We are midway through September, and Hispanic Heritage Month has commenced! This is the time of year when Americans honor the history, culture, and contributions of the Hispanic and Latino communities that have Spain, Central and South America, and Caribbean roots.
Why does Hispanic Heritage Month span from September 15 to October 15? An important series of days for Latin American countries take place throughout the 30-day period we celebrate:
- September 15: Independence Day for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
- September 16: Mexico’s Independence Day.
- September 18: Chile’s Independence Day.
- October 12: Día de la Raza.
Hispanic Heritage Month recognizes the community’s influence and celebrates the rich culture of over 60 million people in the United States! As a brand, it is important to celebrate alongside the Hispanic population and connect with them meaningfully during this important cultural moment.
The Hispanic community is powerful in many aspects, including the consumer realm. They have immense buying power and are highly brand loyal. Hispanic shoppers spending power amassed $1.9 trillion in 2020!
Hispanics’ Social Media Love
The first step in reaching the Hispanic community is understanding how and where they consume social media. They make up approximately 19% of the U.S. population, and 58% of Hispanics in the U.S. are under the age of 34. This helps us understand where they are tuned in, as Gen Z and Millennial audiences are more likely to be tuned into Instagram and TikTok.
Keep in mind that 67% of people ages 18-29 and 47% of people aged 30-49 use Instagram. Additionally, according to the Pew Research Center, one in five Adult TikTok Users is Hispanic; in fact, Hispanic adults are 38% more likely than other ethnicities to visit TikTok. For older generations, Facebook is a popular platform. According to Neilsen, over 66% of adult Hispanics use Facebook.
Creating video content is an essential factor when reaching Hispanic audiences. Hispanic audiences spend more time streaming content than non-Hispanic people (34% vs. 25%) and spend twice as
much time watching videos on their smartphones than non-Hispanic people.
Connecting with Hispanic Audiences
Understanding where Hispanic audiences are tuned in is only a small piece of knowing how to effectively market to the community. It is also important to understand that Hispanics are greatly influenced by strong and distinct cultural values that guide their purchasing decisions.
Seventy-one percent of Hispanic people feel a deep connection to their cultural origin. If you want to connect with them on a deeper and more authentic level, you must gain a genuine understanding of
the complexity of the culture.
Hispanic culture is rich, beautiful, and diverse.
Spanish is the official language in 20 countries, which means there are many linguistic variations. Such differences could also exist within the same country.
Latin American culture has a variety of influences, including indigenous, Spanish, Portuguese, and African. From country to country, there are many different and overlapping foods, music, and dances. Despite variations in culture by country, many Hispanic people share similar values, interests, and traditions.
Over the years, the U.S. has become a giant melting pot that brings Hispanics together. Some families participate in an array of cultural traditions. Different customs and practices may depend on whether families have more recently immigrated or have been in the United States for many generations. For example, this may affect if a family is Spanish-dominant or English-dominant at home.
@theerikacruz Happy Hispanic Heritage Month #learnontiktok #latinxtok #hispanictiktok #greenscreen #latinxcreated #tiktokpartner ♬ Sunny Day – Ted Fresco
Hispanic is defined as being from a Spanish-speaking country. This may not necessarily be a Latin American country such as Spain and Caribbean countries. While Latino is defined as coming from a Latin American country. This includes countries that do not primarily speak Spanish, such as Brazil. How people choose to identify varies from person to person.
Awareness of Hispanic people’s cultural identity is vital when crafting a campaign. If you understand how someone prefers to be referred, you are more likely to resonate with them.
Additionally, it is important to recognize that Hispanic-Americans are bicultural. They not only carry the culture from their origin country but are also intertwined with American culture and customs.. The Hispanic and American cultures blend in intricate and nuanced ways and vary from household to household.
If you ignore all the wonderful differences and treat all Hispanic-Americans the same, you neglect diversity and will create a campaign that falls into stereotypes. Ignorance and a lack of understanding will not only not resonate with people but can lead to isolating and offensive content. Cultural nuances go beyond ethnicities. Keep in mind that:
- Cultural identities vary from country to country.
- Younger and older generations connect with their culture in different ways.
- First-generation immigrants might have stronger cultural heritage ties than third-plus-generation immigrants.
“The industry very often puts Hispanics and Latinos into the same box, reducing our community to stereotypes that are not representative of the beauty and diversity we are so proud of. Hispanic Heritage Month should be a time for brands to celebrate that instead of reinforcing past behaviors that don’t let our society move forward.”
– Maria Rodriguez, Comms. And Marketing Director
“The industry very often puts Hispanics and Latinos into the same box, reducing our community to stereotypes that are not representative of the beauty and diversity we are so proud of. Hispanic Heritage Month should be a time for brands to celebrate that instead of reinforcing past behaviors that don’t let our society move forward.” Even if you understand the differences, how can you get it right and ensure your influencer marketing campaign will authentically speak to the Hispanic community?
The answer is Hispanic and Latino creators.
Launching a creator campaign will help you more easily navigate the complexities of Hispanic culture. Creators have such large and loyal audiences for a reason. Their audiences relate to them, and they connect with their audiences on a more human level.
@vanessacsirias When Hollywood wants to make a latino show #latinosbelike #latinoproblems ♬ Say Something – Piano Covers Club from I’m in Records
DON’T force your creator to discuss experiences that are inauthentic to them.
DON’T force your creators to speak in a language they wouldn’t usually use.
DO give your creators creative freedom.
DO let your creators express
themselves how they already naturally do with their followers.
Form creator partnerships early on. Of course, there is a demand for Hispanic and Latino creators during Hispanic Heritage Month. Hispanic creators have many options, and you want to make sure you are getting partnerships with creators who align with your brand before they are no longer available.
Once you have partnerships, be ready to stray away from typical content. It is counterproductive to have a Hispanic creator simply announce your product. There needs to be heart and storytelling in the content.
“Collaborate in a way that’s even more flexible than normal because you want to tap into their heritage and lean into that personal tie-in… You have to approach it with the flexibility of wanting to tell their stories. Give them a platform.”
– Shana Santos, Account Director
“Collaborate in a way that’s even more flexible than normal because you want to tap into their heritage and lean into that personal tie-in… You have to approach it with the flexibility of wanting to tell their stories. Give them a platform.”
Creators can also help you make campaigns that uplift the Hispanic community and align with Hispanic Heritage Month’s true goal. They can effortlessly communicate with Hispanic audiences because they are a part of the community and share similar experiences.
They can create a wide range of content that tells stories from their own lives, whether it is funny and lighthearted or meaningful and serious. They can share funny stories about the things their mom does, touching stories about their or their parent’s immigration, and relatable stories from their family celebrations. They can showcase the Hispanic-American experience in a way a brand cannot do on its own.
Creators will also help you steer clear of stereotypes and grasp important Hispanic passion points. These areas of Hispanic culture can help guide your creative strategies in a genuine way.
Think family!
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Think food!
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Think holidays!
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Think history!
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Think traditions!
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Think music!
@jzgarcia #ad How are you celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month this year? @siriusxm #fyp #foryoupage ♬ MEXICAN RIVIERA – Abaco
Think art!
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Hispanic Heritage month is an important time of year to celebrate and give homage to Hispanic culture but connecting with the Hispanic community shouldn’t be a once-a-year occurrence. Don’t forget to reach out and make connections with the Hispanic community all year long.
Do you need help finding the perfect Hispanic creators? Open Influence is a global influencer marketing agency that has the experience in crafting multicultural campaigns that you’re looking for. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us to get started on creating an authentic campaign for Hispanic Heritage Month.
