To Reach the U.S. Hispanic Population, Brands Must Embrace the Spanish Language

June is Immigrant Heritage Month—a time to celebrate the rich diversity and invaluable contributions of immigrants to the United States. It’s an opportunity for brands to expand their perspective, and make sure they’re speaking to all the audiences who matter to their business.

That means thinking beyond primarily English-speaking communities—and turning our attention to the diverse, ever-growing Spanish-speaking world within the U.S.:

• The U.S. Hispanic population is growing rápidamente. In 2021,  Hispanics made up almost 20% of the U.S. population—and that number is expected to double by 2060.
• Spanish was the most common non-English language spoken in U.S. homes (62%) in 2019.
• Plus, a study by the Hispanic Marketing Council found that 89% of Hispanics seek out content in their preferred language and 49% buy from brands that advertise in inclusive content. e-month.

Engaging with the U.S. Hispanic population is a major opportunity for brands, but it requires real cultural smarts to get it right. (Any brand can throw together a last minute tweet for Cinco de Mayo or Día de los Muertos.) To build deep loyalty with Hispanic audiences, brands must invest in understanding Spanish language, culture, and hot button issues within these communities.

Spanish language and culture isn’t on the sidelines.

The U.S. Hispanic population, along with Spanish language and culture, is far from being on the sidelines. Spanish is a daily, living component of Hispanic and non-Hispanic life all over the US—particularly when it comes to music.

Puerto Rican rapper sensation, Bad Bunny, made history this year with 'Un Verano Sin Ti': the first Spanish-language LP nominated for an Album Of The Year at the 2023 Grammys. Plus, he even opened the award ceremony singing in Spanish.

Benito's performance left much to talk about—but the attention went to CBS for the wrong reasons. The network faced immediate backlash for the lack of preparation and inclusivity when the live closed captioning read “[SINGING IN NON-ENGLISH]” and “[SPEAKING NON-ENGLISH]” during Bad Bunny's performance and award-acceptance speech.

The Grammy’s debacle was a sharp reminder for US brands and marketers that Spanish can’t be an afterthought in today’s landscape.

89% of Hispanics seek out content in their preferred language.

How can brands resonate with Hispanic audiences?

It's undeniable that brushing up on Hispanic cultural intelligence is a business imperative for brands. But what does that look like in practice? Here are 3 key things to consider if you want to engage authentically with the U.S. Hispanic population.

1. Speak the language. Know the nuances.

Fluency in English has become more common among US Hispanics, but Spanish is not going anywhere.

However, it’s actually rare for brands to invest in translating their marketing materials specifically for the U.S. Hispanic population.

AI might seem like an easy new shortcut for translation—but think again.

While it’s true that ChatGPT or other AI platforms can help with translating words, and even sentences or paragraphs. But brands should never rely on a quick AI fix to make their campaigns resonate with a Spanish-speaking audience. Campaigns targeting Hispanics should be built that way from the outset.

Not least because there are local and regional nuances within Hispanic communities that an AI bot may not be aware of. For instance, Mexican Americans—who are more prominent in central states and the West Coast—might have different preferences and cultural references compared to Cuban, Puerto Rican and Venezuelan Americans, who are more prominent on the East Coast.

2. Celebrate diversity.

Brands should embrace the diversity within the Hispanic market by featuring a wide range of Hispanic voices, faces, and stories in their marketing materials. They should avoid stereotyping or generalizing the community, and instead, showcase the rich cultural tapestry and individuality of the Hispanic population.

A study by Nielsen found that 55% of Hispanics say they are more likely to buy products from brands that advertise on content featuring someone from their identity group.

Great examples of this are Walmart and McDonald's. Both companies constantly highlight the different races and generations in the Hispanic community within their promotional materials, as well as their PR efforts.

3. Build trust: partner with Hispanic-owned businesses.

Brands can reach the U.S. Hispanic population by partnering with Hispanic-owned businesses, and sponsoring Hispanic-focused events and organizations. This is a great way to get involved in Spanish-speaking communities, and establish credibility and authenticity.

A whopping 82% of Hispanics said that companies that make a sincere effort to be a part of or invest in their community deserve their loyalty.

An example to emulate is the recent partnership between Camarena Tequila and Hispanic-owned Tapatío Hot Sauce. The collaboration spoke to Mexican Hispanics and the general market alike by introducing a novelty that resonated with both audiences' love of Mexican culture and gastronomy.

…¿Y ahora qué?

At Praytell, we always kick off our Spanish-first approach by understanding exactly who we are talking to. That means diving deep on all the cultural nuances that inform our target audience’s preferences, values, and loyalties.

From there, we dig into data and insights to understand what makes them tick, lean into timely trends, and make sure the voices we elevate are authentic to the particular segment of the U.S. Hispanic population we’re trying to reach.

It’s the difference between waving clumsily from afar, and saying ¡hola! with confidence and open arms.

Build real affinity between your brand and Hispanic audiences. Reach out to us at hello@praytellagency.com.