Accent Values of Your Hispanic Target Markets

U.S. retailers have been advised by many experts to shape their marketing, advertising, and selling to Hispanic markets. An Advertising Age feature this week uses demographic evidence to buttress that advice and confirm what you’ve probably noticed on your own: According to 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data, the Hispanic population has grown about 40% over the past decade, while the non-Hispanic population has grown only about 5%. You’ve increasing numbers of customers and potential customers who identify themselves as Hispanic.
     Because you’ve already noticed, you’ve also probably made some changes to appeal to the Hispanic market. Continue doing that, but don’t overdo it. The adjustments should be a change in accent rather than dramatic alterations in what’s been working for you up to now. Here’s why:

• The distribution of Hispanics in America is not uniform. About half the number of Hispanic consumers live in California and Texas. And within any city, Hispanic-Americans are more likely than Asian-Americans, for example, to live in primarily Hispanic-American communities. While American retailers overall will see their target markets include mushrooming numbers of Hispanic-Americans, this might not be the case for your store.
• Overall, there are still about four times as many white non-Hispanics as Hispanics in America. You succeed as a retailer by appealing to consumers’ values. There are some differences between those who identify with Hispanic culture and those who do not. You’ll not want to ignore the majority values system. You’ll want to gracefully accommodate both.
• American consumers with a Hispanic ancestry are over time becoming assimilated into mainstream American society and, in the process, are embracing the mainstream’s values.
• There are substantial differences in values among groups of consumers who identify themselves as Hispanic. That’s not at all surprising, since there is not one monolithic Hispanic culture.

     So once we realize we’re talking about tendencies, not boxes, accent values of the Hispanic market:

• Family. Retailers like La Curacao design around family in ways ranging from store merchandising and layout to in-store entertainment.
• Color. Researchers at St. Joseph’s University say that Hispanic-Americans generally prefer brighter colors than do non-Hispanics.
• Adventuresomeness. In the U.S., about 35% of Hispanics are under age 18, as compared to about a 20% rate for non-Hispanics. The result is relatively more emphasis among Hispanic-Americans on the adventuresomeness associated with youth.

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