BART targeting Hispanics?!

Hispanic Broadband Access

According to The Hispanic Institute and Mobile Future Hispanics have a strong preference for mobile broadband access. While Hispanics trail other U.S. populations in overall Internet access, they are among the most avid users of mobile broadband. In fact, Hispanics and African Americans lead mobile broadband use
(53% and 58% respectively), with both communities far ahead of Whites (33%).

Hispanics are more mobile than the general U.S. population and, thus, rely more on cell phones. In fact, compared to Americans generally, Hispanics account for more minutes used and for a higher percentage of cell-phone ownership despite their relatively low incomes.

Given that roughly 40% of U.S. Hispanics are born abroad1, in countries where wireless service often is more common than landline phones, the American Hispanic community is more open to mobile broadband than many other population groups. This familiarity makes the leap to smartphones and other connected mobile devices a more intuitive step for many than turning to wired, home broadband adoption and computer usage.

In 2008, Hispanics outpaced the general population in accessing and downloading digital media (music, video, audio, movies, television programs, video games and podcasts), 42% to 35%2.

In many developing countries, there are relatively few traditional telephone landlines due to infrastructure limitations. As a result, cell phone use often eclipses landline usage in many parts of the world.

In Mexico, mobile phones have a 36% penetration rate, compared to only 16% for land lines, and in Chile penetration rates are 60% and 22%, respectively15, with similar rates in most Central and South American countries. As a result, many immigrants arrive in the United States with a propensity for mobile use. Transition to smart phones and other similar devices seems an easy step, which may partly explain why immigrants are more likely to have cell phones even if they have relatively lower incomes than the average U.S. resident.

Additionally, immigrants tend to be more mobile and have greater need for wireless services. Given that roughly 40% of Hispanics are foreign-born,17 it adds to the facility with which Hispanics have migrated to wireless and broadband devices and
services.

The Hispanic Broadband Access: Making the Most of the Mobile, Connected Future is a joint research project of The Hispanic Institute and Mobile Future.􀀁

The Hispanic Market Is Set to Soar by Noreen O'Leary

The 2010 Census will radically alter the demographic map and the rules of engagement between Hispanic and general-market shops

Hispanic Americans continue to grow in number at a rate four times that of the general population, with the 2010 Census expected to show their total rising to nearly 50 million, from 38 million in 2000. And second-generation Hispanics are fast becoming the driver of the group's growth, with 88 percent of Hispanic children born in America, versus 61 percent of adults.

As a result, agencies that market to this segment are finding themselves in a strong position, armed with the skills and techniques to take on general assignments from big-name clients. Meanwhile, in a tight business environment, general agencies are starting to compete for work previously reserved for specialist shops.

Is an already competitive agency landscape set to become even more so?

"In the 2010 Census, we'll see confirmation of a shift from Hispanic consumers who are first generation, where Spanish is the dominant language, to second-generation, bilingual, bicultural consumers. It totally transforms how we market," says Cynthia McFarlane, chair of Publicis Groupe's Conill, a Latino agency. "These are consumers who are as influenced by American culture as the country of origin of their families. There is a new American culture forming, and these consumers are having a tremendous impact on mainstream America."

McDonald's, which sees higher brand loyalty among its Hispanic consumers, has added offerings like breakfast burritos to its national menu. In further evidence of the growing bilingual voice of Hispanic consumers, McDonald's runs ads with Spanish taglines in general-market media, and earlier this year used "Spanglish" in general-market advertising for the Quarter Pounder.

"We know the general market has become increasingly multicultural, with Hispanic music, Hispanic tastes, the Hispanic palate influencing a lot of general-market initiatives," says Cristina Vilella, director of marketing at McDonald's USA. "We lead with Hispanic insights but make sure they appeal to the general market."

That blurring of distinctions within the Hispanic marketplace hints at the changes ahead for agencies and media firms. Hispanics now have about $863 billion in discretionary annual income, more than any other minority group in the country. (As of the third quarter, Americans overall had disposable income of $10.8 trillion.) Agencies argue that spending power is still underestimated and that upcoming Census findings -- expected to be released beginning in early 2011 -- will deliver a wake-up call to marketers.

"It will be a huge eye-opener when we see the growing affluence of the Hispanic marketplace, not just in buying power but also in household wealth," says Conill's McFarlane.

