Fresh Perspectives
Consultant
Felipe Korzenny, Ph.D., merged his company, Hispanic & Asian Marketing Communication Research, Inc. with Cheskin in December of 1999. He was President and CEO H&AMCR, the company he founded in 1984 to assist Fortune 500 companies in understanding and communicating effectively with the Hispanic and Asian markets in the US and abroad. He is particularly well known in the industry for the consumer experience insights he has helped generate to position successful products in the US Hispanic market and in Latin America. He is currently Professor and Director of the Center for the Study of Hispanic Marketing Communication at Florida State University. Further information about his current activities can be found at: http://comm2.fsu.edu/faculty/comm/Korzenny/FK2Website/
7 May 2006
By Vivian Fong, Graduate Student of Hispanic Marketing Communication, Florida State University
Dora la Exploradora, or Dora the Explorer is an animated television series for preschool-age children that is broadcasted on Nickelodeon in the United States. It is based on a 7-year old Hispanic or Latina character and her friends. A pilot episode for this series first aired in 1999, and Dora the Explorer became a regular series in 2000. The series airs not only on Nick, but also on CBS on Saturday mornings and on Noggin, the Nickelodeon-owned channel for preschoolers. The show, which was created by Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh, and Eric Weiner also is broadcast in selected Latin American markets.
Ever since its creation, Dora the Explorer has been an acclaimed TV show that teaches children (Hispanic and non-Hispanic) basic Spanish words and phrases along with math and music skills and physical coordination. Children also learn with Dora, along with a monkey character named Boots, how to observe situations and solve problems.
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Posted in
Hispanic Markets
by Felipe Korzenny
11 April 2006
By Javier Rosado,
Doctoral Student,
Florida State University
Javipr19@hotmail.com
Subjectivity is at the center of marketing and cultural subjectivity is at the core of cross-cultural marketing (Korzenny & Korzenny 2005). The importance of understanding subjective aspects of a culture can not be overstated when considering marketing strategies that are aimed at Hispanics. The purpose of identifying and understanding perceptions, beliefs, and actions specific to a group is to better establish and emotional connection with consumers. This can only be done through appropriate cultural understanding. One step towards better understanding a culture is the examination of archetypes, or ranges of dimensions that characterize a culture (Korzenny & Korzenny 2005). There are different dimensions of culture that form archetypes, for example, a culture’s perception of time, leadership, or gender. This paper will focus on cultural perceptions of happiness among Hispanics with the purpose of gaining insight that would allow marketers to better connect with Hispanic consumers.
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Posted in
Hispanic Markets
by Felipe Korzenny
23 March 2006
By Rose Carbonell, Graduate Student of Hispanic Marketing Communication at Florida State University
"I don't have everything I love, but I love everything I have". It might sound like a romantic quote, but when my Venezuelan friend used this phrase, she was trying to explain to me what money represents to her. During our conversation, she tried to explain that money is not everything for her: "Yes, money is good, but is not the most important thing in life. As long as I'm healthy, my family is around and I have my friends, I'll be happy, no matter how much money I have. I'm healthy, so I know I can work and survive. I'll work to live, not to live to work".
From an American perspective, this lack of ambition for money seems unusual. Americans learn that time is precious and should be used effectively to build a wealthy life (time is money!). Robert Wuthnow, in his essay Pious Materialism: How Americans View Faith and Money concludes that money and material possessions are, in fact, among the things Americans cherish most deeply. Money represents success, and the more you have the more power and status within society you have. The expression American Dream is a perfect illustration of the US money culture; despite the varied ways of interpreting the America Dream, the expression is mostly used to explain the desire to gain material wealth.
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Posted in
Hispanic Markets
by Felipe Korzenny
2 March 2006
It has been seen throughout history that every human being needs a sense of belongingness in the society. Society as a whole is a complex set of different groups in which people associate themselves to use as a reference. Therefore, people tend to identify themselves with these groups according to why they think that they belong to it, or may identify with such groups without belonging to them.
This is a contribution by Vivian Fong, a Graduate student at Florida State University studying Hispanic Marketing Communication. Continue reading...
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Posted in
Hispanic Markets
by Felipe Korzenny
19 January 2006
The usual first reaction on the part of marketers is to think of a line extension, or a new brand to reach out to Hispanic consumers. They seem to feel that Hispanics would naturally relate more to a brand that has some more familiar ring to it. For example The Men's Warehouse launched a Hispanic store brand "Eddie Rodriguez" to cater to relatively affluent US Hispanics. Others have considered launching banks for Hispanics, title companies for Hispanics, etc.
Clearly, there is great virtue in names that can provide for cultural identification. But names are just a beginning consideration in a marketing effort. This is particularly true when the company considering the launch of a brand or line extension has equity in its larger and established brands.
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Posted in
Hispanic Markets
by Felipe Korzenny
28 August 2005
Felipe Korzenny, Cheskin Co-Founder and Director for the Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication at FSU, and Betty Ann Korzenny, Former Cheskin Principal and Associate Director of the same Center at FSU, just published "Hispanic Marketing: A Cultural Perspective." Stephen Palacios, Maria Flores Letelier, and Adrien Lanusse Lopez also of Cheskin made contributions to this book. The publisher is Butterworth Heinemann/Elsevier.
This book is about strategic thinking in Hispanic marketing. The size and economic importance of the Hispanic market in the US are attracting enormous attention. The buying power of the US Hispanic market is now larger than the GDP of the entire country of Mexico, and it is the second largest Hispanic market in the world. Businesses and institutions have launched major initiatives to reach this important segment. Yet, the number of qualified individuals who understand the market is small; and many of those already catering to the market still struggle to learn about its intricacies.
This book is a cultural approach to Hispanic marketing. Each of the chapters describes and explains the cultural principles of Latino marketing. Recent case studies help marketers relate to the material pragmatically. The book integrates concepts and practical examples and provides critical guidance to discern between alternative courses of action.
This book is not about repeating well-known statistics, but about the Hispanic market as a cultural target. It takes a profound look at the values, beliefs, and emotions of US Hispanics, which impact consumer behaviour. Each of the chapters has been the subject of public presentations and lectures to marketing professionals. It is their positive reactions as well as the authors dedication to Hispanic consumers which motivated this book.
* The first comprehensive guide to integrated marketing principles for the Hispanic market, the fastest-growing demographic in the United States
* Provides insight, conceptual tools and guidance to marketers on effective positioning of products in this market
* Creates a framework for to delineate the Hispanic market from larger ethnic and cross-cultural marketing approaches
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Posted in
Hispanic Markets
by Felipe Korzenny
9 August 2005
In 1980 there were about 10 million Hispanics in the US according to the US Census Bureau. In 1990 there were about 23 million, and 35.4 million in 2000. US Census Bureau estimates for July 2003 indicated that US Hispanics were about 40 million people. The explosive growth over the past 25 years has been fueled largely by immigration. Immigration to the US accelerated as economic conditions in Latin America deteriorated dramatically over the same period of time. Mexico, the key exporter of Hispanics to the US, has been the barometer of Hispanic immigration to the US. Mexicans largely define the shape, size, and profile of the US Hispanic market.
This explosive growth does not take into consideration the conservative estimate of the Pew Hispanic Center that has published estimates that there are 11 million undocumented individuals in the US in 2005, of which about 6 million are Mexican, and another 2.5 million are from other countries in Latin America. It is intuitive to those who have followed the development of the US market that these estimates should be undercounting the actual number of undocumented US Hispanics.
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Posted in
Hispanic Markets
by Felipe Korzenny, 2 comments
28 July 2005
Very often I get phone calls from friends and colleagues in the advertising and marketing industry asking if I know of someone that can manage an advertising account from a Hispanic perspective, or if I know a brand manager that can manage a brand directed to Hispanics.
There is great demand and little supply of Hispanic marketing professionals. Not that the marketer needs to be Hispanic but that they need to understand the nuances of marketing to Hispanics in the US.
At Florida State University we will soon launch, officially, the Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication http://hmc.comm.fsu.edu .
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Posted in
Hispanic Markets
by Felipe Korzenny, 0 comments
8 February 2005
Being Hispanic in the United States was not "cool" in the 50's, 60's, and 70's. We were punished for speaking Spanish in school, and looked down upon for speaking Spanish at work or almost anywhere. There was a stigma associated with being different and poor.
Marketers could not see any reason to approach a "niche" market like that. In the 70's the US Bureau of the Census needed to come up with a scheme that would aggregate people of Latin American origin in the US. That was mainly for political reasons, but an unprecedented effort. After the 1980, Census found that there were 10 million Hispanics in the US that decade was pronounced "The Decade of Hispanics." All of a sudden Hispanics had a political identity as a group. Little did we know that the power of Hispanics would come not just from politics but also, in a major way, from the economic sphere.
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Etcetera
| Hispanic Markets
by Felipe Korzenny, 0 comments
11 October 2004
Maria Hernandez arrived in the US 15 years ago when she was 20 years old. She came illegally from Mexico to join her boyfriend, Juan, who had preceded her. He came 2 years earlier and learned a lot about how to live in the US. Juan taught Maria much about what products to purchase, where, and introduced her to new customs he developed in those two years. Juan and Maria soon had a baby girl, Martha.
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Posted in
Hispanic Markets
by Felipe Korzenny, 2 comments
12 August 2004
It is instinctive and natural but at the same time naïve for many marketers to assume that translating marketing communications is the course of action when approaching the US Hispanic market. Several faulty premises contribute to this line of reasoning:
1. Language is the main issue when communicating with Hispanics
2. Language can be separated from culture because language is a self contained system
3. Translation is just a process of turning terms and sentences from one language into another
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Posted in
Hispanic Markets
by Felipe Korzenny, 0 comments
28 June 2004
The diversification of the US workforce is a challenge with multiple facets. One of the most important issues facing the diverse workforce is the co-orientation of attitudes, beliefs, and expectations on the part of at least three constituencies: Employers, Employees from one culture, Employees from other cultures.
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Posted in
Hispanic Markets
by Felipe Korzenny, 0 comments
12 May 2004
This coming June 10 and 11 the Strategic Research Institute will hold its 5th Annual US Hispanic Market Boom Conference at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Los Angeles. In my opinion this will be an important conference because it will gather eminent speakers like Hector Orci from La Agencia de Orci, Gabriel Manjarrez from Bank of America, David Wellisch from AOL Latino, Dan Nance from Casanova Pendrill, Carlos Santiago from The Santiago Solutions Group, Cesar Melgoza from Geoscape International, and many others.
I will also be speaking at this conference on alternative ways to conceptualize the "new Hispanic cultural and linguistic identity." There are many forces that shape how the Hispanic market relates to the many channels and sources of communication in the environment. This session will be about challenging traditional beliefs about how to reach and connect with Hispanic consumers. This conference offers the opportunity to dialogue about the future of the Hispanic market. Hope to see you there.
Posted in
Hispanic Markets
by Felipe Korzenny, 0 comments
6 May 2004
"The right spend,” “the right investment,” or perhaps the expression “the right reach” is more suggestive. The question is “what is the right investment in Hispanic integrated marketing and communication efforts to effectively reach the Hispanic market?”
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Posted in
Hispanic Markets
by Felipe Korzenny, 0 comments
31 March 2004
Calle 8 in Miami, Fiesta Broadway in Los Angeles, The Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York, and Cinco de Mayo in most major Hispanic markets are just some of the many Hispanic local celebrations and events that take place every year. They constitute Hispanic community recognition, acceptance, and commemoration.
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Posted in
Hispanic Markets
by Felipe Korzenny, 1 comments
21 February 2004
It is important to make a distinction between those Hispanics that are “banked” and those who are “unbanked.” Largely, unbanked Hispanics tend to earn less money and be relatively new immigrants to the United States. About half US Hispanic adults have checking and/or savings accounts and/or general purpose credit cards. Interestingly, approximately half US Hispanic adults are bicultural or English dominant. It should be of no surprise that those more acculturated Hispanics are more likely to be banked. There are at least two distinct opportunities for the US financial services industry in the US. One consists of enhancing the financial savvy of those who are more acculturated and earn their loyalty and portfolio. The other consists of grooming the less acculturated half of the market that is likely to be “next generation” of banked Hispanic consumers.
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Posted in
Hispanic Markets
by Felipe Korzenny, 1 comments
29 October 2003
The US Hispanic market should be low hanging fruit for many marketers, but they do not know it. Marketers make assumptions about the US Hispanic Market based on hearsay and assumptions that in many cases are flawed. Clearly marketing to Hispanics, particularly Spanish dominant Hispanics, requires going beyond marketing routine and making a proactive effort.
Reaching Hispanics in Spanish has been shown to make an important difference, particularly when reaching those who prefer to communicate in Spanish (that is 60% of those 18 years of age and older). According to the 2002 HOT study of “People en Español”, a third of all US Hispanics indicate they “get more information from advertisements that are in Spanish.” Also a fourth of all US Hispanics state they “prefer to purchase brands that are advertised in Spanish.” Thirty six percent of all US Hispanics, in addition, state that they watch Spanish language television because “it is more reflective of my life and culture.” The Spanish language, then gives a strong competitive edge to advertisers that have learned how to communicate to Hispanics in the context of the culture and language.
Besides using language, as a key targeting tool that goes beyond the routine of most marketers, there are other areas that can make strong contributions to the bottom line of marketers that strategically search for Hispanic opportunities. Many marketers whose products are not currently used by Hispanics make the often erroneous assumption that Hispanics must not like their product or brand. Basic baseline research many times uncovers a common phenomenon: A large number of Hispanics are just unaware of the product category and/or brand. For example, a majority of US Hispanics are unaware of refrigerated dough products. It is not that they do not like these products but that they have passed by them many times at the store without understanding what these round cardboard containers have inside. If a marketer took the time to show the Hispanic consumer what the product is about s/he could easily add consumers to its brand franchise.
Many Hispanics come to the United States with brand loyalties and expectations. They know that cereal is Kellogg’s and that toothpaste is Colgate. This does not mean that these consumers reject offhand the offering of other brands. They just don’t know about them. Just take the case study of the cereal brand Kix. This brand was virtually unknown to the Hispanic consumer until it was introduced in the WIC (Women Infants and Children) program and now the brand is one of the most successful brands in the market.
The most productive allocation of resources is many times in areas that are easy and simple to address, but sometimes difficult to even perceive their existence. Our assumptions many times blind us to the obvious and the simple.
Posted in
Hispanic Markets
by Felipe Korzenny
10 October 2003
Lower socio-economic levels, underemployment, and knowledge about the functioning of US culture are key contributors to lower levels of health care among US Hispanics. In general we have found the following patterns of behavior related to health care:
1. Cynicism regarding the health care establishment. Many Hispanics delay or avoid medical care indicating that for the amount of money they pay the medical establishment they get remedies they already know about and can acquire over the counter. Some state that making appointments, going to a doctor’s office, and a long wait at the office, and a high fee often results in getting some aspirin and a recommendation to rest. These patients state they did not need to go through all that to get the prescribed treatment.
2. Traditional remedies have high credibility. Many Hispanics have learned via the cultural traditions of their families and friends that there are ways of dealing with health problems that Western medicine does not recognize. For example, the “empacho” is a digestive problem among Mexicans caused by food that “gets stuck” in the stomach. The remedy consists in pulling the sufferer’s back skin to release the “stuck food.” Many other health practices like these exist and the medical establishment does not understand these and try to discredit them. The unfortunate result of attempting to discredit these practices is that the physician or nurse loose their credibility by doing so. Knowing how to address these belief systems is fundamental to appropriate health care of Hispanics.
3. As Hispanics immigrate to the United States they acquire food habits that contribute to obesity and lack of exercise. These behavioral changes tend to exacerbate propensities to illnesses such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Proper health education is lacking.
4. Lack of health insurance by over 40% (HOT study of People en Español) of US Hispanics is simply related to employment status. Large numbers of US Hispanics work in agricultural, construction, and service occupations that do not provide health insurance. Further, the fact that currently health care insurers and employers continue to increase the payment that the insured most pay to include his/her family acts as a disincentive to acquiring coverage.
5. Lower levels of income contribute to postponing medical attention and that contributes to aggravated health problems and more visits to emergency rooms.
Overall, this syndrome makes Hispanics a particularly vulnerable health care target. Education of both consumers, employers, and the medical establishment is fundamental in advancing the level of health care of Hispanics. Ultimately “mente sana en cuerpo sano” or healthy mind in a healthy body is a well established proverb in the Hispanic community.
Posted in
Hispanic Markets
by Felipe Korzenny
8 September 2003
Hispanics are very sensitive to the actions that corporations take to show interest in the US Hispanic community and also in Latin America. Hispanic consumers repeatedly mention that they favor companies that become involved in furthering Hispanic causes in the US, and also in their countries of origin. Thus if Coca-Cola sponsors soccer games for youth in Latin America that benefits those on both sides of the border because of the strong ties that Hispanics maintain with their countries of origin.
There is no one specific action that gets more recognition in particular. It is the "Gestalt" of the way in which the corporation behaves towards Hispanics. If a corporation hires Hispanics, establish a dialogue with Hispanics, supports Hispanic causes, and shows a genuine determination to pursue the Hispanic market, then Hispanics tend to be appreciative. This appreciation is many times manifested as reciprocity and respect. Hispanics are loyal to companies that are "good" to them. This value for reciprocity and respect is traditional in the culture. The same way in which older people, teachers, priests, and leaders are held in very high respect, companies that go out of their way to establish their leadership are also conferred a high level of respect and loyalty.
The needs of the Hispanic community are multiple. The following are examples of priority issues that corporations should address:
a. Education in its many forms, from scholarships to educational campaigns to help consumers make sense of their environment. Clearly, supporting formal education is a priority. Still many other forms of information and education are a extremely important. Hispanic consumers benefit from campaigns that educate them on consumer issues of many types. Here are a few examples: How to buy a home? How to choose car and home insurance? How to save for children's education? How to save for retirement? How to become politically involved? How to shop for health care?
b. Youth development and recreation. As Hispanics have many children and the Hispanic population is about ten years younger than the overall US population, Hispanic youth need to have avenues for channeling their energies in productive ways. This includes sports, after-school activities, youth employment, and also parental guidance on dealing with youth issues.
c. Community development efforts to improve services and organization in neighborhoods. This is a particularly important need in the more humble neighborhoods where newer immigrants live. In this context, crime prevention is a key priority.
d. Employment guidance and training. This is crucial as many Hispanic immigrants become underemployed after transitioning to the US.
e. Health is another most important issue that can be supported by many corporations.
The above are overlapping examples of the many areas in which corporations can make contributions and expect consumer recognition for them. Ultimately the best guidance can be obtained by including more Hispanics on corporate boards, and by employing more high level Hispanics in these corporations. The outward actions of a company need to be oriented by a well coordinated internal effort.
Posted in
Hispanic Markets
by Felipe Korzenny
6 August 2003
While clustering all Hispanics in one large category is difficult, because of the many groups that compose the market, there are trends that can be highlighted.
1. Purchasing decisions among many Hispanics are driven by familiarity or lack of familiarity with brands. The bulk of Hispanic consumer, particularly those who are Spanish dominant, buy products that they recognize and know about. There are great opportunities for marketers that have not communicated with the Hispanic market because "just letting them know" what the marketers has to offer is one of the most important drivers of trial and consequent usage. Simply communicating product attributes and uses can create demand because many Hispanic consumers do not know about many of the available products and brands in the U.S. marketplace.
2. Once the obstacles of awareness and knowledge are overcome, then there is the issue of relevance. The way in which Hispanic consumers construe the world is different from the way in which other cultural groups organize information. If the message used in positioning a product is relevant to the needs and culture of Hispanic consumers then purchasing decisions occur. This issue of relevance is complicated because it is composed of cultural compatibility in the first place, but it also consists of life stage and life style compatibility. The joint impact of these difference "relevances/compatibilities" is what accounts for a large part of the prosperity of brands in the Hispanic market.
3. It needs to be clarified that cultural relevance includes language. The construct of culture includes language as a fundamental element. Language is not just the explicit code for communication but the way in which emotions and experiences are shared. The Spanish language "connotes" emotion far beyond the explicit code. Advertising relies on emotion because emotion is what ultimately differentiates products in a crowded marketplace. The emotion communicated via the Spanish language makes the product relevant to the consumer. That is besides the fact that for many in the market, the use of the Spanish language is just a prerequisite for understanding a message at all.
Marketing to the Hispanic consumer has at its core the establishment of a relationship between the seller and the buyer. Hispanics are particularly sensitive to the establishment and maintenance of that relationship.
Posted in
Hispanic Markets
by Felipe Korzenny
6 August 2003
Hispanic print constitutes an up-and-coming set of media in the United States. Print media has been underdeveloped because of two key reasons: 1. Poor distribution; and 2. Lack of availability of relevant content. Other obstacles to development of print media have included low literacy levels in some strata. Illiteracy, however, has been subsiding and that is why now the opportunity arises for those who can provide the content and distribute it widely. Now there are many examples of successful print media in the US Hispanic market. La Opinion, El Nuevo Herald, and El Diario La Prensa are examples of success in the category of dailies. Examples of successful magazines are Healthy Kids en Español, Ser Padres, People en Español, Latina, and Selecciones del Reader’s Digest. All these are magazines that have listened to the consumer and have created and reinforced the content Hispanics appreciate.
Hispanics are catching up with non-Hispanics in their time of exposure to newspapers. According to the 2002 People en Español HOT study (conducted by Cheskin), Hispanics who read newspapers spend 4.1 hours per week reading them compared with 4.78 hours by non-Hispanics. In the case of Hispanic magazine readers they are already reporting they spend more time with magazines than their non-Hispanic counterparts (3.9 vs. 3.5 hours per week). So, once Hispanics acquire the taste for a medium they become relatively assiduous.
Still, on the other hand, the proportion of Hispanic magazine and newspaper readers is still inferior to non-Hispanics. Fourty five percent of Hispanics read newspapers compared with 85% of non-Hispanics. And 39% of Hispanics read magazines compared with 77% of non-Hispanics. But here is precisely where the media opportunity appears to reside. Since there is so much room for growth and so much need for information in the Hispanic market, marketers who cultivate the reading habits of Hispanics are likely to reap important profits.
The 2002 People en Español HOT Study uses a representative random sample of 4000 Hispanics and 2000 non-Hispanics, 18 years of age or older, interviewed by phone.
Posted in
Hispanic Markets
by Felipe Korzenny
2 August 2003
It catches everyone’s attention the fact that the current spending power of the US Hispanic market is around 600 billion dollars per year, and eyes move faster when they contemplate that it will be about one trillion in less than eight years from now. What most grocers have not yet mastered is how to maximize the grocery shopping experience for these profitable consumers. In areas of high Hispanic density the bottom line of grocery retailers can be greatly enhanced by knowing how to cater to this distinct cultural group.
It is true that not all Hispanics are the same and that preferences and tastes do vary by country of origin. Still there are considerations that make this market highly targetable:
– Over 65% of US Hispanics are of Mexican origin and are highly concentrated in California, Texas, Illinois, and now widely spreading to other areas. Puerto Ricans constitute about 10% of this segment and they are concentrated in the East Coast. Cubans make up about 4% of the market and they are still strongly represented in Florida, particularly Miami.
– Their tastes for groceries, as determined by country of origin, are well defined and identifiable.
– Hispanics in general tend to share a series of cultural dispositions that clearly define how they prefer to be served and treated. Also, their grocery shopping behaviors are relatively homogeneous and identifiable.
– Despite the popular belief that Hispanics mostly shop in small ethnic stores (known as “tienditas” in the West, and “bodegas” in the East), the reality is that most grocery shopping happens in supermarkets. The smaller stores are used for complementing cultural shopping needs that larger stores do not serve.
Let’s take the case of a grocery shopper of Mexican origin, since they represent the largest segment. These consumers, on average, have a profile that should be better attended to by grocers. Let me provide some examples:
– Cuts of meat: US Mexicans have the tradition of grilling thin slices of beef “carne asada” at cook-outs in backyards, parks, and beaches. This style of cut is rarely available in mainstream supermarkets and that is why these consumers need to go to a “carniceria” (small butcher shop) for this. Also, these consumers have special needs regarding pork for preparing “pozole” and “carnitas.” But as with “carne asada” these styles of pork meat are rarely found in supermarkets.
– Baked products: Few major supermarkets carry “pan dulce” Mexican style. These are the sweet rolls that Mexicans love to consume with hot chocolate or coffee in the morning and in the evening. The traditional bread styles “bolillo” and “telera” are very hard to find in general and particularly in supermarkets. Tortillas are becoming more commonplace, but freshly made tortillas are almost impossible to find in most locations.
– Soft drinks: Slowly increasing in visibility in large stores are brands such as Jarritos, Sangria Señorial, Sidral Mundet, and other Mexican favorites.
– Packaged hot peppers and sauces are also becoming more widely available. Still, traditional Mexican sauces like Bufalo and La Valentina are hard to find.
– Beauty products: Crema Nivea, Crema de la Campana, different types of “brillantinas” (brilliantine) are available only in very specialized stores.
– Cleaning products: Detergents such as 1-2-3 and Ariel, as well as many other preferred brands are frequently unavailable.
The list of examples can be quite extensive and includes most categories. These consumers do look for these products and when they can’t find them they have to make extra shopping trips. Would their shopping experience be more satisfactory if they could find most of their groceries in one place? The answer seems obvious.
