SAN DIEGO, May 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- If your brand targets U.S. Hispanics, especially the bicultural segment, then you might be facing the same enigma as many other marketers: How to use Spanglish effectively in ads in order to elevate the message?
The quest for the magic formula to win with the U.S. Hispanic consumer is getting more challenging as this market evolves and becomes savvier. This evolution is one of several elements fueling a perceptual shift in messaging and communications, where it is becoming more common and accepted to see certain things that are considered very Hispanic, such as the use of Spanglish, in mainstream America. Many marketers are embracing this shift by incorporating Spanglish into their messaging tactics, but much debate exists regarding how to do use Spanglish "right." As with any new trend, fears of alienating or offending consumers, or even of sounding superficial, trouble marketers as they consider integrating Spanglish into their Hispanic strategy.
Leveraging their Hispanic expertise and the deep layer of understanding provided by the firm's U.S. Hispanic attitudes-based segmentation model, the Culturati Research & Consulting, Inc. (Culturati) team set out to solve this enigma earlier this year through primary research. In a quantitative study conducted among a nationally representative sample of 1,377 U.S. Hispanics, 15 Spanglish ads were evaluated on key metrics, including some related to the use of Spanglish and cultural respect. For this study, Spanglish was defined as any combination of both English and Spanish within one ad.
The analysis was further elevated by incorporating Nielsen Spanglish ad performance data, resulting in a clear set of guidelines presented fresh off the analysis board at this year's AHAA Annual Conference. Feature in the conference's Research In-Depth Workshop segment, the session, "Using the versatility of Spanglish to deliver Culturally Relevant messages," was co-presented by Rene Sanchez, Culturati's VP, Client Strategy & Insights, and Vanessa Strain, VP, Multicultural Growth and Strategy, Nielsen.
The session presented clear guidelines on how to apply Spanglish for maximum communication effectiveness, appeal and cultural relevancy among Hispanics from all acculturation segments (Latinistas, Heritage Keepers, Savvy Blenders and Ameri-Fans). It also gave specific tips on how to avoid being offensive or sounding superficial and on how to select the right spokesperson for Spanglish ads.
"The story, not the language alone, will determine the success or failure of an ad. However, language, and in this case Spanglish, can be a great tool to elevate cultural relevancy in ads," said Rene Sanchez. "Integrating Spanglish purposefully while showing respect for both cultures and languages is key to ensure Hispanics can relate and connect to your message," he added.
Findings from this study are now available as a syndicated report. For more information contact Maggie Mariscal, Culturati, at maggie.mariscal@culturatiresearch.com or 858.792.0500 Ext. 114.
ABOUT CULTURATI
Culturati is a full-service market research and consulting agency with cross-cultural and General Market capabilities. As a leader in the U.S. Hispanic space, Culturati is redefining how Hispanics are segmented and how acculturation is measured through its U.S. Hispanic Landscape Segmentation model. Founded in 2004, Culturati has helped many Fortune 100 companies uncover consumer and shopper insights with cultural sensitivity that inspires meaningful connections between their brands and consumers. For more information please visit www.CulturatiResearch.com.
ABOUT NIELSEN
Nielsen Holdings plc is a global performance management company that provides a comprehensive understanding of what consumers Watch and Buy. Nielsen's Watch segment provides media and advertising clients with Total Audience measurement services across all devices where content—video, audio and text—is consumed. The Buy segment offers consumer packaged goods manufacturers and retailers the industry's only global view of retail performance measurement. By integrating information from its Watch and Buy segments and other data sources, Nielsen provides its clients with both world-class measurement, as well as analytics that help improve performance. Nielsen, an S&P 500 company, has operations in over 100 countries that cover more than 90% of the world's population. For more information, visit www.nielsen.com.
CONTACT
Maggie Mariscal, Culturati, maggie.mariscal@culturatiresearch.com, 858.792.0500 Ext. 114
SOURCE Culturati Research & Consulting, Inc.