"We have 15 percent of the market but only 5 percent of the marketing dollars," says Ingrid Otero-Smart, CEO of Interpublic Group's Casanova Pendrill. "You're going to see more general-market agencies pursue Hispanic accounts. They didn't care when our budgets were $10 million or less, but now that we are dealing with more robust budgets and theirs are being cut, it's a different story."

Already, Hispanic agencies are extending their reach beyond Spanish-language media. Casanova Pendrill's recent California Lottery TV spots were used in the general market, while San Antonio-based independent Creative Civilization is lead agency for the San Antonio Express News and the San Antonio Spurs. In 2006, Toyota liked a Conill TV concept for the Camry so well, it turned it into a Super Bowl spot.

"There are certain categories, geographies, brands where the Hispanic market is now the general market and the Hispanic marketing strategy will be the overriding strategy," says Alex Lopez Negrete, CCO at independent Lopez Negrete Communications in Houston. "The Census will confirm the cultural pervasiveness of Hispanics. When general-market assignments start going to Hispanic agencies, it will manifest itself regionally first and then move to categories."

And Hispanic agencies have to catch up to their ever savvier consumers: Earlier this year, Forrester Research said Hispanic Gen Y consumers 18-28 are "outpacing" their non-Hispanic peers in the amount of mobile activity and use of features in which they engage. Those young Hispanics are also more interested in technology; Forrester found 72 percent of them said it is important, compared to 44 percent of non-Hispanics.

Mark Gibson, vp of advertising at State Farm, says the insurer's Hispanic marketing is an area of innovation.

"We're doing things in the Hispanic market that are driving things to other targets, platforms," he says. "Our Hispanic efforts are becoming a best-practices center at the company."

Given those new approaches to the marketplace and the threat of competition from general-market shops, many traditional Hispanic agencies will need to reinvent themselves to survive. Last year, after spending 29 years at Hispanic agencies, Simon El Hage joined IPG's Draftfcb in Chicago as group management director of multicultural marketing. "The old ethnic multicultural approach is passé," he warns. "We have to look at integration not just from a channel but from a segment point of view. The reality is that Hispanic agencies got used to working with less. We fell into our own trap, and the expectations marketers have for us, we set ourselves. We've underestimated the sophistication of our consumers."

And that provides opportunities for upstarts like MDC Partners' Adrenalina. The agency says it uses digital executions as a starting point and bases its strategies on a behavioral model. "We speak in culture, not language," says Manuel Wernicky, Adrenalina's president. "Old-school agencies just focus on Census numbers, which are used to divide the whole into granular pieces. We try to understand the complexity of that consumer and how they are changing, regardless of language, whether they're male or female, Mexican or Colombian."

Language does remain an important factor. Some 44 percent of Hispanic consumers say, at home, they speak Spanish only or more often than English; 25 percent say they are equally bilingual; and 31 percent use English only or more often than Spanish, according to research from Synovate and Nielsen. (That last number offers a glimpse of the future Hispanic marketplace: Among second-generation consumers, 93 percent say they are bilingual or English dominant.)

As general-market broadcasters continue to battle audience erosion, Univision, the country's No. 1 Spanish-language media company, posted a 5 percent gain last season. The company owns the most-watched single American TV station among adults 18-49 regardless of language -- KMEX-TV in Los Angeles. Univision also said last season it was consistently within the top five broadcast networks in the U.S., and on many nights it was within the top three.

"We're seeing a tipping point in Spanish-language media," says David Lawenda, Univision's president. "In our recently completed upfront, we saw shares shifting [from the general market] as we brought in new brands. The implications of the 2010 Census are huge. Marketers don't necessarily know the spending power of the U.S. Hispanic population. Their purchasing power makes them equivalent to the 15th-largest consumer marketplace in the world."

General broadcast networks posted a 22 percent decline in the last upfront, while Univision posted a 3 percent gain to $1.24 billion. In categories like quick-service restaurants, Univision posted a 25 percent gain, while consumer packaged goods rose 20 percent, Lawenda says.

Unlike general-market shops, many Hispanic agencies still maintain full-service media departments. That business is also under assault. Media agencies at big industry holding companies have created operations dedicated to multicultural planning and buying. The industry is also seeing more media-only agency reviews, which is not typical in the Hispanic sector.

"The competitive landscape will shift as more people compete for the money," says Danielle Gonzalez, managing director of Starcom MediaVest Group's Tapestry multicultural unit. "The general market has very good [media] buyers, but they might be lacking in strategic insights. You'll see traditional Spanish agencies positioning themselves as saying, 'You might have the [volume benefit of] dollars, but if you don't have the insights or are smart at buying, then what are you bringing to the process?'"

