Earlier this month, GM announced that it was shifting multicultural work for five brands to general market shops. At the recent Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies conference, there was a strong focus on where Hispanic advertising is going and the blurring lines between Hispanic and general market work.
I mention this because as our clients look to maximize investments, they are looking for ways to create programs that can be effective with both general market and diverse audiences, programs that add value by attracting more consumers.
As an example, I am working on a project where a client is dispatching street teams for product demos. Part of the selection criteria for the street team staff is bilingual capability. Even though this is what would be considered a general market program, the brand team recognizes the importance of having bilingual staff available because Hispanics make up a large population of major metro areas and because of our spending power.
Too often, organizations begin to think about a Hispanic marketing program only after they’ve completed their general market planning, missing opportunities for maximizing their investments or creating much more innovate programs. This piecemeal approach is not the most effective way to work. Instead, a strategy and plan for reaching Hispanics consumers and influencers should be developed in tandem with overall planning.
This does not necessarily mean the consolidation approach is the right answer either, because you have to have a strong understanding of the market, including opportunities and sensitivities, in order to be effective.
As noted here last week, Hispanic marketing spend is increasing. The companies that get it right – and make their dollars work harder – integrate Hispanic marketing from the planning phase, and not as an add-on.
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