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Experts share advice on how to drive traffic to retailers

As retailers increasingly reach out to Hispanics via newspaper advertising, direct marketing and the Internet, demand for research on how best to reach the coveted Hispanic consumer continues to grow. Portada® talked to three experts on direct marketing t

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As retailers increasingly reach out to Hispanics via newspaper advertising, direct marketing and the Internet, demand for research on how best to reach the coveted Hispanic consumer continues to grow. Portada® talked to three experts on direct marketing to Hispanics. Here’s what they had to say. 

Q: Which gets higher response rates when it comes to driving Hispanics to retail stores? FSIs in newspapers or direct mail/Internet activities?

Jami Delperdang, VP National Accounts Harte-Hanks:
We Create In-Store contests with online components at www.theflyer.com. We’re running a radio campaign in the South Florida market right now. Additionally, we use the space available on the front cover of the flyer to promote the sales event. 

Shayne Walters, President of Carmen’s Cupones y Consejos:
Many large consumer packaged goods companies place coupons in general market FSIs because of their large weekend household penetration and their ability to drive consumers to supermarkets. The same companies will appear in direct mail to Hispanics, if the brands have true Hispanic initiatives. 

Cyndy Vosburg, Advertising Manager, Vida en el Valle, Modesto, CA:
It depends on the market and the target consumer.
For example, if you are the owner of a single location pizza restaurant and you know 90% of your customer base is within a threemile radius, why would you want to have your advertising reach consumers outside of that area? You would want to work with your local newspaper to deliver your message to every single household within that radius in the most cost-effective manner possible. Most of today’s newspapers have developed products that do that better than anyone else, and many of them are using a mix of home delivery by carrier and direct mail. Because it can be costly to do large mass mailings, direct mail campaigns can be especially effective when distributed to a specifically targeted consumer, or used in conjunction with a newspaper to reach those households the newspaper does not reach. 

Q: In what way is your product adjusted for the Hispanic market?

Delperdang:
Advertisers are able to get demographic profiles
and maps created by Harte-Hanks that offer a specific view of a particular geographic area. The profiles provide a look at that geographic area with a variety of demographic data, newspaper penetration and “Speaks Spanish in the Home” percentages by zip code. Advertisers are able to select the sub-zones with the highest Hispanic density where their customers are most likely to live.  

Walters:
Retailers need advertising programs that are frequent
enough to drive traffic into there store locations. The advertising has to be delivered to households within a certain mile radius of a retail location. There are many general market direct mail programs that can blanket entire high density Hispanic zip codes, meaning that every home in a given neighborhood block could receive the retailer’s advertising message. These programs are offered by ADVO, Pennysaver, and Shopper publications. However, these are not segmented to a name specific consumer at a household. They are delivered to “current resident” or “current occupant.” FSIs provide an alternative, depending on whether it is a Hispanic or general market newspaper.

Vosburg:
When targeting Hispanics consumers, use the same
good marketing rules that apply to any effective advertising campaign. The offer needs to be timely – If it is 90 degrees outside and the advertiser wants to clear out their leftover stock of winter coats, regardless of the discount, the majority of consumers are just not going to be that interested. The offer needs to have a perceived value – “Keep your family safe even when you’re asleep” as in the case of fire alarms, or the reward of a hard earned vacation, “Relax in the warmth of Sunny Mexico.” Helping an advertising client produce effective ad copy is crucial to their return on investment. The offer needs to be delivered through a media or vehicle that will reach the highest number of target consumers. When it comes to the complex and oftentimes, mysterious world of marketing, today’s business owner has more options than ever before. It is important to make sure the advertising dollars are being invested where they will reach the highest number of potential customers.  

Q: Which segment of the Hispanic market (Englishdominant, Bilingual, Spanish-dominant) are more suited for direct mail campaigns?

Delperdang:
Our flyer product can be used to reach either
Spanish-dominant or bilingual Hispanics. By selecting Harte-Hanks sub-zones with 75% and higher Hispanic density you’ll reach Spanish-dominant Hispanics. Harte-Hank’s sub-zones with 74% and lower Hispanic density can be used to reach Hispanics with a bilingual message.

Walters:
Any company who has a defined Hispanic initiative
doesn’t discriminate between English-dominant, bilingual, or Spanish-dominant Hispanics. It does not have to be a Hispanic or Spanish-language based business to get good results from a direct mail campaign. The key is to deliver a bilingual message. A company should not dictate language choice when selling through the mail. Let the consumer decide whether to do business in English or Spanish.

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