The stakes in those media plans have clearly changed over the past decade. While the 2010 survey is expected to show that two-thirds of Hispanics in the U.S. continue to live in four states -- California, Texas, Florida and New York -- there will be surprising new expansion of the population base.

"In the 2010 Census, we'll see dramatic growth east of the Mississippi in the Southeast corridor. This is going to be a profound game changer," says Don Browne, president of NBC Universal's Telemundo Spanish-language broadcast operations.

Luis Miguel Messianu, president and CCO at Alma DDB, concurs: "This Census will change the perception of what a national Hispanic marketing plan will look like. Now, it's the 15 top markets. The reality is that it has grown beyond that in recent years."

Article source ADWEEK

Biz Tech Day by Edith Yeung

BizTechDay is the largest and most impactful business technology conference in the nation. Its mission is to connect, educate and inspire entrepreneurs. Technology happens fast...This is the ONE event of the year where entrepreneurs catch up on the latest technologies and practical business strategies.

BizTechDay 2009 features an extraordinary lineup of both inspirational speakers and well-renown business experts. It will be held on October 22-23 in Silicon Valley and be streamed live to tens of thousands of entrepreneurs via the internet worldwide. Throughout the day, we will hear from amazing thought leaders, influential business experts, social media mavericks from Virgin America, Comcast, Yelp, Google, Facebook, Elance and many other like-minded entrepreneurs and business owners.

This conference features the top internet and business icons to show you 3 simple ways to use technology to drive your business:

1) How To Raise Money or Get Investors.

2) How To Use Social Media To Increase Business.

3) How To Leverage On Your Website For Marketing And To Drive Sales.

Some of this year's speakers:

Craig Newmark – Founder of Craigslist.org

Tim Ferriss – Author of 4-Hour Workweek

Michael Gerber – World’s No 1 Small Business Guru per Inc Magazine and the New York Times Best Selling Author of the E-Myth

Will Bunker – Co-Founder of Match.com

Kevin Rose – Founder of Digg (Over a Million People follow up on Twitter)

Porter Gale – VP Marketing at Virgin America

Mark O’Leary – Regional VP for Business Services for Comcast

Matt Mullenweg – Founder of WordPress

Kevin Hartz – Paypal Angel Investor

Fabio RosIati – CEO of Elance

Joel Comm – Creator of iFart iPhone App – Over 1 Million downloads

Gary Swart – CEO of oDesk

Randy Williams, Founder of Keiretsu Forum. The World’s largest angel investor network – over $180m invested in 200 companies

Chris Larsen – Founder of Prosper.com

Michelle Broderick – Director of Marketing at Yelp

Justin Kan – Founder of Justin.TV

Ramon Ray – Chief Editor of SmallBizTechnology.com

Alison Covarrubias – Founder & CEO of Hatch Network

And 40+ more thought leaders and successful entrepreneurs

Find out more at www.biztechday.com

Hispanic Heritage Month ROI

In September 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson proclaimed National Hispanic Heritage Week. Twenty years later it became a month-long celebration (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15). During this time, America celebrates the culture and traditions of those who trace their roots to Spanish-speaking countries.

The month of September is a historically significant one for many Latin American countries. September 15 is the anniversary of the independence of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence on September 16 and 18.

With over 45 million Hispanics in the U.S., it is crucial for marketers to be aware of this important time of year for Hispanic culture. Hispanic Heritage Month presents an opportunity for businesses to integrate themselves into this growing community by showing support. It is important that this support not be seen as token, and one of the best ways to do this is via sponsorship.

There are many levels of sponsorship, so businesses of all sizes can participate in supporting Hispanic Heritage month. No matter who you are or what you sell, there is a place for your brand in the Hispanic community, especially during this time. Hispanics have a strong sense of loyalty and reciprocity, so if you genuinely give to the Hispanic community, rest assured that you will get back. Your ROI will skyrocket if you get creative and position your support strategically during this month.

Hispanic Heritage Month means a great deal to Hispanics. It is the culmination of years of efforts at recognition by American culture. Integrating yourself into the Hispanic market by supporting Hispanic Heritage month could very well set you apart from other brands. Those who support Hispanic Heritage Month appear to be sincerely supporting Hispanic heritage, and not just supporting their own business. Contact me for more information about the numerous opportunities to take part in this special time of year for Hispanics.

