|
 Print Friendly
 Email to Friend
|
|
Marketing to Hispanics
|
|
Article 4: Marketing Segmentation
In addition to segmenting by country of origin, the second primary way to segment the Hispanic market is by its level of acculturation, or how deeply individuals have adapted to U.S. culture while retaining the culture of their homeland.
When marketing to Hispanics, “you must consider acculturation and how this applies to your business and your marketing strategies,” says Kelly McDonald, president of McDonald Marketing and an expert who speaks frequently on the topic of marketing to Hispanics.
McDonald identifies four distinct Hispanic enculturation segments:
Recent immigrants — These Hispanics have been in the U.S. for less than five years and are still heavily dependent on their native culture and language. They typically do not speak English. They may not aspire to long-term residency in the U.S. or to U.S. citizenship or have much interest in mainstream U.S. culture. Longer-term immigrants — Most of these Hispanics have embraced the culture and lifestyle of their communities here in the U.S. They aspire to remain here rather than return to their homeland and generally adapt to U.S. culture. They are Spanish-preferred, even if they are bilingual. Born in the U.S. (first generation) — They have grown up bilingual and bicultural, learned to speak English and Spanish simultaneously, and are equally comfortable with Hispanic and non-Hispanic culture. Born in the U.S. (second and later generations) — Most of these Hispanics have been deeply indoctrinated into American culture. They are proud of their Hispanic roots, but identify most with American culture and are English-dominant.
The further along your Hispanic market is on this acculturation spectrum, the closer its buying habits will reflect the U.S. population as a whole, and the less distinct your marketing strategies need to be. If your market consists primarily of the first three segments, however, you’ll need to tailor your strategies carefully to their wants and needs.
Interestingly, first- and second-generation Hispanic youths tend to thoroughly embrace and identify with their cultural heritage even as they simultaneously adapt to American culture, according to a report by the Pew Hispanic Center. Third generation youth, however, identify more with American culture.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
