Now, I’m a big proponent of social media. I believe that it is en excellent tool to communicate with customers and clients at a more personal level. In fact, it is my area of study that I am currently doing at my university. Traditional such as print and television, has become costly and ineffective in maintaining loyalty. It’s more of a one way communication, kinda like “broadcasting.” However, I still believe that there can be a balance between the traditional and new media. I believe that it is possible to use traditional media to capture attention and then draw in the audience with social media. My grandpa, who lives in Puerto Rico, is just not into the internet or complex smartphones, all he needs is a basic cellphone and that’s it so traditional media works well for him but a majority of today’s society is alot more tech savvy and companies should take advantage of the tools presented to them.

Below is a continuation from my last post from an article I found in Advertising & Marketing Review by Laura Sonderup, the Director of Heinrich Hispanidad, a division of Heinrich Marketing, Inc. that specializes in Hispanic marketing. Traditional media in Hispanic marketing can still be effective as you will see below, but by adding social media to any campaign, you will build a loyal following which is alot more important.

Television

The visual confirmations provided in television advertising are extremely important, especially so for Spanish-dominant Hispanics.

49% of U.S. Hispanics who watch television during prime-time hours, watch Spanish language programming.

40% of Spanish-dominant Hispanics regularly watch English-language programming.

30% of English-dominant Hispanics regularly watch Spanish programming. Radio

Radio is a proven, effective medium in targeting Hispanics.

The most unique aspect of Spanish-language radio stations is the time spent listening.

The Hispanic population often listens to the radio all day.

The entire family may listen to one station and tune in, on average, 26 – 30 hours per week. This ranks more than 13% above the general population. Print

Minority newspapers are an inseparable part of the local minority community. They deliver what no mass medium can — news that is specifically geared to the needs and concerns of individual minority communities.

Newspaper readership skews to Adult 34-54 age group with an average HHI of $40k+ Event Marketing

Events create excitement, reinforce image, and allow you to hand-deliver your marketing message face-to-face with your target audience. However, many company’s efforts at selling themselves to Hispanics are limited to sponsoring the occasional Cinco de Mayo celebration — these half-hearted efforts will not effectively capture the attention of Hispanic consumers. Direct Response Marketing

The process of acculturation influences the Hispanic consumer’s perception of direct marketing. While most consumers in the general market dismiss direct marketing materials as junk mail, Latinos — particularly recent immigrants — welcome it as a means of becoming a more informed consumer.

Overall, Hispanic households are 3.5 times more likely to respond to a direct mail solicitation than a non-Hispanic household;

72% say they always read their mail, including direct marketing;

60% of the direct mail sent to homes is in English;

52% of the respondents speak only Spanish in their homes. Translation vs. Transcreation

Marketers cannot simply transfer directly to the U.S. Hispanic market the conceptualizations or marketing strategies that work with the general market. Many factors — historical, contextual, cultural, demographic, financial — place Hispanic consumers in a different category. Brand awareness and usage levels are often dramatically unlike general market patterns and different product attributes are deemed important by Hispanic consumers.

Direct translations and usage of general market strategies tend to miss the emotional and culturally relevant elements. Some results will be there, but not with the sales volume, strength and recall that a truly culturally-attuned marketing and advertising effort can attain.

Make no mistake, the integration of generations and diverse countries of origin within the U.S. Hispanic market has created a complex culture that requires experience and research to understand. What is needed for a successful Hispanic promotional campaign is a sensitivity to what is important to Hispanics – and senior corporate executives willing to initiate a reversal of underinvestment in the Hispanic market by creating new allocation levels in their business and marketing plans for reaching Hispanic consumers. The opportunity is growing. The time is now.

Related articles

• Social Marketing to the Hispanic Market (visinsights.com)
• U.S. Hispanics rely on Spanish-language media (variety.com)
• PR Newswire Launches New Hispanic Media Database (prnewswire.mediaroom.com)
• Social Marketing to the Hispanic Market (customerthink.com)