Part 2, Marketing to American Latinos: A Guide to the In‐culture Approach

Citation

Keyes, S. (2004), "Part 2, Marketing to American Latinos: A Guide to the In‐culture Approach", Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 21 No. 3, pp. 228-230. https://doi.org/10.1108/07363760410534795

The Web site associated with cases in this book is www.inclutrueapproach.com, with a user ID of “Latino” and a password of “Paramount.”

First, it is important to note that this book is Part 2 of a continuation about what the author calls an “In‐culture approach.” Part 1 addressed “the differences and similarities – in a cultural context – what I call an in‐culture approach to marketing to Hispanics of all different origins. It answers many questions marketers must ask about the differences among these groups” (p. 10).

The author's colleagues who contribute to Part 2 include an impressive cadre of people from major corporations along with top‐level advertising agencies. After mentioning them in the Acknowledgments, in her Introduction the author writes of the underestimated Hispanic population. She stresses the importance the Census 2000 has played in bringing awareness to marketers who had not considered the market properly and who must do so to attain this large and growing population. The author divides Part 2 into five sections:

1. 1.

   Section 1 – “Hispanics in the United States, a current look”.

2. 2.

   Section 2 – “Targeting to the hearts and minds of US Latinos”.

3. 3.

   Section 3 – “Hispanics as customers”.

4. 4.

   Section 4 – “Latino lifestyles”.

5. 5.

   Section 5 – “An integrated strategy for Hispanic markets”.

Within these five sections are 22 chapters, all of which flow well and hold the readers’ attention, provided those readers are marketing people with concern for demography, strategy, and integrated marketing communications. Case studies from numerous companies, including Procter and Gamble (pp. 121‐5), Oscar Mayer (pp. 207‐8), American Association of Retired People (AARP) (pp. 314‐27) and others provide the applications, which have been primarily successful in meeting the author's goals. There is a Web site listed on the publisher's page that permits the reader to see “the creative materials associated with case studies in this book.” One of Valdes’ key hopes it that “the wonderful contributions made by so many to this work will benefit future generations of Latinos, Latinas, and in‐culture marketers in the US and abroad” (p. xi).

Within the Introduction, Valdes claims, “… even companies that are ‘right spending’ tens of millions of dollars to market to Hispanics are under‐investing to take advantage of the immense opportunity that exists” (p. xiii).

Within the same Introduction, the author gives some operational definitions of terms as she will use them within the book:

• •

  “Hispanics” and “Latinos” are interchangeable in this book and reflect both modern terminology and new standards being used in the Office of Management and Budget. These standards are to be implemented by January 1, 2003 (p. 6).

• •

  Although many people think of “Hispanic” or “Latino” as being a racial designation, they are not. “Because Hispanics may be of any race, the Census Bureau usually refers to “non‐Hispanic whites” …” (p. 6).

• •

  “Latino refers more specifically to the peoples born in Latin American countries, regardless of race” (p. 7).

• •

  “The term “Hispanic” is neither offensive nor preferable” (p. 7).

• •

  “Most immigrants use their country of origin to refer to themselves, e.g. I am Mexican, or Puerto Rican, or Salvadoran” (p. 7).

• •

  “Accultration is the process of integration of the immigrant consumer's values, beliefs, attitudes, dreams, likes, and dislikes from his or her country of origin with those of the new host country – I Valdes, 1987” (p. 34).

Following the introduction, this book becomes so fact‐filled that it is impossible here to provide a summary of all of this wealth. Thus I have combined material that I gleaned from the entire book and found to be important in learning about Ms Valdes’ “in‐culture approach”.

Marketers cannot overlook the growth of these markets at a rate of over four times as fast as the rest of the nation. From the vast increase of Puerto Ricans in the Northeast to the huge Hispanic populations on the West Coast, Latinos are beginning to assimilate and acculturation is taking hold nationwide.

“When Latinas migrate they also bring the beliefs and values (of their countries of origin) and many times retain them long after immigrating to the United States” (p. 175). One specific and candid example of the need to educate Latinos to help them through the time they need to assimilate involves the Hispanic women's use of sanitary protection products. Ms Valdes traces the statistics of women who reject tampons prior to assimilation and follows through with charts of purchasing habits and changes in these habits to the point of accepting tampons. As in most sections, she concludes with the Implications for marketers.

Ms Valdes stresses that the American Latinos are a separate group and need certain understanding of their adoption practices, which are slower because of a need for educating consumers of different Hispanic strata. Yet, she points out the same steps in Hispanic marketing research that seem important to all marketing research. In fact, she cautions: “Last but not least, do not, I repeat, do not skip the face‐to‐face research phase with the target consumer. At least invest in a couple of focus groups. The research study cost will be a small portion of your budget, but it can save you millions of dollars” (p. 245).

For the subject this monograph covers, it is certainly more interesting than many treatments of target marketing, even though it is truly meant for “primarily a corporate audience” (p. xv). Personally, I would use this book with students in a marketing research course to guide them with good advice on focus groups, the importance of research, and on segmentation – particularly when faculty members and students often have projects involving American Latinos. What the author does is go beyond documented evidence and incorporates her own well of experience in segmentation of her own heritage. Her segmentations depend on the dominance of one language over the other, or those who indulge in both languages. She includes an important segment to all marketers: “Los Grandes,” the senior markets (pp. 137‐8). Ms Valdes is careful to point out and differentiate statements that she makes as not having managerial proof or evidence.

For those with intent to follow the marketing suggestions of this book, Ms Valdes’ impeccable references to Web sites are a must. For example, LaOpinion, a site developed through American Demographics, is one of her recommended bilingual sites. As she segments the Latino market, she emphasizes the importance of knowing each segment and then choosing media that require all Spanish, some Spanish and some English, or all English.