US Hispanic Mothers: Not a One-Size-Fits-All Audience [INSIGHT]

Holly Pavlika – Senior Vice President, Marketing and Content / Collective Bias

The buying power of US Hispanics is growing, and mothers make up a huge chunk of these purchasing decisions. Holly Pavlika, senior vice president of marketing and content at Collective Bias, a company that connects brands and retailers to general market and Hispanic consumers through influencer-generated content, spoke to eMarketer’s Alison McCarthy about what marketers can do to best reach US Hispanic mothers.

eMarketer: Collective Bias connects brands to digital influencers, many of whom are Hispanic mothers. Do you see major differences in digital behavior between Hispanic mothers and general market mothers in the work you’re doing?

Holly Pavlika: We do have to treat Hispanic mothers a little differently. You can’t just approach them directly like you can a general market influencer—they put more emphasis on talking and getting to know you first. They tend to prefer to chat on Facebook instead of emails, which I thought was interesting.

Hispanic mothers tend to use Pinterest less than mothers overall. We’re also starting to see them embrace Periscope. In terms of content, they want to connect with brands and take on campaigns that understand them. They’re very picky about making sure that the messaging talks to them culturally and that it’s something they can work with authentically.

eMarketer: What’s unique about Hispanic mothers in how they engage on social media?

Pavlika: They’re extremely social online, and interestingly, they tend to use social while they shop. Hispanics overindex in shopping in-store with friends or family in person, but if these mothers are shopping alone, they’re still being social—only via digital channels. They often talk with friends and family members on Facebook while shopping, or will send pictures to friends when in a store.

“Hispanic mothers do like interacting with brands and do tend to trust advertising more than the general market, but I think it all comes down to content.”

eMarketer: Do you see their children playing a larger role in their purchases than the general market?

Pavlika: I think children play a role in purchasing decisions for both general market mothers and Hispanic mothers, but because Hispanic families tend to shop together—which means they’re right there with mom—they probably have more influence on purchasing decisions made by Hispanic mothers.

eMarketer: How do Hispanic mothers feel about advertising and marketing content on social media? Does a sponsored post from a brand hold as much power as a recommendation from a friend or a family member for these mothers?

Pavlika: They do like interacting with brands and do tend to trust advertising more than the general market, but I think it all comes down to content. Whether she’s a Hispanic mother, a millennial mother or a boomer mother, she’s looking for content that’s useful and that helps her to do a better job at being a mother.

eMarketer: Are mothers blogging in the traditional sense as much as they were a few years ago? Do you think mother blogs still hold as much value to marketers as they once did?

Pavlika: Yes, I think mothers are still blogging. I think bloggers will always be the heavy lifters from a content perspective. I think there’s a new crop of mothers who are blogging that are younger, more brand-aware and more multicultural. But while mothers are still blogging, when it comes to mother influencers, we are starting to see a trend towards downsizing the amount of channels that a mother will focus on, whether it’s Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube or Periscope.

eMarketer: What is the biggest stereotype marketers have when it comes to reaching Hispanic mothers?

Pavlika: There’s no one-size-fits-all mother. Hispanic mothers come from a wide variety of countries and cultures. There’s a big difference between a Mexican mother, a Guatemalan mother and a Native American mother, whose family just happens to come from a Spanish country. I think marketers tend to bucket them all together.

eMarketer: What’s an example of a brand that is engaging with these mothers successfully?

Pavlika: I think one of our clients, Padilla, is doing a great job. They help authentic Latin and Hispanic food brands, such as El Yucateco, a spicy sauce, break into the US market. I think they’re doing well because they tend to target a combination of general market and Hispanic audiences.

“I think [one of our clients, Padilla, is] doing well because they tend to target a combination of general market and Hispanic audiences.”

Even though their products are Hispanic, they realize that there are a lot of people out there right now looking for more adventurous flavors and spicier foods—moms included. It’s not just a Hispanic thing. They know that if you just talk to Latinos, you’re missing out on the larger market. There’s a halo effect.

eMarketer: What key piece of advice would you give to marketers to effectively reach Hispanic moms?

Pavlika: Talk to them directly. Never assume. Listen to their ideas and use them as influencers. They’re happy to give their opinions, and often know best how to authentically present the product so that it tells a story that will engage audiences.

Courtesy of eMarketer