Earning Hispanic Consumer Trust Through Communication and Empowerment

Think about the brands that reach you and catch your attention, whether television ads, ink and paper, or online.  How do they speak to you?  How do they approach you as a consumer?  Chances are, your favorite products are delivered to you courtesy of companies that have taken considerable time and effort to ensure they are communicating with you in just the right way.  Companies that don’t do their homework and strive to communicate with and empower consumers in the marketplace are not the companies we see at the top of the leaderboard when it comes to consumer trust.

Over 56 million strong, the Hispanic population in the U.S. is growing and represents an economic force that should not be ignored by businesses.  Although most businesses are well aware of the spending power present in the Hispanic marketplace, a staggering number are unaware of how to communicate with a multicultural audience in a way that earns trust and consumer loyalty.  Many businesses, in their haste to meet the needs of the Hispanic consumer, have jumped into poorly planned marketing campaigns as a way of quickly offering a solution to growing markets, but there is a better way!

Before jumping into any campaign, marketers and businesses alike would be wise to take the words of Cuban American singer Pitbull to heart as he talks about Hispanic culture.  “The culture is amazing and its buying power is through the roof, but I think it’s about more than the buying power.  It’s about the real people.”  By taking into consideration the individuality of your market and focusing on the real people and authentic culture that form your customer base, you’ll make greater strides toward developing lasting consumer trust.

Getting Past the Buying Power

It’s true that the Hispanic population in the U.S. has tremendous buying power—$ 1.5 trillion approximately—but the companies that will be successful in connecting with this segment of the population are the ones that will forget about the buying power and focus on the people, the culture, and the communities behind the money.  For many, it’s nearly impossible to remove their “business hats” and forget about the bottom line for a moment, but by focusing on a true, authentic connection with the Hispanic population, the products and services they are selling are more likely to be accepted.

In the Hispanic community, relationships are forged over time, and trust is not earned without demonstrating authenticity and cultural awareness.  This means marketers will need to focus on where their priorities lie with shoppers.  Instead of forcing products on their Hispanic audience, marketers need to emphasize culture, values, and customs and empower the Hispanic population to make their buying decisions based on the brands that give them a voice.  It’s not as simple as defining a language and tossing advertising dollars at quick translations; instead, companies must be willing to invest more than money—they must invest more of themselves.

Building Consumer Trust

Several companies have figured out the keys to marketing successfully to the Hispanic consumer.  We need not look far to see leaders in the field (Nestle, Coca-Cola, Wal-Mart, McDonald’s), and they have done this by focusing on their consumers and staying true to their brand ideals, all the while presenting product aspects that appeal to their consumers.  For example, the McDonald’s “First Customer” advertisement was able to capture the importance of family in the Hispanic community as a mom and dad pull through the Drive-Thru and are the first customers at their teenaged son’s first job.  Not only did they show up to cheer him on, but they had their camera in tow and were taking pictures to help them remember the day.  In just one minute, McDonald’s captures the importance of family as well as an important milestone—all while integrating a few strategic Spanish words into the content.

Companies that are succeeding in reaching their Hispanic markets aren’t doing so by accident.  It takes time, market development, and careful planning to continuously close gaps that exist in marketing.  The Hispanic consumer in today’s market offers an opportunity for businesses that are willing to work and present authentic marketing solutions, but companies must realize it is more than a total market strategy, as the Hispanic market itself is extremely diverse and rich in culture and tradition.

As a starting place, marketers delving into the Hispanic market can look to the following tips for guidance:

• Integrate your Hispanic audience.  Rather than talking TOWARD them, include them in your campaign.  Give your campaigns a synergistic feeling from the beginning by planning inclusive content.

• Ensure your content reflects the culture of your audience.  Take things like country of origin, education, level of acculturation, traditions, and other factors into consideration when planning your message.

• Your message may not always need to be in Spanish.  Not all Hispanic shoppers speak Spanish, and likewise, not all Hispanic shoppers speak English; as a marketer, this puts you into a bit of a conundrum.  The only thing to do is get to know your audience.  Do research to determine whether the audience you are addressing is bilingual, Spanish-dominant, English-dominant—or even whether language usage changes at different times of day, depending whether speakers are at work or at home.

• Just as in all your marketing, find your influencers.  Hispanics are early adopters of technology and known for being influencers, so find out who can speak up for your brand and provide powerful word-of-mouth messaging.

• Be aware of family values as you deliver your content.  Hispanic consumers tend to have extremely close connections with family, and often different generations will live in a single household.  Consumers who are part of multi-generational households will find a family-centered business approach appealing.

• Present a strong brand value.  Once you have earned the trust of your Hispanic consumers, they tend to be brand loyal.  When a company is able to present strong brand values, it will likely enjoy more success in the Hispanic market.

The population in the U.S. is ever-changing, and those who are driven to succeed will continue to embrace change while engaging and encouraging every consumer to interact with their brands.  The leaders are those who will be willing to examine how they are reaching out, and they will commit to re-energizing their brands by communicating with and empowering consumers.

Want more information on reaching your Hispanic automotive consumer?  Check out our articles here.  Do you have a bilingual dealership?  FuzeCast is available in both English and Spanish to improve communication.  Call us today 1-855-313-2452 and see how you can put FuzeCast to work for your dealership!