Wow! This is a great read if you are starting your business in the United States and don’t know who to target or if you want to understand Hispanics from a Hispanic point of view. The book may be considered outdated by some, given its publication date in 2005 but it contains very rich information that holds true even today. Anyway, let’s jump into what I learned. 👇

Key things I learned from reading this book:

  • Immigrants or children of immigrants can go through a stage called “retro-acculturation”
  • Hispanics can influence/redefine the marketing landscape (ie. H-E-B, Mi Tienda)
  • Hispanics are slower to assimilate than other groups of people
  • When selling, marketing, or advertising… don’t just think about the demographic you are targeting but the mindset
  • Industries that are “underdeveloped” in the Hispanic Market, include:
    • Insurance
    • Automotive
    • Specialty/Retail
    • Securities/Financial Services
    • Travel/Entertainment
    • Computer/Software
    • U.S. Government
    • Pharmaceutical
  • Trends within Hispanics… huge growth in young Hispanics and overall Hispanic population
  • Simple, well-known American products can be foreign to Hispanics in the USA or used differently (ie. Pledge, Clamato)
  • Hispanics are top spenders
  • Please do not just translate the words for your ads…translate the meaning!
  • Keep in mind that your product may be at the end of its lifecycle in a mature general market yet at the very beginning of the curve for the Hispanic market
  • Do your research! How do Hispanics perceive your brand or your product?
  • Hispanic population… the “key catalyst” of future economic growth as consumer spending, employment, and homeownership are expected to grow year after year

Hope you’ve learned one or two new things today! As always, feel free to read the complete books to get all the knowledge I did not include here.

Cheers,

Gaby