Today’s question: How popular are Hispanic lists with mailers? Should more marketers be trying to target this sizable segment? What types of offers do you suggest might work?
Our current panel features Jim Hall of All That Marketing; Matt Kaiser of Veradata and Don Yaffe of Belardi/Ostroy. (Would you like to be considered to be a member of our roundtable? Contact Larry Riggs at [email protected].)
Jim Hall, vice president, All That Marketing:
We do not have any clients that are specifically targeting the Hispanic market right now. I do believe it is a feasible market if your product lends itself to that consumer type. Offers with reference or the flavor of Mexico/South America would seem to me to have the possibilities to do well. Spices, apparel and services like banking and insurance could be tailored to appeal to that audience. The smart companies promote “Se Habla Espanol” right up front.
Matt Kaiser, executive vice president, Veradata:
We have seen a gradual increase in the popularity of Hispanic lists. As sources of this data continue to grow, marketers gain opportunity to target this relatively untapped segment. Though a wide range of offers are relevant, marketers need to be cognizant of cultural nuances. Creative images and copy may have completely different meanings from one Hispanic segment to another. Utilizing individual and household level data such as country of origin, level of acculturation and primary language spoken in the household are becoming critically important considerations when executing a campaign. Offers that speak to the appropriate pop culture references and cultural bias of the highly segmented Hispanic audience will prove most successful in the long run. As the competition for the enormous Hispanic market evolves, proper segmentation practices will be a requirement.
Don Yaffe, senior account executive, Belardi/Ostroy:
Hispanic lists are becoming increasing popular with mailers because this segment of the population is the fastest growing segment in the US and it will continue to grow for years to come. Many large consumer/retail companies are reaching out to this growing market, specifically targeting households with children. Large companies are using targeted consumer lists to drive traffic to their stores. That includes anything from clothing to electronics to automobiles. Many of these offers are being promoted in both English and Spanish. There are also different ways to reach out to this population: those that are “Hispanic” and “Spanish speaking households.” If a company is targeting an older population, they may select Spanish speaking as opposed to just Hispanic.
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