American Latina moms make 86% of the purchasing decisions in Hispanic households.* Often times, these purchases will reflect their primary concern for the overall well-being of their families. While this may seem to be a simple task to accomplish for advertisers looking to market towards US Hispanic mothers, companies also need to go further in order to relate not only to their priorities, but also being able to advertise to the culture Latina moms hope to instill within their children.
VALUES IN ADVERTISING THAT ENGAGE US LATINA MOMS
Studies have shown that US Latina moms express high levels of brand loyalty when shopping and often respond to ads that offer specials on the brands they prefer.*** In many cases, these brands that already have a strong following from Hispanic mothers have also connected with Latina matriarchs on emotional levels, which has helped to further foster the brands relationship with the consumer as a Hispanic mother. Beyond just taking note of the patterns that companies are already exhibiting in their marketing plans, companies without the loyal following can look to partner with different outlets who are already trusted through various media outlets as well as contests and event sponsorships.
As many US Latina moms hope to pass their culture and traditions to their children, ads with authentic cultural imagery appeals to and unites Hispanic mothers and their sense of heritage.** By combining cultural and familial imagery, ads can resonate with the core values and endeavors of Latina moms. As an example, their childrens’ birthday parties are extremely important for US Hispanic moms as Hispanic households are known to invite extended family of all ages. The parties will often last longer than Non-Hispanic parties, and, in general, Hispanic families spend more money on their childrens’ birthdays than non-Hispanic households.*** Connecting with Latina moms around such an event helps to not only invoke brand recognition, but will also develop brand loyalty on a larger scale over time.
An example of appealing to Latina moms is Honey Nut Cheerios’ latest campaign, which was launched with novela actor Juan Soler, a multi market strategy centered on educational themes to assist Hispanics with maintaining healthy lifestyles.**** The initiative, Que Rica Vida, reaches out in an engaging manner to the Hispanic community via radio, print and social media, resulting in a rapid increase in Hispanic consumption. Providing digital coupons featured with online retailers and the Cheerios Facebook page as well as print coupons through inserts,**** the campaign largely saw success as a result due to the appeal the marketing placed on the well-being of the Hispanic mothers family.
THE IMPORTANCE OF LANGUAGE IN ADVERTISING FOR LATINA MOMS
Regarding highly acculturated Hispanic Moms, more than half do not consistently engage media in Spanish, but feel engaged to advertisements in Spanish in English websites,**** which they view as an acknowledgement of their heritage. Incorrectly translated Spanish, however, is recognized as such and will often be viewed as disrespectful.****
Working with the Spanish language, Mattel released their first Spanish language marketing strategy which is 100% Hispanic oriented called ‘Toy Feliz,’ a play on words in Spanish translating into ‘I am happy’. Using both radio and television, Mattel also partnered with Walmart in more than 200 locations, created a bilingual website, and printed geo-targeted coupons.***** The campaign, developed for kids of all ages, specifically targeted advertsing to US Latina Moms to increase sales during the holidays and birthdays. Simultaneously, Mattel partnered and sponsored all events for ‘PADRES contra el cancer,’ a non-profit organization that supports Hispanic children with cancer by providing financial and emotional support to them and their families.*****
See the Latina Moms Advertising Preferences Infographic
*Onlinista.com, “6 Myths About Hispanics”
**Spanglishbaby.com, “What Two Recent Studies Reveal About Latina Moms: We Love Our Culture”, by Roxanna Soto, Feb 6, 2011
***Prnewswire.com, “Baby Center Releases Acculturation Study About Latina Moms”
****Portada-online.com, “Marketer Interview: Honey Nut Cheerios Scott Lee on Hispanic Marketing”
*****https://news.mattel.com, “Mattel Launches First Multi-Brand Hispanic Integrated Campaign Timed to the Holiday Season”
