Why you don’t have to be Hispanic to Market to Hispanics

February 4 Advertising Age, Just in case you’re saying to yourself: “Oh, no he didn’t” let me reiterate: I believe that you don’t have to be Hispanic to be an effective Hispanic marketer. There, I said it.

That’s the short answer. However, it’s not as simple as that. There are a fair number of caveat s and a not-insignificant number of nuances in the long answer. I do believe that being Hispanic can make the job easier.



Hispanic marketing is not about speaking Spanish or being Hispanic or even being married to a Hispanic. In fact non-Hispanics can be as effective (and in some cases more so) as Hispanics involved in Hispanic marketing.



It is about (among others):

Having a passion for the Hispanic market.

Understanding the business imperative that the Hispanic market represents.

Being open to and on the lookout for the cultural difference that can make or break communications.

Recognizing that the market is different and, thus, different rules apply.

Asking questions to understand and learn.



In my opinion, Hispanics who work in Hispanic marketing have it easier because they usually need fewer things explained to them. They “get” the market and creative nuances right in their guts.



But it’s not all fun and games. These marketers need to be mindful of their audiences and realize that they themselves, although Hispanic, are not necessarily the target of the communications. They need to evaluate the work from the targets’ point of view and not their own.



Clearly, the more different a target population the less it is fully understood by the general population and therefore the more difficult it is to hit it out of the ballpark when it comes to developing communications. This applies even with a target as broadly defined as “women”. Most men polled, even some who have been married for many years, admit they haven’t figured out women even though they interact with them daily.



On the agency side, there is more of a debate, especially with the recent surge in general-market-agency interest in the Hispanic market. Agency folks, however have an even greater responsibility and that is to represent the market, understand it, and bring it to life for clients.

My rule of thumb is that the ...