Hispanics are growing at a fast pace. By 2050 the population is expected to grow 167%, making Hispanics the fastest growing subgroup in the American marketplace.
According to a report from the Pew research Center “What is the future of Spanish in the United States”, there are more than 37 million Spanish speakers, making Spanish the most spoken non-English language in the USA among people ages 5 and older. Since 1980, this number grew 233% when there were 11 million Spanish speakers.
Whether they are foreign born or U.S born, what keeps this community together as a strong group is a very defined culture from motherland Spain, thought by the Catholic Church. Also, they share one language: Spanish and the pursuit of the American dream.
According to a study done by Nielsen, Univision & SMG (The Bilingual Brain), Hispanic Millennials (ages 21-34) represents 20% of U.S youth. Within this group, the number of bilingual speakers has increased 73% beating the English-dominant speakers in the last past decade alone (22% to 38% bilingual).
So, does language influence how ads are received?
The answer is absolutely. Language is a cultural factor that cannot be ignored by any marketers when connecting with Hispanics. According to this study, Spanish ads resonate higher than English ads. Spanish language advertising connects better with bilingual Millennials in a range of scenarios, especially in emotional interactions. Even the ad recalls are higher compared to English ads.
One of the most common mistakes that companies do when reaching out to Hispanics is that they translate their English campaigns into Spanish. This dissonance between the audio and visual information produces confusion for the viewer. In particular, ads with English messaging and Spanish voiceover are the ones who suffered the most according to Nielsen.
It is important to understand that the lack of culturally relevancy is what makes an ad campaign fall short. English campaigns have been created with a totally different culture and psychographic group in mind. So you cannot assume that it will resonate to Hispanics.
In order to be successful with your communication efforts, you need to understand their culture and what are the factors that trigger their needs to engage with your brand. Research the market and create a strong plan. Make an impression that can go on forever so you can ensure greater success today and well into the future.
