Hispanics are the cornerstones of Applica’s Growth Strategy.

One hundred sixty. That is the average number of times Hispanic families use their blenders per year, compared with only 113 for non-Hispanics, according to research conducted by small kitchen appliance marketer and distributor Applica Consumer Products, Inc. The fact that Hispanics overindex on these and other products the company sells has made the segment a primary focus of the company’s U.S. growth strategy, its leadership asserts.

“The U.S. Census projection that Hispanics will comprise 30 percent of the U.S. population by 2050 is only part of the reason our company has its eye on this market segment,” explains Evanghela Hidalgo, President and General Manager of Applica’s Americas division and a Mexican-born Hispanic herself.

“Perhaps even more important is the fact that Hispanics have a much more intimate relationship with food and cooking and thus with the small kitchen appliances, such as George Foreman grills, Black & Decker blenders, coffeemakers and toaster ovens, that our company designs, markets and distributes.”

The consumer research that Applica recently commissioned as part of its strategic planning confirmed Hidalgo’s suspicion that Hispanics place a higher priority on home cooking than general market consumers do. “We found that Hispanics overindex on many of the products we distribute, most notably blenders and grills. They also comprise a disproportionately large percentage of the two biggest consumer growth targets for us.”

Applica’s focus on the Hispanic market also prompted the company to tap into the Hispanic capability of its public relations agency of record in the United States, Burson-Marsteller, which also represents the firm in several Latin American countries, as well as incorporates Hispanic advertising and promotional efforts into its marketing mix.

According to Yvethe Rodriguez, Director of Innovation. “One of our most successful blender models was made to address the fact that many consumers there use their blenders as
food processors: mashing beans, creaming corn, making salsas and even pureeing hot vegetable soups,” she explains. “It was no surprise to us, then, that the model experienced tremendous success once introduced to the U.S. market, because Hispanics tend to use blenders in much the same way.”