Spanish-Language TV Ratings by TeleNoticias

The latest news about Univision dominance in the 18-34 year-old demographic is another reason to be paying attention to the Hispanic market, if you’re not already doing so.

For the week of June 15, Univision beat out all other broadcast networks, English and Spanish, for ages 18-34 on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday nights. In the highly coveted Thursday 10 pm slot, Univision’s “Mujeres Asesinas” (“Ladykillers”) beat out the top English competitor CBS by 72% for adults ages 18-34. For primetime, Univision was #1 on Friday among adults ages 18-49. This week wasn’t the first time Spanish programs have beaten ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox and the CW. In fact, Univision has been #1 on 33 Fridays during the 2008-2009 television season! Yes, 33 times!

Spanish-language programming has dominated ratings in the past, but it is happeing more frequently and its current success is a stark contrast with other major networks.

This season, English language broadcast networks are having some of their worst ratings ever. Meanwhile, this week brought Telemundo its highest novella ratings ever. These results extend to news as well: Spanish local news at 6 and 11 pm is averaging higher viewership than ABC, CBS and NBC`s local newscasts combined among Adults 18-34 in major U.S. markets.

Why is this happening? Go to complete post

The Value of Clothing to Hispanics - A Clothes Call

“Dress for success” is a popular saying in America, but if you have ever wondered what Hispanics dress for it is “acceptance.”

In Hispanic culture what you wear and how you wear it says a lot about you. A low income family might not be able to afford expensive clothing but their shirts are ironed and their shoes are polished. Middle to high class Hispanics in Latin American may save money to come to the U.S. for a shopping spree and purchase American brands that ironically, if not made in China were probably made in a Latin American country like Guatemala (my birth place.)

No matter their economic status, accessories and jewelry are a must for girls starting from a very young age. Little girls get their ears pierced almost at birth and might let their hair grow to pull it back in a sleek and polished pony tail. Their socks will have ruffles and their outfits will match.

Appearances are very important in Hispanic culture. First impressions hold high value and sometimes are very hard to erase if the outcome is negative. You don’t want to start off on the wrong foot. “El que dirán” (what will they say.)

In America clothes have become a way to express yourself. T-shirts with, “Go Green” or, “Vote for Obama” speak for themselves. Among Hispanics clothes are not to express, but to impress. The reason for this could be that they are worried about being judged and not accepted. And since social circles tend to be very small in Latin countries it is important to give the right impression even though “las aparencias engañan” (appearances can be deceiving.)

I remember the comment of my mother-in-law, when she visited Guatemala for the first time. She said, “Everybody dresses like they are always ready to go to an event.”

Talking about events, Latina Style Magazine will be having a great event this upcoming Thursday, July 23 at the Doubletree Hotel in San Jose, CA. Their Business Series includes Macy's Inc. as their sponsor and presenter of "Look Successful - Be successful: An integral part of being a successful Latina entrepreneur is a consistent and winning image. From what you wear to your body language to your attitude, these are tell-tale signs of your success. Learn how to always present our best possible self others."

For more information about this event you can visit Latina Style Business Series

© 2009 Sofia E. Keck

Hispanic Cultural Differences - Hispanic Hospitality Aboard the High Seas

The Consulate General of México in San Francisco and México’s Tourism Board invited me for a fantastic event on board the Mexican Navy Tall Ship “Cuauhtémoc.”

The event was part of the “Vive México” campaign. Out of curiosity I wrote an email to the Health & Cultural Liaison of Community Affairs from the Consulate General of Mexico, Mónica Felix and asked her the following question, “Mónica,the invitation reads ‘Vive’, but shouldn’t it be ‘Viva’?”

Mónica replied, “Actually, ‘Vive México’ is the ongoing campaign to celebrate Mexico’s Bicentennial Independence Anniversary and its Centennial Revolution Anniversary, so that’s the whole story behind that name.” So now we know.

The event was incredible, and the boat is magnificent. The crew looked sharp in their white uniforms and was extremely attentive. This reminded me of one of the cultural differences between Hispanics and Americans. Mexicans are one of the most hospitable people I know, they truly make you feel like family no matter whom you are or where you are from.

