Electronic Retailer - August 2011 - Outsert10

Mercury en Español
Marcelino Miyares Jr.
Vice President
er priced or multi-pay goods. Hispanic spending
power continues to grow and diversify. The fact
is that close to 75 percent of Hispanic consumers
have credit cards, and our average AOVs range
from $129 to $189. We have several clients that average
well into the $200s per sale. This market is
viable and addressable from any angle.
Mercury en Español is a direct response practice
specializing in the management of
in-language
and bicultural Hispanic campaigns. It was named
one of the Top 20 Hispanic Agencies in the U.S.
in 2009 by Ad Age. Marcelino Miyares Jr. is vice
president.
What cultural differences should
marketers consider when developing a
campaign for the U.S. Hispanic market?
It depends on the product category. Some categories
call for more cultural relevance than others,
such as kitchen goods and beauty products. For
example, the foods we feature and the skin types
and issues we focus on make a huge difference in
our ability to generate demand and the ultimate
effi cacy of the product for the Hispanic consumer.
Most categories are immune to cultural differences
from a product perspective – we all need sit-up
machines for the same reason. But production considerations
could raise cultural issues. This is the
subject for another article.
How do U.S. Hispanic customers differ
from general market customers? How
are they the same?
Hispanic DRTV shoppers shop for all the same
reasons. Some categories are more relevant than
others, but, in general, the only actionable difference
from a marketer’s perspective is language,
which will drive creative approach and media selection.
Beyond that, it is best to answer this question
on a product-by-product or brand-by-brand
basis. Housewares, beauty, fi tness, fi nancial services
… pretty much all product categories will
fi nd success in the U.S. Hispanic market, but these
would be tops in my experience.
What are some of the misconceptions
about the U.S. Hispanic market?
The major misconception about the Hispanic market
is that they do not buy or cannot afford high-
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electronicRETAILER | U.S. Hispanic Guide 2011
What are some steps a marketer should
take before it transitions from the
general market to the U.S. Hispanic
market?
The most important step is to be ready to sell in
Spanish. In other words, take the market seriously.
This means transcreate your shows, your scripts
and your customer service. You do not need bilingualized
product labels, manuals or other collateral
from the get-go. This is a decision that can be
made down the road when the market has become
a strategic focus. Think in phases. Start out by doing
enough to really test the market and its potential
impact on your business. After that, your profi t
will determine the rest.
So when targeting the U.S. Hispanic
market, should a marketer focus
primarily on Spanish-only programming?
Mostly. We have found that Spanish-language
programming generates the highest measurable
returns. There is nothing wrong with bilingual
or “Spanglish” programming, but this tends to
reach younger demographics that may be exposed
to general market campaigns as well as Spanish.
In addition, there is substantially more Spanishlanguage
programming available than bilingual
formats. This will change over time. But if you are
looking for volume in the tens of thousands, you
will need Spanish-only media and creative.
Which mediums are the most effective
in reaching U.S. Hispanic customers?
TV and radio are most effective in terms of reach,
frequency and – most important of all – performance.
Hispanics over-index on TV and radio and
outperform print and direct mail, and internet and
mobile are fast becoming D2C mediums of choice
for Hispanics, but we are still a couple of years
away from generating volume on these media. So
it is TV and radio for now.
Electronic Retailer - August 2011

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