundation, so why trust any advertising plan built on anything but structurally sound marketing.

Good ideas are based on logical thinking and solid rationales – It’s common sense. Good marketing plans are built on a disciplined process; serendipity does not exist in good marketing plans.

I understand the rationale behind believing the "Hispanic Marketing" myth. Targeting consumer segments is different than targeting the general market. Segments have different consumer behavior, different media, and in some cases different or multiple languages. I understand it can be daunting, and in most cases a new and unfamiliar task to an already full card in the responsibilities of a brand manager or director of marketing. Accepting the expertise might be easier than challenging it. But the Hispanic Consumer Segment has become too important to ignore in many product and service categories. Especially in economic downturns, when every consumer (especially younger ones with larger families) becomes increasingly important.

All marketing plans to all consumer targets must possess the same elements. And while the category might deem a segment market emergent to the category, the steps necessary to plan and implement a marketing program will always be absolute. When elements are ignored, or bypassed, the chances for success will decrease. Inversely, a well-executed plan decreases the chances of failure.

Speaking the language, sampling the culture and cuisine or knowing the holidays is not enough. Advertising to consumer segments requires sound and disciplined marketing. That is an absolute necessity.
Copyright 2008, Carlos Arámbula. All rights reserved.

AN OLD AND STILL TOPICAL COLUMN

Four years ago, as a guest columnist for TalentZoo.com, I wrote the column below. I'm disappointed to recognize that while Hispanic consumer market advertising has gotten better over the last four years, there are still agencies and clients turning out the “Hispanic Marketing” creative I criticize in the column. Please read on.

Grandmas and Mustaches
by Carlos Arámbula
Guest Columnist for TalentZoo.com
09/29/2004

"What's Hispanic about them?"
The first time I heard that phrase was eleven years ago, while working on Hispanic market efforts for an automobile account. The principal of the agency was referring to concepts developed by the creative team. They were on strategy, entertaining, relevant, compelling and apparently not Hispanic enough for his taste.

"Hispanic?"

The principal explained that the commercials did not have a single icon to merit it being "Hispanic." "Relevance," he elaborated, "is not enough to make it Hispanic, it needs an iconic representation such as family, art, music, grandmas." In other words, stereotypes.

With a bit more than a half decade on the business, albeit not necessarily targeting the Hispanic consumer, I was stubborn, or foolish, enough to argue the "Hispanic" qualifier with the principal.

My logic, at the time more academic than practical, stated that consumers were not defined by the product or brand. Instead, the attributes of relevance to our consumer dictated the communication. Adding a mustache to the dad, or a grandma to the family did not make the spot more relevant, or more Hispanic.

In the end, I persevered, and eleven years later I am still in the industry, while my old principal, thankfully, is not.

A couple years later, I worked internationally managing the Pan American Grey Advertising efforts for Mars' Pedigree dog food, and I can't think of a single instance where an agency global manager asked: "What's Brazilian (or any other country) about it?" I also never had requests to add gauchos or mariachis to make concepts relevant to the country. Instead, we always endeavored to find the relevant points of a well-established brand to cultures where the concept of prepared dog food was just starting to develop.

A global brand promoted across different cultures does not change, the consumer does. And in some cases, where the brand and category development are parallel, the consumer does not change very much.

We, as advertisers, have become efficient in managing global brands and consumers. However, we continue to experience stereotypes in domestic Hispanic creative that fail to deliver brand relevance. I still see communications presented as "Hispanic" simply because of added icons to the brand and images. This is not unique to ethnic segments; anyone living in California can tell you about the overabundance of surfing Santa’s at the end of the year.
While humorously exaggerated stereotypes can serve a purpose in setting a mood, holding a mirror to segment consumers and sticking a brand in it usually appears contrived and hardly engaging. For example, a fiesta in the midst of an antacid commercial does not make it a Hispanic spot—it is actually more relevant to non-Hispanics who might have experienced stomach problems while eating Mexican food.

I could list a dozen current creative pieces where I find the stereotyping insulting and wasteful, but I rather leave the creative critique to my right-brained colleagues. The reason it bothers me is a lot simpler; as a "suit" I like to see efficient creative work. I enjoy smart strategy—even when it comes from competing agencies, and smart strategy usually results in compelling creative. From my perspective, using broad stereotypes is a wasteful and lazy use of client's resources.
Admittedly, international markets are easier to define than domestic segment markets. Domestic segments—particularly those stereotyped, include various degrees of acculturation and assimilation, language preference, socio-economic situation, and several countries of origin.

But the difficulty of defining the segments, the challenge of finding the answer without having to rely on broad stereotypes, is part of the reason I got into this business. It's the reason I look forward to coming into work every day.

Copyright 2008, Carlos Arámbula. All rights reserved.
Link to original post

A CONTENTIOUS AND MISUNDERSTOOD TOPIC*

A month ago, I wrote about the myth of Hispanic Marketing. My position is that there is no “Hispanic Marketing,” there is only one discipline called marketing, and all consumer segments should be approached in the same deliberate and disciplined method.

On January 31, in retailwire.com, the following question was posted for discussion: Is the American public, marketers included, naïve and gullible when it comes to understanding the Latino consumer? If so, why? If not, why do there seem to be so many mistakes?”

In my opinion, the article preceding the question was as reveling as the contentious discussion that followed.

Free registration is required to view Retail Wire (I encourage you to join). I've posted a link for your perusal.


*A description of the discussion by an intelligent and learned individual
Copyright 2008, Carlos Arámbula. All rights reserved.