There are many cultural differences between Hispanics and Americans. One of my American friends once told me “Hispanics tend to invade people’s space;” it was a cultural shock to learn about the importance for Americans of “their space.” When I first came to the U.S. one of the hardest things I had to learn was to shake hands. When I met someone my instinct was to immediately “invade their space” as I leaned over to try to give the person a kiss on the cheek. The Americans I met all reacted in the same way. They took one step back as they saw me getting close and gave me a look that said, “What are you doing?” I always felt the need to apologize because the moment was so culturally awkward you could feel tension in the air.

After four years of being in the U.S. I have learned to shake hands; I don’t try to kiss people on the cheek anymore, but every now and then if I meet someone who I feel an instant connection with I tell them, “I hug” and then I lean forward to embrace them. It’s part of Hispanic culture to be affectionate even among strangers. I think this is great so I am willing to compromise with a hug.

Cross-cultural observations such as this one are vital when marketing to Hispanics and need to be taken into consideration in order for your marketing efforts to be effective and affective.

The Hispanic Market in Today’s Economy

Now more than ever Hispanics represent an influential force in the United States. The Hispanic presence in America can no longer be ignored. With millions in purchasing power Hispanic consumers have become not an alternative market, but a primary source of business. As Hispanics have experienced American culture, the U.S. has also absorbed new cultural patterns from Latinos, creating an environment of cultural exchange and cross-cultural marketing.

Hispanic marketing has become a must since general marketing efforts lack cultural relevance and are less effective for today’s diverse array of consumers. Hispanics are buying. The question is: who is effectively inviting them to buy?

It is important to know the difference between selling and inviting to buy. The latter has long term benefits that can be seen in many aspects such as customer loyalty. Businesses that are aware of this difference and proactive in their Hispanic marketing efforts are ahead of the curve and will generate more business even during these tough economic times.

The participation of Hispanics in today’s economy has become vital for the growth of America. From hard working illegal immigrants to successful Hispanic CEOs, Hispanics represent one of the major driving forces of economic success for millions of people in and out of the U.S.

In 2008 we witnessed the making of history with Barack Obama as the first African American U.S. President and Hillary Clinton as the first female presidential candidate. It might not be long to have a Hispanic president of the U.S. Sotomayor’s appointment to the Supreme Court is proof of Hispanic participation and importance in the United States.

My involvement in the Hispanic community allows me to see the potential and progress of our people, and how we make a difference in America. Struggle is always present in our lives and our journey is not easy. But our hard work has allowed us to build a pathway to our culture and gain respect in what was once a foreign land, which has become our home away from home.

I am fascinated with the opportunities that are out there not only for Hispanics but for those who are interested in our community. I am the founder and organizer of a professional group call “Hispanics Mean Business” and it is always a pleasant surprise when a new member registers that is not Hispanic.

Hispanic culture is rich in many aspects. Millions of non-Hispanics become part of our community every day by doing business with us, eating Spanish food, learning Spanish language or by “trying” to dance salsa! The important thing to know is that we are an elemental part of the whole enchilada that makes the world go around and that defines the U.S. as the land of the free and the home of the brave.

The Hispanic market is open for business; we are not only consumers but providers. Our powerful community is built upon values of perseverance and survival, our dreams are our goals and we stay strong.

To understand the Hispanic market takes time and effort but it is necessary in order to gain a successful presence within this community. Businesses that do not market effectively to Hispanics are losing money by not taking advantage of a healthy and wealthy market that is only getting bigger and better.

© Sofia E. Keck 2009 – sofia.keck@sellitinspanish.com

How to Send You the Perfect Referral in 3 sentences

In order for people to send you the perfect referral you have to make it clear to them who is your perfect client. To achieve this you have to narrow down the possibilities and step away from the idea of, “my service or product is perfect for everybody.” A good way of knowing who your perfect client is would be to look at your current client base.

Your perfect client is one who is enjoyable to do business with and one of the clients that buys from you the most. Let’s look at some sample customers from a hypothetical database to determine which one would be the ideal client:

Joe buys from you $10,000 a month, but he is very difficult to deal with.

Brian almost never buys from me, but when we actually do business together he is a pleasure to interact with.

Michael buys less than Joe but more than Brian and he is great to work with.
- Michael might be your perfect client.

Now that you know that you want more clients like Michael try to describe Michael as a customer. Michael is a male, in his mid 40’s; he owns a small business and caters to high-end customers. There are many Michaels out there and you want to make sure that if your friends or colleagues run into a Michael they send his contact info your way. To achieve this first double check that you know your perfect client:

So who is your perfect client? Take a moment and fill out the following information, to clarify your description of your perfect client.

