Launching an In-Language Internet Program
By Marcelino Miyares
When our clients ask me whether an in-language Internet program is necessary to the success
of their Spanish-language advertising campaigns, I ask them if their marketing goals are longor
short-term. If a client’s goal is short-term testing of a product or service, an in-language
Internet program is nice to have, but not a necessary. However, if a client has long-term marketing
goals that aim to build loyalty among Spanish-speaking consumers, then an active digital
campaign is essential.
While Hispanics are online at roughly the same usage rates as the general market, e-commerce
has remained underdeveloped. The reason for this is that Hispanic consumer confidence in
online transactions remains low. While many larger marketers—like Amazon and eBay—have
tried to launch major e-commerce hubs that cater specifically to the Hispanic market, a significant
number of these projects have failed in recent years. Univision, the premiere Spanish
language
media company in the country, just recently announced that it intends to try again.
HISPANIC INTERNET STRATEGIES: TWO WAYS TO TURN
While the viability of major e-commerce hubs is perhaps to be determined, any company
that makes a serious commitment to the Hispanic market must commit to an in-language
web strategy at some level. There are two ways to enter the market with an in-language web
campaign—passive and active—and there’s really nothing in between.
A passive strategy typically includes an in-language URL that mirrors the content of the
company’s general market site. The more content you make available in Spanish, the more
you demonstrate your respect for the market. You may not actively market the site or drive
traffic with online activity, but at the very least you are able to fulfill the need for more
information.
An active strategy should include a Hispanic-specific marketing hub that serves as a unique
resource for the Spanish language-dependent consumer. This approach is best when used to
support highly targeted creative that is designed to promote a paid web campaign and community
building. A truly Hispanic-focused web campaign should also take cultural, culinary
and customer service to a more relevant marketing level than a company’s general market
website. Categories such as food and kitchen appliances offer a unique opportunity to drive
home the application of a product by appealing to Hispanic consumers’ tastes, customs,
recipes and food preparation culture.
Additionally, the Internet strategy for active campaigns should be expanded to encompass
a truly "digital” strategy, meaning that it should include mobile marketing as a key com-
ponent. Spanish speaking Internet
users are largely acculturated, meaning that they have
as much or more access to general market search engines
and browsers as they do Spanish
sites. The same is not true of mobile campaigns. Smartphones are fast becoming the primary gateway to the Internet for less acculturated Hispanic consumers. Low-tech social functions, such as texting, are creating a new frontier for reaching Hispanic consumers. While all advertising campaigns require a unique approach, one golden rule applies to inlanguage campaigns just as surely as it applies to general market campaigns: know your consumer and speak directly to them—they will be sure to respond.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Marcelino Miyares
is director of Mercury en Español, a full-service Hispanic direct response specialty practice based in Santa Monica, Calif. He can be reached via e-mail at mmiyares@mercurymedia.com.