Hispanic Marketing Gets Lift

EAST VALLEY, ARIZONA (Hispanic News) June 15, 2004 - Janet Green of Smith's Furniture Sales attended a Marketing to the Hispanic Consumer workshop Tuesday because her 7-year-old business has many Hispanic customers and she thought the session could help her better relate to them.

Jeff Niby, executive broker for Niby Commercial Properties, attended because a client planning a Hispanic recreation/entertainment business couldn’t attend and asked him to go in his stead.

Neither Niby Commercial Properties nor Smith's Furniture Sales has Spanish-speaking employees, and that hasn’t presented a real barrier for either business.

“A lot of people assume they can’t market to Hispanic people if they don’t speak Spanish or have a Spanish speaker on staff, and that’s a self-imposed barrier,” said workshop speaker Jon Garrido of Mesa based Jon Garrido Marketing and Advertising.

An open, friendly, inclusive attitude is what attracts the Hispanic consumer, he said.

“Seventy-five percent of the U.S. Hispanic population is bilingual to one degree or another, so to communicate with the Hispanic population, all you need to do is open your doors,” Jon Garrido said.

Jon Garrido estimated that Hispanics comprise about 40 percent of the population in the Mesa area. The fastest growing minority, they make up 13.5 percent of the nationwide population, he said. “And Arizona is approaching 30 percent, and it is a growing trend. We’ve got 1,000 families moving into this area of the country every month, and many of those are Hispanic,” he said.

Census data estimated a 34 million population total for Hispanics nationwide in 2002 and projected growth from 40 million to 45 million by 2004, with buying power of $700 billion now and $1 trillion in 10 years, Jon Garrido said.

Jon Garrido advised the about 20 workshop attendees, who included representatives of area banks, hospitals, radio stations and other businesses, to assess their companies by putting on their “Hispanic eyes.” If, for example, they were Hispanic residents passing an insurance building marked only with a logo, they likely wouldn’t know there was anything of interest to them happening inside.

It’s important, he said, to let would-be customers know what’s available and how they are to act (via directional signage) once they walk in the doors.

In marketing to Hispanic residents, companies must first be aware Hispanics are consumers just like other Americans and Hispanics must feel comfortable and respected. Kindness goes a long way because Hispanics are store and brand loyal. Once you gain their confidence they continue to shop, tell their relatives and friends the place to buy is ACE Foods or what ever retail store they are recommending.

If a company has no Spanish-speaking staff, it obviously cannot include the phrase “se hablamos español” in its marketing, but it can include the word “bienvenido” — “welcome,” he said. Some companies may opt to advertise in both English and Spanish. For others, Jon Garrido said, budget considerations prohibit it. But in radio ads to show they are reaching out for that segment of the population, for example, they could consider having their English-language ad read by someone with a Hispanic accent, he said.

“Think about where you will invest your efforts — just in signage or translation? Or is it more important to get customers through the door first? Or both?” Jon Garrido asked.

The workshop was co-sponsored by the East Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Jon Garrido Marketing and Advertising.