Gender:

Age Range:

Financial Status:

Occupation, etc:

When you get a chance to ask for referrals make sure to communicate these characteristics. Of course you can always remind referral sources that you would be more than happy to work with anyone who might be interested in your services.

By providing a quick and detailed description of your perfect client you will save not only your time but the time of the potential referral source and the referral.

Since people retain 50% or less of the information that they are presented each day you have to be efficient in getting your message out.

When it’s time to ask for referrals deliver your speech in three sentences. Sentence number one will talk about who you are and your type of business. Sentence number two will talk about your perfect client and sentence number three will extend a “thank you” and ask “what can I do for you?” Here is some further detail about asking for referrals in this way.

About sentence one: present yourself only with your first name, this will automatically allow the listener to feel more comfortable around you. The name of your business is not important (yet) after all, the recipient will probably walk away with your business card and see the logo there.

About sentence two: describe only the three main characteristics of your perfect client, and be sure to repeat the most important one at least once. This way you will help the recipient remember at least one important thing.

About sentence number three: mention how much you appreciate future referrals and ask how you can help them.

Here is an example of what I might say when asking for referrals to my business:

Sentence 1: Hi. I’m Sofia. I help companies generate more business by marketing to Hispanic customers.

Sentence 2: Small to medium size retail companies in California find my services extremely beneficial. Working in California is great.

Sentence 3: Allow me to thank you beforehand for future referrals that you might send my way and please let me know how can I be of service.

The perfect time to hand out your business card is during the first sentence. This allows the recipient to quickly check your name to make sure he/she heard it correctly and pay close attention to what comes next.

Don’t be afraid to ask for referrals. Referrals are an important part of doing business. Be clear about the type of person that is a relevant client to you and about what you can offer to this person.

Try to give the first referral and be sure to follow up with a thank you note to people that send you referrals.

Effective Promotions to Hispanics - How to Craft Them

When marketing to Hispanics it is important to keep the offer simple. The offer should be so simple that the value of it is obvious, making it almost impossible to question. Your call to action should also be simple, “call now” tends to produce positive results but if for you “now” does not mean 24/7 you might want to come up with something else since callers may not call twice if your representatives don’t pick up, and that would be a lost sale.

It is recommended to focus on one offer at a time to highlight the value of it. A fantastic offer can stand alone and does not need sub-offers to sound appealing. Remember the offer has to be simple and the more you talk about it the less simple it gets. Multiple promotional offers at one time tend to be confusing.
Another important aspect of a great offer to Hispanics is to try to make it unconditional. An offer such as “Get 20% discount on your first purchase over $50” may not sound inviting since what you are saying is: we will give you the discount if you give first.

Hispanics know that there is no such thing as a “free lunch” so probably the majority of them assume that there is a catch. The purpose of your offer is to invite them to come into the store to find out what the catch is. Take into account that a simple offer should carry a simple catch in order not to be viewed as a rip-off.

Hispanics respond to a broad range of offers, particularly those that are family-related. It is up to you or your marketer to find a strategic way to make your product or service family-related.

This does not mean that every offer has to talk about family in order to be relevant to Hispanics, but try to present the value of your offer as something that benefits more than one person even if the service or product is meant to be used only once or by one individual at a time.

Even though Hispanics like to shop and purchase the latest trends they are careful about their expenses. Having the opportunity of investing their money in something that brings value to others besides themselves makes an offer more inviting to Hispanics.

Before putting your next offer out there for the Hispanic market, take some time to evaluate the content of it. Generic offers do not apply to non-generic markets.

AT&T Park Business Expo Follow-up / Raffle Winner

One of the most popular questions visitors asked me at the business expo was, “Does my marketing campaign have to be in Spanish in order to reach Hispanic customers?”

Quick answer: Not necessarily. No matter the language that you adopt to promote your product or service, the most important aspect of a successful marketing campaign is relevancy. Speaking your Hispanic customers' language does not necessarily imply speaking Spanish. Spanish language alone will not drive Hispanic customers to your business.

Your message will be more relevant to Hispanic customers if:
- You inform yourself about your business and product in relation to the Hispanic market
- You craft your message specifically for a Hispanic audience, and
- You clearly provide the value of your service or product to the Hispanic market.

