How to tell good Hispanic copy from bad?

 

Communicating with the Hispanic consumer is not a simple task. Hispanic encompasses all Spanish-speaking people who are either recent immigrants with little to no English speaking abilities; immigrants partially assimilated to the U.S. culture and language; those fully assimilated and bilingual; and first and second generation Hispanics born in the U.S. Within these categories there is also an even wider breakdown of age, income, education, and professional level. Although all these groups share a common language, there are some additional limits once one considers also regional and dialectical differences –between say Mexican Spanish and Colombian Spanish- making bilingual marketing efforts all the more challenging.

 

For some marketers the issue of language seems quite simple. They often assume that the way to deliver Spanish content is via translation. Although a Spanish only strategy executed via translation may be an appropriate tactic in some cases, it is critical to understand the language preferences –depending on the channels where the message will be delivered- and to develop a strategy for producing culturally relevant content in order to most effectively communicate with this audience.

 

It is generally true that for marketers looking to target the aggregate U.S. Hispanics through the Internet and direct mail, it is a best practice to use both English and Spanish. According to a study by Captura Group, 52% of online Hispanics prefer English, 27% are bilingual, and 21% prefer Spanish, being the Spanish segment the one driving the growth in the Hispanic online market. With regards to a direct marketing campaign, the 2006 American Community Survey found that 78% of Hispanics speak a language other than English in the home, and 39% of Hispanics report speaking English “less than very well.” So, using both English and Spanish not only allows to effectively reaching all U.S. Hispanics segments but it also delivers value to this audience. Especially for products directed to multigenerational Hispanic households with different levels of language capabilities.

 

Thus a bilingual campaign may provide the best odds of connecting with Hispanic prospects if the following conditions are present. It is important to consider the nature of the product or service and know which Hispanic group one is targeting to avoid using taboo words and meanings. Not all words are appropriate for all Hispanic groups, so it is important to get the translation right. A direct translation is spotted immediately and could not only break the channel of communication but insult the potential prospect. With regards to complex products and services –like financial services- the accuracy of the information in both languages is a must.

 

The consumer must be assured that the English and Spanish say the same thing or else they might grew skeptical of the offer. Sometimes advertising campaigns use a very generic Spanish that avoids colloquialisms –what is known as pan-regional Spanish- thereby appealing to as many Spanish speakers as possible, regardless of cultural distinction. The advantage to the pan-language approach is that it is a cost-efficient way to reach as many people as possible without devoting more time and resources to micro-targeting. The drawback is that with a void of significant cultural symbols, the approach can leave a cold, generic impression without ever really reaching the intended audience.

 

This brings us to the content of the message itself, perhaps the most important variable of all. When it comes to producing good Spanish-language content the best strategy is to craft the message in Spanish first. Even if the campaign is going to be bilingual, it is important to write the piece in Spanish. This will convey the though process that is relevant to the Spanish community. The goal here is to trigger emotion. To achieve cultural relevance within a message, one must define how culture affects attitudes, usage, and behaviors of the Hispanic target audience and develop a message that addresses these cultural needs.

 

Even if many Hispanics are fully assimilated, they share and awareness of their Hispanic identity, which includes memories of family holiday traditions and pride in their heritage. Recognizing this through language, concept, copy, and image development will facilitate the success of any marketing campaign targeted to this market segment.