Identity and Consumer Behavior: A Hispanic Marketing Perspective.

The relationship between Hispanic identity and consumer behavior is very interesting. Because of the diversity within the Hispanic market, there is not one cookie-cutter approach that the marketer can always refer to when planning a marketing campaign. Instead, the marketer must do his or her due diligence in researching cultural preference, including appropriate reference or belongingness groups, for a particular brand or product (Korzenny and Korzenny, 2005.)

In some cases, a Hispanic consumer’s identity and homophily with other Hispanics is the dominant influential factor in swaying a purchasing decision. At other times, the Hispanic consumer seeks out a person that he or she identifies as being successful or having expertise to guide purchase decisions. In my conversations with two Hispanic consumers, I found evidence of both of these behaviors.

A 20-year-old female from Miami identified herself to me as Cuban. She told me she was going to buy sweatshirts for her sorority sisters which are expensive, so she had to get her mom’s advice. Although she did all of the research for the purchase independently online, she presented her findings to her mom, who is also Cuban, to get her input before finalizing the order. The consumer told me her ultimate reasons for choosing Brand A over Brand B were price, quality, and availability of style.

I also spoke with a 26-year-old man who very frankly told me that he identified himself differently depending on who asked the question. I was surprised by the frankness of his answer because it directly mirrored the typical Hispanic behavior concerning the issue of identity (Korzenny and Korzenny, 2005.) He told me that if I (a person of Anglo descent) asked him about his identity, he would say he was Nicaraguan or Hispanic. If someone in Nicaragua asked him, he would say he was American. And finally, if another Hispanic person asked him he would definitely say he was Nicaraguan. He told me he recently purchased a car. Similar to the other consumer, he did independent research to decide which car he wanted. Before making this purchase, he told me he sought the advice of a co-worker who was a car enthusiast and expert. The co-worker is of Anglo descent and has a family and work life that the man admires. The co-worker told him, “If you want it and you can afford it, what are you waiting for?”

I also questioned each person about the importance of having a Hispanic spokesperson in the ads or having a bilingual presentation of materials. Neither person felt that these two aspects would sway their decision. However, it is important to note that both individuals are second generation Hispanics and that Hispanic people with different backgrounds may feel differently.

Both people that I spoke with exhibited very similar behaviors going through the decision process concerning their purchases. Each conducted their own independent research but sought out approval from another person. The 20-year-old female consumer followed the pattern of homophily and asked for input from her mother. In the other case, the 26-year-old male consumer desired input from someone who he considered to be successful and have expertise in the area of his purchase. Seeking input and having approval from influential advisors appears to be a trend based on the two interviews I conducted. Although each person didn’t relate his or her Hispanic identity directly to the purchase decision, it is evident that were following Hispanic consumer behavior patterns.

By Deborah Roberts
Student
Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication
Florida State University

Korzenny, Felipe, and Betty Ann Korzenny. Hispanic Marketing: a Cultural Perspective. Burlington, MA: Elsevier/Butterworth-Heinemann, 2005. Print.