by Vincent Cuellar
Around October and November, lots of communications professionals get excited about the new initiatives their team is launching for the following year. Sometimes it’s a new website or product, or a fundraising campaign. Then there is that one voice in the room that brings up “the Hispanic market” as a possibility. She’s read a recent news story about their population of 55 million in the US, or their $1.3 trillion in spending power, which both in turn, receive a few head nods. But those head nods frequently don’t translate into budget and resources, which eventually becomes a missed opportunity for progress. Results can be attained much more simply than you thought. Do you have educational resources, like a blog or e-book, for free on your website? Translate it. Are you planning a survey to create some awareness around your next event? Include a Hispanic oversample. As Pew Research has pointed out, in 2016 the largest minority group is plateauing from a media renaissance after “the circulation of Hispanic newspapers and magazine almost tripled from 2005 to 2013,” and for good reason – this population generally consumes local and neighborhood news at a higher rate than the general population. Here are steps you can take to begin the Latino media outreach initiative for your CSR program:
- Translate your Content
- While Google has undoubtedly revolutionized the ability for one person to problem-solve many of life’s challenges, translation is not among them. Even Google’s brainy algorithms have yet to fully reach the pace of human linguistic comprehension. That’s why translation is best left to professionals, and when necessary, a professional who is specialized in your subject area. After spending resources in developing your organization’s content, it’s a 1-yard line fumble of the ball when a translation was made by a computer and left unchecked by a bilingual professional. That’s off-putting for a Spanish-dominant person to read something in their language with little effort in quality assurance. Spend the time and money to get the work translated, and focus your effort on getting the word to your target audience.
- Train a Spokesperson
- Watch Univison or Telemundo as you ponder bringing this idea to life with your team. You’ll notice interviews go a little differently. The reporter will spend more time on the meet & greet. Interviews go less arguably and focus more on sharing useful information. They’re more amenable to a branded message. These subtle nuances make for a very different news experience than we’re accustomed to in the general market. Preparation with these facts in mind ahead of time is key to an authentic connection with the audience. Just make sure your spokesperson is not only fluent, but fluent enough to be comfortable with the media.
- Make it Educational
- Figure out how your brand can educate Hispanics and their families. An educational angle from your brand’s core message will speak to the Hispanic media tendency to publish stories that help their community make progress towards their goals. Think along the lines of messages that inspire, empower, and educate, then pull in the media timing that brings about a reason for your news to answer the question ‘why now?’ News timeliness and a keen sense of uplifting educational news will give your organization that extra ounce of opportunity that can win you some well-placed ink.
My team at the Jelena Group has had the privilege of launching Fortune 100 foundations, we’ve created award-winning multicultural CSR campaigns and translated thousands of pages of educational government text for U.S. Hispanics. However, these accomplishments are only made possible when the desire to reach a new audience is made a reality. And more often than not, that progress hinges on a simple response to the Hispanic question, “Where do we start?”
For many, you already have what you need, you only need to take the first step.
Vincent Cuellar is a current student in Georgetown University’s master of professional studies in Integrated Marketing Communications. During the day, he leads integrated marketing efforts for the Jelena Group in Alexandria, VA, a firm that specializes in connecting organizations with general and multicultural American communities. He has helped corporations like Wells Fargo and MassMutual to develop and implement national multicultural outreach initiatives while honing a focus on the burgeoning U.S. Hispanic population. Throughout his career he has worked with his agency’s non-profit clients such as the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, ALPFA, the Foundation Advancing Alcohol Responsibility and the Easter Seals in various marketing & communications roles. Within the social impact space, Vincent is eager to help clients build bridges to multicultural populations and to advance the practice of reaching niche audiences with stories that inspire. He and his wife, Gabby, live in Alexandria and have a baby girl named Eva. Connect with Vincent on LinkedIn, or send him an e-mail to grab a coffee!