If you ask 10 experts to define the U.S. Hispanic market today, you’ll get 10 completely different answers. That’s because there really is no single Hispanic market in the U.S. Certainly, many common cultural values unify the country’s growing Hispanic population, but distinctive segments—and different parts of the country—demand different strategies with regard to language, media and messages.

Just who is Hispanic?
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, between 1960 and 2000, the proportion of Hispanics more than tripled from 3.9% to 12.5%, making the U.S. the 5th largest Hispanic country in the world. In the 2000 Census, 35.5 million people identified themselves as Hispanic, making Hispanics the largest minority in the U.S.—surpassing those who reported black or African American as their only race (34.7 million). In fact, there are more residents in the U.S. that consider themselves “Hispanic” than residents of Canada.

Notice that I used the term “consider” when referring to the Hispanic population. That’s important. Being Hispanic or Latino is, to a large extent, a self classification.

The Hispanic population of the U.S. is made up of people who can trace their roots, or feel a cultural tie to, 20 different countries around the world. Hispanic is not a race. There are no Hispanics in Latin America. They are Colombian, Venezuelan, Mexican, etc., just as we are American. In fact, our Hispanic population is Colombian-American, Venezuelan-American, Mexican-American, and so forth.

Many sixth- or seventh-generation descendants from immigrants of Spain or Latin American countries may not consider themselves Hispanic or Latino, just as many sixth- or seventh-generation descendants from Germany or Poland don’t consider themselves German or Polish. And the reverse is true, as well.

Hispanic or Latino: which is it?
A lot has been written as to the difference between the term Hispanic and Latino. Purists will tell you that Hispanic originally meant people from Spain. Others reject Latino as seeing it to mean all Latin American countries, even those that do not speak Spanish. And while the two terms have proponents for different reasons, you’ll see them used interchangeably here in the U.S.; much like everything else about this marketing segment, you need to know who and where you are targeting your message to know which term is most accepted.

So, I should just publish one of our typical ads
in Spanish. Right?
Unfortunately, this is one certain way to miss the mark with your audience. Translating an ad into Spanish that has a message that doesn’t resonate with your local audience, or using the wrong vehicle to reach them, is a spot well-meaning organizations find themselves in all the time. Why doesn’t this work? There are many cultural backgrounds represented under the Hispanic umbrella. Their language is different. And some segments don’t necessarily get along with others. For example, many Puerto Ricans in New York find themselves relating more to the black community than to their Cuban cousins. Trying to appeal to them as the same marketing segment will insult either one or both. Another example: as the Mexican culture is quite different from the rest of Latin America, using Mexican imagery in, say, Miami, will surely show your audience you don’t understand who they are.

And then there’s the language barrier…
While different ethnic subgroups within the Hispanic community often call for presenting messages differently, the major divider is between English-preferred and Spanish-preferred candidates.

According to Peter Roslow, president of Roslow Research Group of Port Washington, NY, ads in Spanish are much more effective in reaching the Hispanic consumer overall in some areas of the southwest. His studies in 2000 showed that in Houston, Miami, New York and Los Angeles, cities with the largest Hispanic populations overall, ads for Spanish speakers are 54% more effective in relaying a message than ads in English to English speakers. The correlations are even stronger among teens and bilingual individuals.

However, in places such as Albuquerque, marketing research is finding just the opposite to be true. While New Mexico has many Spanish speaking people, those that speak Spanish and English on a regular basis and consider themselves bilingual are among the minority. According to Maria Elena Alvarez, founding editor of Hispanic magazine, New Mexico has always skewed the numbers.

“In California and Texas, there’s a stronger history of first- and second-generation Hispanics. Here, we have seventh-generation Hispanics who speak English—people like me—who can only tell a joke or recognize an insult in Spanish,” she says. “And when you do market to the Spanish-speaking population, you need to take into account broad cultural differences between northern and southern New Mexico’s Hispanic population.”

Take heart. Your message can be your saving grace.
You can see why so many marketing blunders are born of the assumption that all Hispanics are alike! The Hispanic Market is very fragmented. Not only are the “whys” and “whens” their families first came to this country different, even language can drastically vary. But for all of their differences, they have many values in common.

One of the keys to marketing to a diverse community—especially one that shares common values but may be divided by language—is to know what message will resonate equally well across all ethnic backgrounds. You can use many of these common values to find traits of your opportunities that will appeal to candidates of all groups within the Hispanic community.

What do they have in common?

• Overall, Hispanic families tend to operate as a unit and make decisions as a family, demonstrating a high value for the interdependence of the group over the independence of the individual. Organizations that can offer Hispanic candidates a team-oriented environment, an open door management style and the opportunity to make real contributions to the success of the business will find these organizational traits resonate with them extremely well. Use them!
• Strong feelings of loyalty, reciprocity and solidarity are common among family and extended family members in the Hispanic community. They place a lot of value in the importance of belonging to a group. Some organizations find this same type of pride-of-belonging and family loyalty among their employees. Why not make your atmosphere the draw?
• There is a sense of obligation to provide material and emotional support to members of nuclear and extended families among the Hispanic community. Development opportunities and benefits that can provide a solid future for your candidates and their families are well worth featuring.
• Hispanics place a lot of value in being a part of the community, once again, putting the goals of “the group” or community over their own. Community programs like scholarships, school partner programs, community outreach and the like have high recognition with Hispanics. Authenticity is important to them—showing your interest in the well being and growth of the community and community involvement has the type of message that transcends any language or ethnic barrier in the Hispanic community.
• The tone: Hispanics have something that they call “Chispa”. It is the fun and “witty” nature of the Latino culture. And it means they don’t take themselves too seriously. A horribly stuffy message or ad will be a turn-off to most Hispanic community members. Keep it bright and friendly.
• The look: bright, earthy tones and “colorido” or “colorfulness” is as much a representation of the Hispanic community as anything else. As a whole, the market responds to lifestyle—how a product brand or organization will make the consumer feel. Combine warm ,attainable lifestyle images and bright, sunny colors with a message that is focused for your local community, and the result will be friendly…inviting…and effective.

Where’s the best place for my message?
Do some internal marketing research within your organization to find the best place to advertise, to network and to get involved with your Hispanic community. Leverage your organization’s diversity—ask current Hispanic employees about the organizational traits they value and the messages that will resonate with the particular ethnic groups in your geographical area.

Some facts about the Hispanic community overall you’ll want to consider in your marketing strategy:

• TV is the method of choice to reach the Hispanic consumer. According to Nielsen Media Research, there were 8.94 million Hispanic American "television households" in the United States in 2001. The average Hispanic watches more television than the non-Hispanic counterpart, with average weekly viewing at 57.15 hours/week, while the non-Hispanic household watches 53.15 hours/week.
• The Hispanic market represents the fastest growing demographic segment of Internet users. However, only 37% of Hispanics have Internet Access at home, compared to 47% of African Americans and 66% of the general population.

It’s always a good idea to consult with a professional before embarking on a recruitment campaign, especially with one that crosses a language or cultural barrier. If you’re looking for the type of strategy and creative that will effectively get your Employee Value Proposition across to the widest possible market, come to NAS Recruitment Communications.

In a competitive labor market, you need the services of consultants with proven techniques and powerful solutions. NAS Recruitment Communications has the expertise to offer you consultation on a wide range of employment issues, and the most extensive capabilities in the industry. To discover how NAS can help you develop the brand and media strategies to meet your long- and short-term needs, visit us online at www.nasrecruitment.com or call toll-free 1-866-NASRECRuitment (1-866-627-7327).

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