Unlock Your Spanish-Speaking Consumers with Cultural Insight and Targeted Strategies

The Hispanic community is one of the fastest growing markets in the United States and has the purchasing power of roughly $1.9 trillion.  Spanish-speaking consumers are a major demographic for today’s forward-thinking car dealers.  They represent another opportunity for dealerships to reach and engage new customers.  If you want your dealership (or any business) to become more relevant to the growing Hispanic demographic, it is crucial to understand their culture, values and purchasing habits as part of your marketing strategy.  Developing a comprehensive understanding of the Hispanic market, identifying Hispanic consumer purchasing trends, and creating marketing campaigns that cater to that market is essential for capturing the attention of Spanish-speaking consumers.

Connect with the Hispanic Market

To successfully market to this demographic, you must first develop a genuine understanding of the market.  Utilizing resources such as conferences, Hispanic newspapers and magazines, or asking an in-house team member or consultant that is knowledgeable in the culture can help you build your understanding and make easier the development of your strategy. It’s important to recognize the diversity of the Hispanic market — although it is primarily Spanish-speaking, there are many different cultures and country-specific elements to consider, so research is key.  Each subculture of the Hispanic market requires a different approach when crafting a marketing message.  For example, a Cuban family might have cultural preferences that differ from an Argentinean family, so specific targeting and research into the target demographic is key to reaching potential customers in the Hispanic market.  (NOTE: We can help you with this via our analytics software.  Contact us with questions.)

Target Your Market

Once you have a better understanding of the Hispanic market, its time to start crafting the best strategy to reach the community.  Hispanic marketing requires a focused and targeted approach, with detailed research and insights that seamlessly integrate the brand’s message into the culture.  Remember, if a brand does not connect with the target segment (aka, the Hispanic communit), the message will be lost.  Part of targeting the market is also about using language that resonates with the target demographic.  It is important to note that not all Spanish-speaking consumers may feel the same way about language.  While some may prefer Spanish, others may not, or like a mixture of Spanish and English.  To ensure that you reach the largest audience, ensure that both English and Spanish are included in any campaign.  Consider using influencers and ambassadors that fit with the culture, as a way of connecting with the Hispanic audience.  This can help bridge the gap and create trust with a campaign’s message.

Understand the Digital Landscape

An effective Hispanic marketing strategy should also consider digital platforms as critical components of success.  The Hispanic demographic is one of the largest users of social media and other digital technologies, making it essential to create a proper digital strategy to effectively reach customers.  Take into consideration the key digital platforms, such as Facebook and YouTube, and other digital tools like mobile applications and websites.  It is important to note that the Hispanic market is tech-savvy, so the channels and content must reflect that.  As with any digital campaign, strategic targeting is key to success – understand and track the topics, interests, and demographics that are of most use to you and use this information to craft personalized experiences for your customers.  Finally, design for the phone.  Most Hispanics use the cell phone as their primary means of connecting with the internet.

Be Open to Learning

Dealerships who want to target Spanish-speaking consumers must be prepared to not just learn about the Hispanic market in their area, but also to invest time in truly understanding the cultures and values that drive the consumer decisions.  By learning and utilizing cultural-based insights and feedback, brands (and car dealers) can not only create campaigns that will appeal to Hispanic shoppers, but also provide a higher level of customer service and better engagement to achieve desired marketing goals.  Although marketing to the Hispanic community may seem intimidating at first for some, it doesn’t have to be.  With the right research and a well thought out strategy, you can unlock the potential of Hispanic consumers and develop a compelling message that will help your business succeed.

If anyone wants to discuss this post, then contact me (Adam Dennis) via email, or 954.507.6468.  

Next, check out our recent article on Social Media and Car Buying Preferences, and, finally, follow this link if you want to download our Hispanic Car Buying Preferences reports.  You can also find more posts on Dealer Marketing Maganize’s Expert Panelist section.