How Are Hispanic Consumers Influenced by Others?

When marketers create campaigns targeted to a particular group of consumers, it is essential to understand the reference group(s) one uses for their consumer purchases. In the case of the Hispanic market, ascertaining the reference group used for various products can be difficult for “U.S. Hispanics who maintain cultural ties, but also live within the context of the U.S. mainstream culture” (Korzenny & Korzenny, 62). In order for a particular marketing product targeting Hispanics to be successful the cultural identity one relates to must be determined.

The common marketing notion of homophily, which is the “degree to which individuals who engage in communication share common attitudes, values, aspirations and beliefs” perpetuates the notion that Hispanics are more likely to identify with other Hispanics (Korzenny & Korzenny, 63). But this is not true in all situations; one identifying factor in whether one relates to their cultural ties or the U.S. culture is many times determined by how one culturally identifies themselves. In the case of the younger Hispanic population they many times describe themselves by their country of origin as well as being American (Hernandez and Lopez). When it comes to making consumer purchases, the primary source of influence is solely determined on what the product is. For the younger generation of Hispanics they tend to identify with their parents and cultural ties for food products, personal care items and household items such as cleaning products, while identifying with a their non-Hispanic peers on high-end products such as cars and technology items (Hernandez and Lopez).

The relationship between how Hispanic consumers identify themselves and the impact of their consumer purchasing behavior varies across several factors. Older generation Hispanics in the United States generally prefer to be identified by their county of origin in accordance to labels and feel more comfortable communicating or dealing with a company that has Hispanic ties or has shown Hispanic cultural acceptance. In this particular case of first generation Hispanics, cultural labels do significantly impact their purchasing behavior with certain companies. In the situation of Hispanics who were born and raised in the United States, labels do slightly impact their consumer purchasing behavior, but not in the same ways it impacts their parents. In case of Hispanics born and raised in the United States they are more aware of cultural stereotypes that exist in the American culture of Hispanics, so they are a little more cautious not to engage in behavior that would perpetuate the negative thinking some already have of the Hispanic culture.

In conclusion, marketers need to complete research to determine their target audience’s reference group and how that reference group influences purchasing particular products. One cannot make the assumption that Hispanics only refer to other Hispanics or only to other Americans for their purchasing decisions. It is therefore best to realize that Hispanics are likely to be influenced by many different sources, and it is the job of the marketer to understand the different reference groups and how they impact Hispanic purchasing patterns across various products.

By Veronica Anderson
Hispanic Marketing Communication
Florida State University

Works Cited

Hernandez, Jose. Interview. September 17, 2008.
Lopez, Jenn. Interview. September 17, 20008.
Korzenny, Felipe & Korzenny, Betty Ann. Hispanic Marketing. Oxford, UK: Elsevier Inc., 2005