That being said, even though English fluency is rapidly increasing among Hispanics, it can be harder to reach bilingual Hispanics with generalized marketing efforts based on the fact that they speak English. There are many benefits of marketing in Spanish to Hispanics, but if you decide to market in Spanish be careful with literal translations.

Thank you very much for stopping by the “Sell it in Spanish” booth. You are invited to leave more questions on the "Post a comment" box or contact me directly at sofia.keck@sellitinspanish.com

Congratulations to Eddy Vanrenterghem, General Manager of Carnelian Room, who is the lucky winner of a Canon SELPHY CP770 – Compact Photo Printer! Soon, we will be having an online raffle of a fantastic Pre-Civil War Map of North America by J.H. Colton (1855) authenticated by MappaGrande Antique Maps. Be sure to subscribe to our blog to participate.

Spanish Translations: Good enough?

Last Thursday at the “Business After Hours Grand Expo” I collected a few brochures from various booths. I was glad to see that many businesses provide information in English and in Spanish; unfortunately a few of these brochures were literal Spanish translations from their English information.

I say unfortunately for two main reasons: one, a couple of translations did not make sense. The message generated from these translations was not consistent in both languages. The majority of the translations were of good quality – meaning that if they would be translated back into English after being translated into Spanish we would find the same use of English words from the original document - but some failed to communicate the actual value of the business itself. Even the jargon was translated, which made it even worse.

Many people asked me that evening: “how can I communicate with Hispanics if I don’t speak Spanish?” Based on these brochures I can confidently say that communicating to Hispanics in Spanish may not be the key to success per se. A translator is not necessarily a marketer, and in order for translations to be successful the translator has to have a keen sense of the intended audience.

Businesses should think of “conversion” instead of “translation” when marketing to Hispanics. Even though conversion and translation might be used as synonyms, the subtle difference between them is worth knowing. Conversion focuses on the message while translation focuses on the actual words. Obviously, the message is much more important. The best thing would be to create the messages in Spanish from scratch to be sure that the totality of the message is being delivered not only correctly but also in a meaningful way.

This brings me to my second reason why literal translations from English to Spanish often come up short. No matter how good a translation is, the majority of the time it is evident that Spanish was not the original language of the message. From a psychological standpoint, the message sent is that Spanish-speakers were not the intended recipients for the products or services offered by a particular business. If it is evident that the content is a mere literal translation, the Hispanic consumer might not feel as valued and conclude that the message does not apply directly to them. It is important to understand that the Spanish language –as any other language- carries cultural values and experiences making it extremely important not to think of words just as “words.” To grasp this concept, ask yourself how you feel when someone reads you a sonnet from Shakespeare, versus how you feel when someone writes you a poem inspired specifically by you.

Hispanic Population in Your Business Community

Unless the majority of your sales are online, a key factor for business success is location. In order to choose the best location for your business one of the most important things to consider are the demographics.

A quick, easy and free way of getting some statistics about the percentage of Hispanic and other population in your business area is to Google your zip code. Plug in your zip code number on Google’s search box. You will be surprised of all the information that you can get by doing this.

Who are you calling Hispanic?

Many times I have heard people use the term Latinos when referring to Hispanics, and even though these terms have come to be interchangeable they are not the same. The word Hispanic comes from the Latin word "Spain "while the word Latino is technically a shortening for Latino Americano (Latin American.)

The common denominator for Hispanics is language, but for Latinos/Latinas is the place of origin or geographical indicator. Neither of these two terms is based on race. The concept of Hispanic tends to be broader, including all Spanish-speaking people worldwide. subscribe to our feed

These terms can even be a little bit more controversial when referring to Brazilians for example. Brazilians, cannot be called Hispanic since they do not speak Spanish but Portuguese. And the term Latino might not apply. From my experience, Brazilians prefer to be called South Americans or Luso. Luso, is the term describing Portuguese language and culture. It derives from the word “Lusitania”, the ancient Roman name for Portugal.

For practical purposes, these are some preferences for these terms:

Latino/Latina: person who lives in the U.S. who comes from or whose family comes from Spanish culture in Latin America (Central and South America.) May or may not speak Spanish.

Hispanics: of or relating to Spain or Spanish-speaking people or culture in Latin America.

Latin American: descendant from Spanish culture in Latin America who lives in Central or South America.

South American: descendants from South American countries who live in South America and/or descendants of non Spanish speaking South American countries that live in the U.S.

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