Ad Agencies: A Few Hispanics Just Won’t Do

Hispanic marketing is challenging. Believe me, we have been doing it for 15 years. Effective Hispanic marketing requires an integrated team that not only possesses the skills to execute standard marketing principles, but also a deep understanding of the complex and dynamic Hispanic consumer.

With Hispanics representing a growing percentage of the U.S. population and economy, brands are allocating bigger budgets to reach them. In an effort to follow the money, general market agencies may be tempted to hire a few Hispanics and think that they can do Hispanic marketing.

Sorry, it isn’t that easy.

Hispanic Marketing Requires a Specialized Team 

Marketing is complex. Executing successful marketing programs requires a team who works seamlessly to integrate disciplines including market research, strategic planning, creative ideation and execution, media management, data, and analytics, among other skills.

Hispanic marketing is not different; in fact, it’s more complex. Hispanic marketing requires a team with a deep understanding of the Hispanic consumer across the aforementioned marketing disciplines.

When it comes to market research, only someone who truly gets the Hispanic consumer can ask the right questions, ask them in the right way, and understand the cultural nuances that lead to strong, actionable marketing insights.

Skilled Hispanic strategic planners know more than what you can read online about Hispanics.  Not only do they know that Hispanics over-index on smartphone usage and online video consumption, they also know what platforms Hispanics are on, how and why they are using them, and the best tools to leverage on each platform to reach them. But that’s not all. Hispanic strategic planners break it down further by Hispanic sub-segments such as level of acculturation, language preference, generation, geography, and are on top of the latest trends.

Hispanic creatives do much more than translate copy. They work with the insights and strategic plans provided by their team members and develop creative that connects emotionally with the Hispanic consumer while driving client objectives. They have experience crafting just the right message, composing the perfect imagery, and writing the most compelling words that will connect with Hispanics in English, in Spanish, and sometimes both.

Hispanic media planners and buyers don’t just buy commercials on Spanish-language television. They know how to take the right creative and get it in front of the right Hispanic target audience, across multiple channels, as efficiently as possible. Hispanic media experts are always in touch with the tech-savvy, fast moving Hispanic consumer. They know that Hispanics consume general market media and understand how to manage this spill over. They maintain close relationships with traditional and digital Hispanic media partners and are in tune with the newest technologies, platforms and techniques for reaching all Hispanics.

Ultimately, brands that invest in Hispanic marketing want to make sure those investments are paying off and they want to gain actionable learnings and insights. Data scientists who understand the nuances of Hispanic marketing are critical in understanding the ROI of Hispanic marketing investments and telling the consumer’s story through qualitative insights. They are adept at customizing analytics tools and methodologies to interpret Hispanic campaigns and bring valuable learnings back to clients.

As the saying goes, “If you are going to do something, do it right.” When it comes to Hispanic marketing, doing it right means working with an experienced team who knows how to do it right.