Toward an Understanding of Latino Imagery in the United States.

The advertising and publishing industries in the United States are now confronting the question of what is the appropriate way to portray U.S. Latinos in marketing and advertising, in order to better connect with their rapidly growing Hispanic audience. Historically, efforts have been mixed in their effectiveness to utilize images that both reflect the nuances of Latino culture and make a meaningful connection to the consumers with which the advertisers seek to engage. In some cases, the Latino image has been misrepresented as being anyone with dark hair and dark eyes with little other environmental cues or the even more mistaken image of sombreroed gentlemen eating chilies while children mercilessly beat a piñata. A truer representation today of Latinos in the United States is being captured by many Latino photographers who themselves may be first or second-generation U.S. Hispanics. According to ¡Creativísimo!, a panel of Latino creative directors, publishers and advertising executives, utilizing Latino photographers and better cultural understanding will lead to a better portrayal of Hispanics in U.S. advertising and marketing media.

Created as an intellectual alliance between the U.S. Hispanic creative community and Getty Images, ¡Creativísimo! seeks to foster an ongoing dialogue toward a more complete understanding of the current and future needs for Latino imagery in the United States.

Background

Image providers in the United States have built a powerful repertoire of photos that capture human emotion, cultural truths, our everyday life and slices of Americana unmistakably accurate. Advertisers, marketers and publishers draw on these collections to convey specific unspoken messages required to make the target audience connection for their clients whether they are selling clothing, cars, financial services or a social cause. The specificity with which images are selected is reflected in the careful ongoing research into current and coming trends to determine what makes a picture.

The effort to find and create a perfect image reflective of the U.S. Hispanic culture is advancing quickly as more U.S. companies find it necessary to utilize appropriate imagery when communicating with their Latino audience.

As revealed in a recent ¡Creativísimo! gathering of U.S. Latino creative directors and publishers, great strides have been made in the last decade by image providers, such as Getty Images, to fulfill the imagery needs of this population. Yet despite the availability of appropriate imagery, the misuse or misrepresentation of Latinos in advertising continues. Among the reasons given for this is a lack of understanding of the intra-cultural diversity of U.S. Hispanics. A comparison to this can be made to how culturally different Americans were in the 1800s as waves of immigrants from Italy, Ireland, England and the rest of Europe filled American cities. Hispanics in America today are as culturally distinct as these groups were then and continue to be so in some pockets of American cities. Physical and societal nuances are pronounced enough among U.S. Hispanics for easy distinctions to be drawn among them. Creative directors, art directors and publishers are still coming to understand how to draw these distinctions and choose images that are appropriate to their target audiences. Image providers are now beginning to facilitate the needs of media by tailoring the way they bring images to the market. Enhanced search features of image databases and regionally specific smart tagging of people in photos is one example. Past attempts by advertisers to reach Latinos may have missed the mark by trying too hard to create a Latino look, say some U.S. Hispanic creative experts. Placing a Latino-looking family in an environment which belies their true culture and heritage is a mistake perpetrated by those without adequate insight into what makes an image be a Latino image.

Finally, using Spanish words on an image which has no other cues to speak to its audience also does little for its wellintended purpose.

Current State

The pervasiveness of the aforementioned misconceptions in Latino advertising imagery is slowly decreasing, says Getty Images creative researcher, Denise Waggoner, because creative directors are starting to get it, and because of an increased awareness of the current availability of appropriate images. The catalyst driving this enlightenment is the Latino photographer, according to participants gathered at the ¡Creativísimo! discussion forum.

Connectivity is a major theme in the discussion of these needs. The Latino connection for an image is derived from multiple cues, including the regional origin of the subject, how the subjects interact, the specific action taking place, and the environment in which the action is taking place.

It is these interactions, situations and the social dynamic among Latinos that distinguish the Hispanic culture in the United States, noted a ¡Creativísimo! participant.

Together these elements, when appropriately applied, will create a more profound impact on the viewer. Although it is not easy, even for Hispanics, to pin down what exactly should constitute the elements of a Latino image, several themes emerge.

First, no one image will appropriately represent every U.S. Hispanic. The diversity of the Hispanic market requires a close analysis to determine if the proper image is being used for the correct audience, added a ¡Creativísimo! member. The differences in cultural backgrounds preclude the notion of a one-size-fits-all Latino. To compound this, generational differences among U.S. Hispanics is a significant variable to consider when choosing the appropriate image.

It was suggested, for instance, that what some hold to be stereotypes may be used effectively to communicate a message to second-generation U.S. Hispanics, the native-born offspring of immigrants. Leveraging stereotypes in an intelligent way could be how to approach the young urban market, suggested a ¡Creativísimo! member. Second-generation U.S. Hispanics often have strong roots to their parents’ cultures fomented through the family, yet they are more acculturated than their parents and embrace a culture of their own making – reflected in what some my consider a stereotypical image. They are not apologetic, and they use it to distinguish themselves proudly from other groups.

It is debated whether stereotypes should be used to communicate to first-generation U.S. Hispanics. Some experts say using stereotypical imagery can be an accurate representation, while others caution against its enforcement of negative associations.

Seemingly in concert with Latino creative directors and advertisers, Getty Images is adapting its Latino portfolio by utilizing professionals who understand the culture and its representation.

Latino photographers who have grown up in a Hispanic community know best how to capture that which speaks subtly to the viewer – the tip of a cup, the gestures in communication, and the sensitivity of emotion. They do not have to overthink and force a scene, and to the Latino viewer this is evident in the composition and angles used. This is not to say that the right image cannot be captured by a non-Latino: experts in the field suggest there is no one formula, and many compelling images of the Latino culture are captured by non-Latino photographers.

Steps Forward

The discussion of this topic among members of the Latino creative, advertising and publishing communities has provided a strong foundation for the progress being made in improving Latino imagery. Yet the speed and dynamism at which the U.S. Hispanic people and culture are changing requires ongoing study of present and future needs when it comes to Latino imagery.

For instance, over the past 10 to 20 years the rapidly evolving Hispanic market has exceeded the pace of the general market, and this trend is expected to continue. As a result, images used now in the Latino market may not be appropriate even a year from now, predicted a ¡Creativísimo! participant.

Two-way communication between the Latino creative community and imagery providers such as Getty Images will ensure the continued availability of images for the advertising and publishing industries. The use of keywords will improve as providers increase their understanding of what defines the proper Latino images.

As collaborations such as ¡Creativísimo! continue to evolve and increase in number, the understanding of visual communication with Latinos among U.S. and multi-national companies will improve – much as it did with the black community.

Great strides are being made now, but much more insight into the imagery needs of the Latino population is needed before anyone who creates or delivers content to this group can become complacent.