What makes a first class Hispanic Marketing Manager?

By Juan Tornoe

Let’s start by clearing the air on a touchy subject; you don’t need to be Hispanic to excel in marketing to Latinos (although I have to admit it can give you somewhat of a head start). Nonetheless, you do need to understand the diversity, culture, and values of the Hispanic community as well as the regional nuances of the Spanish language according to the community’s different subgroups, and let’s not forget about the ever present code-switching. There is no need for you to speak Spanish perfectly, just good enough to make yourself understood by Spanish speakers (More than “Dos cervezas por favor” and “Yo quiero Taco Bell”).

It’s an understatement that you need to have a solid understanding of marketing and advertising. Have practiced it them with increasing levels of responsibility hopefully on both sides of the fence: on the client side as well as with agency/media.   Without this you’ll face an uphill battle in delivering measurable results to your organization.

Having travel abroad, especially to Latin America, is definitely a plus, since it most certainly expands your horizons and gives you a whole new perspective as to where Latinos (or their forefathers) came from and the differences between them and people currently living in Latin American countries. Cancún does not count, sorry.

You will also need to understand you have to surround yourself with staff members that complement your skill set and you will be the point person in the relationship with your company’s Hispanic Ad agency or consultant and eventually will be a key decision maker on their evaluation and/or selection. You need to make sure you are dealing with experienced professionals and must be able to trust that they will be putting all their knowledge and experience at work with your best interest in mind. This will guaranty a long, profitable, rewarding relationship for all.

Now, there are certain things that do not qualify you for this job although, unfortunately, I’ve seen them first hand weigh more than they should. Please, don’t take the following lines the wrong way; “Al que le siente el guante, que se lo plante” (BTW, it would be good for you to understand the meaning of this refrain if you are in charge of marketing to Latinos).

Here is a list, in no particular order of the things that have qualified some to market to Latinos:
1.    Being born in Latin America (preferably Mexico);
2.    Being Hispanic (or Latino for those obsessed by the differences between these terms);
3.    Being married to a Latino;
4.    Speaking Spanish;
5.    Having a Hispanic-sounding Last Name (sometimes even better if hyphenated with an Anglo-Saxon one);
6.    Being a good friend of the corporation’s CEO or other decision makers way up the corporate ladder;
7.    Being the only Latino (or one of the few) working in a company that suddenly decides to actively reach out to Hispanics and getting the job because they chose the one Hispanic with the longest tenure in the company, independently if he/she knows anything about marketing or marketing to Hispanics;
8.    A combination of all or some of the above.

Within your company, independently of how you got there, you will be responsible for wisely investing an always-less-than-expected budget to reach out to the Latino community. You will be in charge of managing the relationship with an ad agency / consultant that needs to deliver the campaigns that will make your company’s cash register ring.

You need to partner with and rely on your agency /consultant to do what they are experts in. You need to listen and deeply analyze the input and insight they share with you vs. going on a “power trip” treating them like slaves, telling them what you want them to do, and not even considering what they bring to the table. Unfortunately, some agencies are so scared to lose your company as a client that they will actually disserve it to such point that they won’t bring up the mistakes you are making.

As I said before, it is unfortunate that such a small percentage of the total budget is allocated to advertise to the Latino community. This fact allows in many situations the misinterpretation of actual results in marketing to Hispanics. The overall results overshadow any big or small miss (or hit) generated by the Hispanic Advertising portion of the budget.  Therefore you, Mr. /Mrs. Latino Marketing Manager can in full confidence proclaim your single-handed triumph in getting Hispanics to buy whatever you are selling. When in fact Hispanics were buying it in spite of the way out of focus campaign you pushed down your agency’s throat, while they unwillingly thank you for it and give you fake accolades for your “intelligence”. Please pay attention to what I am saying, you won’t always be right.

So, even if you were hired for all the wrong reasons, at least be wise enough to conscientiously select the best agency for the job (because of how well they have helped other companies generated measurable results and how well they have been able to understand your business and industry, be it due to previous clients or throughout the pitch process) and let them do what they do best.

Comments

[Claudia Goffan]

Bravo, Juan! Excellent article! A must read for anybody that is or is considering selling to Hispanics. You have defined the list of current "qualifyers" to this position so well. What people do not realize is that you have to be a marketer first and then, specialize in the Hispanic market. Not belong to the Hispanic market and then become a "marketer". (There could be some exceptions of particularly brilliant people, but generally speaking, that's not the way it works or we wouldn't have to go to school in order to work in this profession)
Anyway, I could go on and on, but I believe your words say it all.
Warmest regards,
Claudia

[Katherine Drabek]

Thank you for a fascinating article. Your position as an insider in Hispanic marketing is invaluable. I was gratified to read that, in fact, one's ethnicity alone does not guarantee insight into a particular market. After all, if marketers are truly creative and interested in learning, we can inform ourselves about any subject. In my experience, knowledge of a cultural group is amplified by travel. In addition, learning the language of that group shows commitment.

Best regards,

Katherine Drabek

[Ana Lydia Ochoa, padma media & marketing]

Juan,

You hit it on most points, but missed something very important: traveling WITHIN the US the research and learn about the Hispanics you are creating marketing and PR campaigns for on behalf of your client.

Sure, it's important to know WHERE we came from, but knowing where we are 'at' far outweighs travel to Latin America.

Secondly, not all PR or marketing needs to be done in Spanish. English is also appropriate if CULTURALLY relevant - even in Spanish, some of the stories reporters are sometimes FORCED to write are appalling, at best.

Third, and probably most importantly, hiring ONE agency to do EVERYTHING is not usually the best approach. El que sirve con varios amos con uno queda mal. You can't be a great advertiser AND PR pro - diversify your team of strategists! And when you 'pick' your team, foster a team-work environment. If you select a great group of agencies to lead your account, we will all work with one goal in mind: Making YOU, the client happy.

Warmly,

Ana Lydia Ochoa
padma media & marketing

[Harold Cabezas]

Great post, Juan.

Too many times I have seen and heard fellow Latinos in agencies differentiate themselves from our community b/c 'THEY like rodeos, rancheras, bachatas, religion, etc.' and the agency representative wants to clarify that he/she does not. As you know Latinos in the United States are extremely complex, more and more so as we start getting more acculturated and having more US-born Latinos. You don't have to be like most Latinos, but you should respect the tastes of Latinos, as varied as they are, especially since it is their buying patterns that are providing you with an opportunity to provide for yourself and your family.

Keep up the great work and thanks for raising consciousness.

[Juan Tornoe]

Thanks Claudia, Catherine, and Ana Lydia!

Your feedback is very valuable.

Ana Lydia hit the nail in a very important point I did not mention: This person has to visit, within the U.S., the different Latino enclaves and understand the hows (and more importantly the WHYS) is their lifestyle, how they communicate, their hopes and dreams, their culture, education, professions, the people within their realm of association, the food they eat, the clothes they wear... Really walk a mile in their shoes. This will give them a much clearer perspective of the market compared to just reading books and articles (Ouch! I'm kinda shooting myself in the foot here)from the comfort of their own office or the local Fourbucks :-)

[Juan Tornoe]

Thank you Harold,

You are so right. We are all different but we are all part of the ever-growing biggest minority in the U.S. We should always keep that in mind and treat everyone with respect. Our marketing/advertising message should be a conversation WITH them, not talking DOWN AT them.

[Lynn Currie]

Well said, Juan! Thanks for the fantastic post.