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It’s that time of year again! Each year during National Hispanic Heritage Month, we witness how many brands invest the majority of their Hispanic marketing budgets on campaigns, partnerships and experiential activation that are meant to acknowledge the community, celebrate their culture and recognize their achievements.
Many of us cheer when we see that favorite streaming service launch a “Hispanic and Latinx Stories” hub or when we see our favorite reggaeton artists in various car, beer, spirit or fast food commercials. But for many others, these initiatives can feel hollow and detached from who they are.
To put it simply, for many Latinx consumers, it can seem as though these campaigns were created with someone else in mind. The problem, however, isn’t that they were made with someone else in mind. No. The problem is that these campaigns were made with everyone in mind. Every major market, every country of origin and every generation … all at once.
To put it in perspective, a common practice by many clients is to provide briefs that state the target as simply “Hispanic consumers.” While some brands might see this target description as clearly defined parameters, what the brief is really asking of marketers or agencies is that they create a single campaign that targets a population of 62 million individuals from every age demographic living in every region of the U.S., speaking multiple languages and originating from over 20 multiracial nations.
Understanding the nuances that these complexities bring to each generation is a powerful tool but, more often than not, those nuances are ignored in favor of a consolidated idea of the market. This idea of who the “Hispanic” consumer is is often informed by common perceptions like, “they are all about family,” “soccer is life,” or that they “cling to their heritage.” While these perceptions may prove true for many Latinx consumers, they can fail to show the diverse influences that each generation brings to the Latinx experience.
The consequence of not acknowledging the diversity of experience within generations can result in large segments of the markets feeling erased from the very content that was intended for them.
Perception is not always reality
When it comes to the issue of language, there is a commonly held perception that older Latinos prefer the Spanish language, while younger consumers are perceived to prefer English. This perception is easy to understand, as it is based on studies that show that the majority of foreign-born Latinos prefer to communicate in their native language, while the same studies show that the majority of second- and third-generation Latinos were bilingual or preferred to communicate in English.
The problem that we encounter here is that these common perceptions don’t take into account the various generational waves of migration dating back to the early 20th century and up to the present. This, unfortunately, oftentimes leads to brands missing the opportunity to effectively communicate with English-speaking Gen Xers and boomers as well as Spanish-speaking millennials and Gen Zers.
Another commonly held view of Latinx communities is the idea of “biculturalism” in addressing younger consumers. The concept of biculturalism, which has become popular among marketers in recent years, positions Latinx consumers as feeling both Latinx and American equally.
While the concept of biculturalism, or the “200%” model as it is sometimes referred to, does a great job in condensing the Latinx consumer into a nice neat package for brands, the model can fall short in many cases. It oftentimes suggests that both Latinx and American cultures are the sole two forces that influence the Latinx consumer’s self-perception or that these influences are mutually exclusive of each other.
While the bicultural model can be useful in distinguishing some Latinx consumers, it can miss the mark in recognizing the many other cultural influences within different generations and regions. We see this in the examples of various countercultural movements, such as the Nuyorican and Chicano movements of the 1960s and ’70s, as well as the later punk and hip-hop movements, which have influenced multiple generations of Latinx youth.
How to leverage generational marketing
So what can brands do to more accurately and efficiently target these diverse Latinx generational audiences? The key exists in three important steps: segmentation, contextualization and customization.
Segmentation: Determine which generation or age group your target actually represents. Dig deeper than that “Hispanic adult aged 18 to 65” target. Find the aspects that make that generation unique. It’s important that marketers examine how their consumer’s generational experiences, passions and pain points differ from other Latinx age groups.
Contextualization: Narrow in on where your target is coming from, culturally, and consider what are the other cultural influences that exist around them. This is where factors such as preferred language, country of origin and acculturation, as well as where they currently live and what other communities they may live near, come into play.
Customization: Create content and messaging that speaks to your Latinx consumer as a unique individual rather than simply part of the larger group. It’s not enough to market to “the community.” Latinx consumers need to feel like brands know who they are as individuals.
As we move past mid-October, many brands will undoubtedly begin to wind down their Latinx marketing efforts for the next 11 months. But as more brands continue to realize the importance of building a relationship with Latinx consumers year-round, it’s crucial that they recognize the community for who they are—a multiethnic, multilingual and multigenerational population of individuals.
This article is part of a special Voice series, Let’s Get Loud, where industry professionals share their experience, expertise and advice on what brands need to know to form long-lasting relationships with the Latinx consumer.
