What brands get wrong during Hispanic Heritage Month and beyond, according to marketing experts.
BY ANNABEL BURBA, EDITORIAL FELLOW @ANNIEBURBA
Photos: Getty Images.
It’s Hispanic Heritage Month, which means many brands are rolling out marketing campaigns focused on Latino communities and culture.
Legally designated in 1988, Hispanic Heritage Month spans from September 15 to October 15, during which time seven Latin American countries—Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Chile—celebrate their national independence.
But not all brands need to create a marketing campaign for Hispanic Heritage Month, says Natalie Boden, CEO and founder of Boden Agency. If you’re not willing to think through your campaign, it’s going to fumble. And “it’s preferable not to do anything than to do something incorrectly,” Boden says.
Here’s what brands targeting Latinos most often get wrong, and how you can avoid making the same mistakes.
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There are 33 Latin American countries, and each has its own unique food, holidays, history, slang, and cultural traditions. Mexican culture, in particular, gets most of the spotlight during Hispanic Heritage Month and Latino-focused campaigns, says Zuhaly Ramon, marketing director at the Association of Latino Professionals for America.
But the visuals of Mexican culture—sombreros, cacti, and cowboy boots—that are often showcased in those campaigns are not universal. They don’t reflect Ramon’s heritage as a Dominican and Puerto Rican for example, she........