Hispanic Heritage Month Advertising provides major opportunities for brands. Hispanic Heritage Month is around the corner. Learn about its historical origin, mistakes for brands to avoid, how to build critical audience sets and more. An interview with Digo’s Barbara Miller, Head of U.S. Sales, and Nikarin Vidal, Brand Marketing Manager.
Attention marketers: Hispanic Heritage Month is coming up in a month. Established to celebrate the Hispanic population in the U.S., 2023 Hispanic Heritage Month will occur from Friday, September 15 to Sunday, October 15. How can businesses best tap into the immense potential of the Hispanic market during Hispanic Heritage Month?
“Hispanics themselves do not really celebrate HHM; it is a time when the entire country acknowledges and recognizes the contributions of Hispanics and Latinos to society,” says Barbara Miller, Head of U.S. Sales at Digo. Miller adds that “this concept has been around for almost fifty years, considering that the first observation started in 1968 with President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded to be a month-long celebration by President Ronald Reagan in 1988, which is unsurprising since one was from Texas and the other from California! They recognized the importance of Hispanics contributing to society every day. And Hispanics continue to be celebrated for their contributions in many ways.” Most recently, Celia Cruz awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1994, was again acknowledged with her likeness on a quarter. That day the excitement (“¡Azúcar!”) was all over social networks, digital media platforms, and traditional media outlets.
Hispanics themselves do not really celebrate HHM; it is a time when the entire country acknowledges and recognizes the contributions of Hispanics and Latinos to society.
Hispanic Heritage Month Advertising: First Date
Digo’s Miller asserts, “for brands who have yet to connect with U.S. Hispanics, this is an opportunity to take an initial step in recognizing this consumer’s value; consider it a first date.” Research shows us that many Hispanics still feel underrepresented by brands, depending on the demo, around 66%, and showing recognition is the first step toward closing that gap.
For brands who have yet to connect with U.S. Hispanics, this is an opportunity to take an initial step in recognizing this consumer’s value; consider it a first date.
Asked about the mistakes brands should avoid during Hispanic Heritage Month advertising campaigns, Miller answers that “doing nothing is the biggest mistake. Hispanic-centric publishers and media outlets have the content and other solutions ready and offer in-house creative services, making partnering simple. Another mistake is analysis paralysis. Again, partner with those who have cultural knowledge and insights. Ultimately, there is an opportunity cost to doing nothing for the present and future. Much is to be gained by participating and partnering with those who know sooner than later.”
Hispanic Heritage Month: Ideal Audiences for Brands to Activate
we are seeing much more activity. For a long time, we have been saying that Pharma is lagging behind other verticals in addressing U.S. Hispanic concerns. In part, it has always been a complicated vertical due to the legal restrictions and disclaimers that must be
included in the creative. New ad-tech solutions have also resolved some regulations around ad serving and privacy. With our clients, where we work on a Programmatic Guaranteed Deal basis, we can truly partner with them to deliver excellent KPIs. We have seen some innovative thinking in this vertical that we’d also like to leverage for other verticals.”
The opportunity for the Wellness Vertical, including Pharma, OTC, and Health Insurance, is finally maturing, and we are seeing much more activity.
The Example of a Healthcare Campaign
As an example of a successful healthcare campaign activated by Digo, Nikarin Vidal, Brand Marketing Manager, Digo cites a recent campaign for the State of Kansas Department of Health and Environment, specifically directed at engaging the Hispanic population. The campaign’s primary objective was to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates among Kansas residents: “The results were remarkable, with a 56% overall increase in vaccinations and more than 50% of the Hispanic population successfully vaccinated.” According to Vidal, the campaign’s resounding success can be attributed to a comprehensive approach, encompassing audience segmentation, personalized messaging, cultural relevance, and strategic advertising tools. “Geo-targeting played a pivotal role in amplifying the campaign’s reach and effectiveness, enabling us to connect with the Hispanic community in a localized and culturally relevant manner,” Vidal maintains.
Hispanic Heritage Month Advertising: Building of Audience Sets
Vidal explains that it is critical to build powerful audience sets for advertisers to obtain excellent campaign result metrics. Digo conducted comprehensive research into each specified category to gain a deep understanding of the diverse Hispanic market segments. “Utilizing valuable insights from our Hispanic Network, curated through our partner’s Lotame Data Exchange, we have developed four powerful audience bundles for potential impact during the Hispanic Heritage Month season. These audience bundles are tailored based on demographic data, interests, and other relevant details, ensuring personalized communication with each segment. By adopting this approach, we can now effectively reach our advertiser’s target audience while customizing our strategies to suit the unique characteristics of each segment. This level of individualization empowers us to make a meaningful impact during the Hispanic Heritage Month celebration,” Vidal concludes.
