The Role of Culture in Cross-Cultural Marketing.

Hispanics are one of the fastest growing populations of the United States. In 2007, there were 45.5 million Latinos representing 15 percent of the total population of the United States. Among the Hispanic population, 66.9 percent were Mexican, 14.3 percent were Central and South American, 8.6 percent were Puerto Rican, 3.7 percent were Cuban, and the remaining 6.5 percent were of other Hispanic origins. (US Bureau of the Census; Ramírez & De la Cruz, 2002)

Hispanics buying power rose from $212 billion in 1990 to nearly $870 billion in 2008 and is projected to reach as much as $1.3 trillion by 2015. The current Hispanic purchasing power is estimated to be at 9.3% of the total current U.S. purchasing power and projected to be 12% by 2015. (Jensen-Campbell, 2005)

Carlos Fuentes, the world-renowned Mexican novelist said, “What the United States does best is to understand itself. What it does worst is understand others.” In order to understand the Hispanic community, it is necessary to take a close look at their culture. What is culture? The essence of a culture is not its artifacts, tools, or other tangible cultural elements but how the members of the group interpret, use, and perceive them. It is the values, symbols, interpretations, and perspectives that distinguish one people from another in modernized societies. (Banks, Banks & McGee, 1989)

Culture is the strongest bond among Hispanics, and several beliefs and behaviors serve to unite this otherwise heterogeneous group. These values include the importance placed on the family – immediate and extended – and children, the desire to preserve their ethnicity, an emphasis on aesthetics and emotions, a devotion to religion and tradition, a strong interest in their appearance, and the emphasis on quality of life and enjoyment. (Camacho, 2005)

Family is a close-knit group and the most important social unit for Hispanics. “It hurts to be far from our family” and “I miss the closeness and the sense of community that we have back home” are statements that ring true among Hispanics. Family includes the extended family, neighbors and close friends and they gather frequently to celebrate holidays, birthdays, baptisms, first communions, graduations, weddings and funerals.

Manufacturers of mobile phones and personal computers figure among companies that have implemented strategic advertising, promotions and marketing plans targeted at the Hispanic population. Statements, such as, “I usually call my family and friends several time during the day” highlight this intrinsic need to stay connected with family members and friends from their countries of origin.

Hispanics are expected to spend over $21.3 billion on local, long distance, wireless and Internet services this year, representing over 40 percent of the ethnic telecommunications consumer market. (Insight Research Business Wire, 2002) Aware of this trend, AT&T ranked number one among the top 25 advertisers in Spanish-language spot TV and the top 10 advertisers on Hispanic web sites in 2007 (Advertising Age, 2008) and launched, during the holidays, three Spanish-language television spots showcasing its communications and entertainment services. (Hispanic Market Weekly, 2007)

Latinos have enhanced the cultural diversity that enriches this nation and have infused its economy with their astounding purchasing power. When marketers look at the Hispanic market from a culture-graphic perspective they add communication intimacy to their strategy (Korzenny & Korzenny, 2005) thus establishing the foundation that will allow them to tap into this powerful consumer group.

By Fernando L. Rodríguez
Hispanic Marketing Communication
Florida State University

REFERENCES
Ramírez, R.R. & De la Cruz, G. P. (2002). The Hispanic Population in the United States. Current Population Reports (P20-545). U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, D.C.
Jensen-Campbell, C. (2005). Today’s Hispanic Consumer. Retrieved September 5, 2008, from Web Site: http://www.tia.org/uploads/casestudies/Hispanic%20White%20Paper.pdf>.
Banks, J.A., Banks & McGee, C.A. (1989). Multicultural Education. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Camacho, A. (2005). Tying Hispanic Cultural Values to Marketing Research. Retrieved September 5, 2008, from the Ipsos Insight Web Site: http://www.ipsos-ideas.com/library/dl.cfm?pdf=IpsosInsight_WP_Hispanic_Values.pdf>

Insight Research Business Wire (2002, August). U.S. Hispanics Spending $20 billion on Telecom. Retrieved September 5, 2008, from Web Site: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_/ai_90759998>

Advertising Age Hispanic Fact Pack (2008 Edition). Annual Guide to Hispanic Marketing and Media. Advertising Age, New York, N.Y.

Hispanic Market Weekly (2007, November). AT&T, Dell, Univision Communications, SBS, ADS. Retrieved September 5, 2008, from Web Site: http://www.hispanicmarketweekly.com/featureArticle.cms?id=770>

Korzenny, F. & Korzenny, B. A. (2005). Hispanic Marketing: A Cultural Perspective. Oxford: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann.