Exploring The Impact Of Language & Culture On Hispanic Consumer Purchase Decisions.
September 6, 2005
Understanding the relationship between language, culture, and human experience is certainly a powerful tool for marketers in the unique socio-cultural marketplace that we find ourselves in today. The rich connection between language and culture is dynamic and continues to evolve as individual’s cultural experiences shape the words and ultimately the language that people engage in. Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf developed a mould theory of language and espouse that individuals are very much at the mercy of the particular language which has become the medium of expression for their society. 1 Specific words, phrases, representations, and symbols related to language are influential in the way they make various cultural groups think, along with the immense emotional impact and ‘baggage’ they carry with them. In Gerald Zaltman’s book, How Customers Think, Essential Insights into the Mind of the Market, he points out the relationship between consumer’s emotions and their reasoning processes when it comes to consumer decision-making situations. Zaltman emphasizes the importance of language in message strategies developed by marketers, explaining the magnitude of emotions as they are essential for sound decision making. 2
For Hispanics, language has served as the glue that has held many families and cultures together for centuries and many take great pride in the adaptive mechanism that is the Spanish language. As Alex Lopez Negrete asserts, Spanish remains the language of persuasion and the language of the heart for Hispanics, and marketers are faced with a myriad of decisions with regard to what language to market these viable consumers in. 3 Whether to communicate messages in Spanish, English, or both, remains the core dilemma for marketers and there is a significant amount of research out there that tends to be fairly contradictory.
Spanish, English, and bilingual message strategies each have their advantages and disadvantages but it is my observation that communicating bilingually to Hispanic households is by far the most appropriate strategy. It is well known that Hispanic households have individuals who are Spanish dominant, bilingual, and English dominant, and the astute marketer with the bilingual message has the ability to reach all members. These bilingual messages provide a learning experience for all preferential groups and touch realms of experience in the Hispanic consumer. 4 In an article by William R. Ortiz, President of HispanicWorks, the Yankelovich/Checkin Hispanic Monitor was cited as an intriguing way that marketers segment the Hispanic market. The Monitor derived four distinct life stage segments: Young Progressives, Home Builders, and Hearth-Hearted Prime of Life, while defining three acculturation segments: Hispanic Dominant, Bicultural Hispanics, and Assimilated Hispanics. 5 This is an interesting way of segmenting the market, and if done correctly, it would most certainly provide insights into marketer’s targets and how to best communicate with them. Segmenting the market, and consequently figuring out how to best leverage the bilingual Hispanic households with various messages in Spanish and English presents marketers with a practical marketing strategy that will reach each member of the Hispanic family unit.
Code-switching, Spanglish, and the future of language and culture based marketing is another imperative area that marketers must analyze. The notion of mixing words or sentences of both English and Spanish within sentences and paragraphs applies most directly to that of the younger Hispanic market. Although Spanglish is not yet a language with specific ways to communicate, what is possible is to communicate with consumers in a style that is relevant to them. 4 David Luna and Laura Peracchio did some interesting research with respect to advertising to bilingual consumers, analyzing the impact of code-switching and language schemas on persuasion. In their findings, Luna and Peracchio asserted that different languages meant different things to their users. They noted that although many U.S. Hispanics are bilingual, Hispanic consumers perceive English as the language of ‘power and dominance.’ Spanish, on the other hand, was associated with a feeling of ‘inferiority and discrimination.’ 6 These are interesting observations because they lend themselves to a dichotomous explanation of whether or not to market to Hispanics in English or Spanish, or both.
The implications of language, culture, human experience, and code-switching on the buying and decision-making abilities of U.S. Hispanics are of significant relevance to the U.S. Hispanic marketplace. Cultural adaptation and insights are absolutely necessary in order to capture the diverse nature of Hispanic households, and to reach each member of those large households. Marketers realize the importance of selling to a household, rather than to an individual, because of the variation of levels of language skills and preferences. In certain circumstances it is appropriate to market Hispanics in Spanish, as well as in English, but the majority of marketing communication efforts should be strategic bilingual messages. The translation of these messages must be carefully and strategically managed, in order to have the appropriate cultural insights for the consumer to connect. Finally, the research regarding Spanish and English-language media is a good place to start gathering observations about which language to use for different communications in different geographic locations. It is clear that Dr. Pepper’s marketing efforts were nothing short of penetrating and insightful, as they developed the campaign of ‘one word, two languages’, creating a consistent message for all consumers which portrays what the role of language should be in Hispanic marketing. 7
Damon K. Lister
Master’s Candidate
Florida State University,
College of Communication IMC Program
References
1. Chandler, Daniel. (1994). The Sapir Whorf Hypothesis. Retrieved September 24, 2005 Adapted from The Act of Writing.
2. Zaltman, Gerald. (2003). How Customers Think, Essential Insights into the Mind of the Market. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing.
3. Negrete, Alex Lopez. (2005). Speaking the Language of the Heart. Retrieved September 25, 2005 from , Web site:
http://www.multicultural.com/experts/art_hispanic.html
4. Korzenny, F. & Korzenny, Betty Ann. (2005). Hispanic Marketing : A cultural perspective. Jordan Hill, Oxford, UK: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann.
5.Ortiz, William. (2005, September). Answering the Language Question. Retrieved September 24, 2005 from CableTelevision
Advertising Bureau, Web site:
http://www.onetvworld.org/?module=displaystory&story_id=1126&format=html#top
6. Luna, D. Advertising to Bilingual Consumers: The Impact of Code-Switching and Language Schemas on Persuasion. Retrieved September 24, 2005
7. Wentz, Laurel. (June 20, 2005). Insight into Dr. Pepper Advertising strategy towards Hispanics. Retrieved September 24, 2005 from , Web site:
http://havanajournal.com/hispanics_comments/3506_0_24_0_M/
Student in the Hispanic Marketing Communication Program at Florida State University
