#1 – Do you speak my language?
We begin our blog on 5 Reasons for Higher Ad Recall Among Hispanics.
What do Budweiser, Bounty and McDonald’s have in common? They have all successfully reached the Hispanic market with Spanish language print, radio and television ads.
Spanish primetime advertisement spots reach over half the Hispanic population ages 18-49, while English ads only reach 40%.1 Deciding to advertise in a particular language involves more than simply translating copy. When done right, Spanish language ads produce 30% higher recall among Hispanics.
Why?
1. Mass appeal
Imitation is said to be the highest form of flattery. For that reason, people tend to imitate and follow their favorite celebrities. Celebrity product and brand endorsements can also be a huge influence on consumer behavior. The Hispanic market, which is primarily young, mobile and thrives on entertainment, responds greatly to advertisements centered around their favorite celebrities. The only thing better than a celebrity endorsement is having that celebrity speak your target’s language, literally.
Last year, Budweiser launched a large marketing campaign which included Spanish and English TV commercials, print, digital and retail advertisements centered around Hip-Hop sensation Pitbull. This famous Cuban-American not only resonates with the Hispanic community, but has enormous general market cross-over appeal, making the Bud Light campaign truly multicultural.2 Thus far, Pitbull’s celebrity endorsements have successfully extended out to other goods and products such as Dr. Pepper and Kodak cameras.2
“Marketers should think about Hispanic family values and lifestyles plus acculturation levels before creating multicultural campaigns,” according to George L. San Jose, president and chief creative officer of The San Jose Group.
In all, launching a multicultural campaign takes much more than a couple of copywriters in a room with a translator (even though it doesn’t always look that way). Language is an essential component in any multicultural ad. If you want the Hispanic market to respond, hit them with an ad that speaks their language, speaks to their culture and isn’t the same, old mundane idea marketers have beat into the ground: yes, Hispanics are family oriented, but no, it does not make sense to bring Abuela (Grandma) in the bar with Pitbull.
So remember, language and how you combine it with your brand and you can play an important role in Hispanic ad recall. ¿Comprendés?
Stay tuned for Higher Ad Recall among Hispanics #2 in a future blog.
Sources:
1. “Hispanics View TV in Language Used at Home.” (2011, Apr. 20). Marketing Charts. Retrieved from http://www.marketingcharts.com/television/hispanics-view-tv-in-language-used-at-home-17130/
2. Schultz, E.J. (2011, Sept. 23). “Bud Light Pairs with Hip-Hop Star Pitbull in New Multi-Cultural TV Campaign.” Advertising Age. Retrieved from http://adage.com/print/230026
Cover Photo Source: Nick Biemans / Shutterstock.com