But there is more than product availability to make the shopping experience compelling to US Hispanics. Most Hispanic adults prefer to communicate in Spanish when given the opportunity. However, finding clerks and cashiers that speak Spanish in supermarkets is not yet commonplace. In particular these consumers crave personal attention and service. They like asking questions and obtaining guidance as they shop for many items but particularly at the meat/seafood and deli counters, and at the bakery. Having the attitude and the language available to serve these consumers is fundamental to achieve success.
There are other aspects that are still evidently missing from many stores that could capitalize on this market. They include:
– Bilingual signage
– Point of sale materials suggesting uses and recipes that are culturally relevant to the consumer
– Entertainment for children, since the family is likely to go shopping as a group
– Produce and meat/seafood displays that resemble the open market where the enticing variety becomes a sensual experience
– Welcoming promotions and events that show that the grocer is truly interested in catering to this market
The moral of the story is that most grocers in areas that cater to Hispanics can dramatically enhance the shopping experience of these consumers, gain their loyalty, and keep more of their dollars. It just takes getting to know the consumer better!
Posted in
Hispanic Markets
by Felipe Korzenny
28 July 2003
There is no one universal solution to successfully communicating with Hispanics as there is no universal approach to reach any other specific cultural group. Social classes, countries of origin, and other areas of experience determine what messages will be effective or ineffective in reaching a market. Nevertheless, Hispanics do share a large amount of common cultural and social experience that makes it possible to create “pan-Hispanic” messages.
Consider that Celia Cruz was originally from Cuba but that most of her career flourished in Mexico. Her Caribbean music and fame was consolidated in Mexico. Music, cinematography, food, and other aspects of specific Latin American countries travel freely throughout the continent. One can listen to Mariachi music in Buenos Aires and to Tango in Mexico City. Salsa clubs sprout everywhere in Latin America with great success. Shows from Televisa, the Mexican TV giant, are seen in many countries, the same is true of Brazilian Globo TV productions.
If these popular art forms from the different Latin American countries can cross political boundaries easily, why should advertising be very different, particularly among US Hispanics. Hispanics share the cultural heritage from Spain that includes the language, religion, and multiple experiences that shape their perceptions and values. One message can work across Hispanic groups and there are multiple examples of successful advertising campaigns that work well in a “pan-Hispanic” fashion. Ads for Folgers, American Airlines, Toyota, Pepto Bismol, and Colgate have worked extremely well across the different clusters that compose the Hispanic market.
Still, it must be said that depending on the specific product and objective one message may not work well for all Hispanics. If the product has a very clear Mexican tradition and heritage, then communicating it to Mexicans would need to be different from communication to Caribbean Hispanics. The popular brand of Mexican soft drink Jarritos could not be communicated the same way to Mexicans and non-Mexicans because Mexicans know the product and associate it with specific experiences. For non-Mexicans Jarritos would need to be introduced as a new product.
Consumer research and understanding is fundamental in determining whether or not a common message can be effective across Hispanic cultures. Once product and category perceptions are understood, then one can proceed with a universal or a specific strategy.
Posted in
Hispanic Markets
by Felipe Korzenny
10 May 2003
The communication and marketing disciplines struggle to provide tools that enable marketers and advertisers to reach individuals in a specific and unique ways to gain their favor and conquer their emotion. Uncovering cultural archetypes and relating them to the attributes of products, ideas, and services is a rich way of achieving powerful positioning platforms. When dealing with communication across cultures cultural archetypes are even more important because they may enable genuine intercultural dialogue. That is, they allow cultural understanding between the culturally diverse parties in the communication event.
A cultural archetype is a schemata that has been transmitted from generation to generation of a culture. Many times this schemata is unconscious but rules daily behavior in important ways because it is the core from which values and beliefs derive. What are key cultural archetypes that can be of great power in communicating interculturally? The answers to the following questions lead to the discovery of cultural archetypes:
For specific cultures, what is the meaning of:
a. Waking up
b. Illness
c. Cleanliness
d. Work
e. Death
f. Hot and cold
g. Stomach upset
h. Peace
The deep meanings associated with the above examples in specific cultures are the key to reaching consumers in meaningful ways. In this context I will continue to explore these ideas. If you have any comments or suggestions please e-mail them to me: Felipe@cheskin.com
Posted in
Hispanic Markets
by Felipe Korzenny
© 2007 Cheskin Added Value
