A Look into Hispanic Purchasing Decisions.

Imagine walking into a huge department store. Where do you start? There are items everywhere and the experience can be overwhelming. Now imagine you are in a brand new country, walking into another huge department. This experience can be even more overwhelming. These are things marketers need to take into account when trying to reach out to the Hispanic market. The Hispanic market can look at advertisements and big purchase decisions in a whole different light. The key thing for marketers to consider when reaching out to the Hispanic market are references groups, cultural identity and how this all relates to purchasing decisions.

How people make purchase decisions can be a difficult thing for anyone to understand. Marketers have a lot to take into account. When reaching out to the Hispanic market, it is important to understand what reference group may be most effective for the purchase decision. Individuals may refer to co-workers, neighbors, friends, or family for purchase decision advice. The situation can depend on who has the most credibility in the eyes of the consumer. For large purchase decisions, a Hispanic consumer may refer to close reliable friends and family for advice before making any decisions because these are the people that have their best interest in mind . Word of mouth has a powerful impact on consumers because Hispanics prefer going to people they trust for purchase decision advice . Some people can take this a step further and search the web after talking to friends and family. Consumer review websites can provide information to future buyers of the product . These websites provide information from consumers that have the product and now what to share their experience with other consumers in order to help them with buying situations.

A struggle for marketers could be to find out how important is it that a Hispanic advertises to another Hispanic. Trust and honesty are important factors for Hispanics when they are considering purchasing a new product . Hispanics may feel that they have more similarities with other Hispanics because they have a common background and the purchasing process can seem more like a conversation with a friend or family member . Hispanics can also have an admiration for a successful Anglo role model and this could drive them to purchase a product because they want the same success. It will be important for marketers to understand what type of situation they are dealing with because an individual can react one way to a certain situation or another person can react in totally different way. Something that will have a big impact on any consumer is the success story . A strong message can be a moving situation for anyone. In some cases the person’s cultural background does not matter and if their story and background are strong then this can have a greater influence and leave a more lastly impression in the consumer’s mind. Sometimes consumers can just be looking for someone that is knowledgeable of the product regardless of culture identity. Referring back to reference groups and role models can also help the marketers understand what type of spokesperson should be the embodiment of the advertisement. Family is important in the Hispanic culture and using this type of reference group can leave a trustworthy impression on the consumer .

The cultural identity of a person can influence the way that they make purchase decisions. Marketers need to decide if the cultural identity is important to the consumer. It is important to understand how Hispanics define themselves. These labels can be born out of convenience or pride. The term “Hispanic” traces its roots back to the 1980 Census. It was meant to represent people of Spanish origin. Some Hispanics can feel the term is politically correct and others feel it represents an outsider’s perspective and oppression from Spain. The term “Latino” could represent more of a community feel to Hispanics. Identifying themselves can be a difficult thing for Hispanics. The way the question of identification is asked can influence the way the question is answered. The person who asks the question can also influence the answer to the question. If a non-Hispanic asked the question then a Hispanic may answer a general response like “Hispanic,” “Latino,” or “Spanish .” However if a person of Hispanic origin asked the question then they may answer more specifically .

Research will be the best tool when reaching out to the Hispanic market. Marketers will need to understand the situation so they can find the best resources in order to promote the product. Family values, trustworthiness and a success story need to be considered when reaching out to the Hispanic market because they may leave a more lasting impression in the consumer’s mind. These traits may be more important than cultural identity. If a marketer can translate Hispanic family values and make the advertisements seem more like a conversation between friends then Hispanics will feel more comfortable with the purchase situation and be more inclined to buy. One the best thing to keep in mind for the Hispanic market will be the notion of word of mouth advertising. If one Hispanic has a great purchasing experience with one product then this may lead to conversations amongst friends and family members to also go out and purchase the product. Putting all these things into consideration will make the notion of walking into a huge department store a more pleasant experience and the purchasing process less overwhelming for the Hispanic market.

Quinten Ershock
Student
Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication
Florida State University