TelevisaUnivision & Known Partner to Reach Hispanic Viewers

As evp and chief client officer at TelevisaUnivision, Steven Wolfe Pereira knows a thing or two about how advertisers can reach Hispanic American consumers. And that includes what not to do. “If you're really trying to figure out how to be a part of the conversation, [don’t] do a Cinco de Mayo, a burrito and a piñata,” he said. “We’re well past those days. [But] if you could culturally, authentically connect with his audience, you will see change in your business.” Speaking on stage with ADWEEK chief experience officer Jenny Rooney at the Outlook 2024 summit, Wolfe Pereira shared insights culled from years as an industry executive on both the agency and corporate marketing sides. He also addressed a dichotomy on the minds of many marketers in the room: Talking about authentic connections is easy, but forging them is another thing altogether. Having perceived that knowledge gap in the marketplace, Wolfe Pereira today announced a new partnership between TelevisaUnivision and integrated marketing agency Known, whose remit will be to assist brand clients with media and marketing strategy, and developing credible messaging. “They’re going to offer their capabilities, their insights, their tools—tapping into the culture in an authentic way,” Wolfe Pereira said. How the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Grew Hispanic Audiences The indominable influence of Hispanic audiences In today’s multicultural landscape, few marketers doubt the importance of trying to do that. The buying power of Hispanic Americans is well north of $3.4 trillion, according to research from the nonprofit Latino Donor Collaborative, and it will grow commensurately with the demographic. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Hispanic Americans are among the fastest growing ethnic groups, having swelled by 23% between 2010 and 2020. With 61.1 million people, Hispanic Americans now make up 19% of the U.S. population. With an empire that includes broadcast networks like Univision and Las Estrellas, 38 cable networks, 35 Spanish-language radio stations and Spanish-language streaming platform ViX—what Wolfe Pereira refers to as its Hispanic Operating System—TelevisaUnivision is a logical way to reach Hispanic Americans. But even a media behemoth like that can’t always tell you how to reach them. Which is where Known steps into the picture. “What we bring are some things that they don't have [including] advanced analytics, research, brand strategy and AI capabilities,” said Known president Ross Martin, speaking from his office in Los Angeles. Known’s arsenal includes consumer intelligence, causal modeling, advanced segmentation and generative AI tools whose proprietary algorithms can master a range of natural language efforts. “We've combined what we have with what TelevisaUnivision [has and] it's going to make it far easier and more effective to develop a strategy for brands for winning with Hispanics,” Martin added. Some brands remain hesitant TelevisaUnivision and Known fusing their respective areas of experience is especially relevant at a time when many brands clearly want to reach Hispanic consumers but have either defaulted to outdated messaging or put off the attempt altogether for fear of making a mistake. Brands, Wolfe Pereira said, “have gotten so afraid of being canceled.” But those fears are probably overblown—at least when it comes to this demographic. “I don’t think there’s anyone that is more welcoming than the Latino community,” said Wolfe Pereira. “We want to be seen. We are too big now to be invisible.” Among Gen Z alone, he stressed to attendees, 30% of consumers are Hispanic. “This audience is massive, growing quickly, and its buying power is exponential,” Martin added, “so you must have an effective strategy for your brand against his audience. If you combine what we do on the brand, strategy, research and consumer intelligence front with what TelevisaUnivision knows about this audience, that’s a superpower, and it's unique.” Security Cameras for Fish Owners and Headphones for Golfers: How Media Agencies Find New Customers for Clients Learn from the creators Wolfe Pereira and Rooney led a segment titled Creators, Commerce & Culture, which explored not just the sweeping influence of Latin culture but the growing role of creators within it—as content producers, brand ambassadors and founders of their own brands, too. Brand advertisers and independent creators are united in the constant pursuit of authentic messaging, he said, and as creators look for ways to reach their audiences with a voice that’s sincere, trustworthy and culturally credible, brands can learn much by watching them. Above all, Wolfe Pereira stressed that brands can no longer wait on the sidelines. “If you’re not connecting with this consumer in an authentic way,” he said, “you’re just not going to be able to win.”

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TelevisaUnivision and Known Partner to Better Reach Hispanic Consumers

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