Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication Newsletter April 2016

THE CENTER FOR HISPANIC MARKETING COMMUNICATION APRIL NEWSLETTER 2016

The School of Communication C4120F University Center 296 Champions Way Tallahassee,FL 32306 850/645/8129

www.hmc.comm.fsu.edu.com

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CONTENTS Director Dr. Sindy Chapa Editorial Board Maria Fernanda Bayona Blanca Villagrana Mitzy Vielmas Khoury Smith Editor Dr. Toby Graves Designer Khoury Smith Collaborations Laicelis Haro Shala Nettles Mackenzie Sawyer Amy Whitlock

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CONFERENCE

Dr. Chapa, and other marketing and industryrelated professionals, came together to commemorate the AMTP’s 25th anniversary.

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STUDENT PROFILE

Passionate, Positive and Peppy! – These are just three self-proclaimed words that describes Maria Fernanda Bayona. Bayona

9-10 STUDENT WORK Hispanic is a general term for a group that is anything but general.

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STUDENT PROFILE Meet Allie Smith and Michal Guilinao

Communication program semester!

7-8 STUDENT WORK

Without a doubt, the Hispanic population is the largest emerging minority in the United States

11-12 STUDENT WORK The role of culture in marketing has been underestimated and neglected, but its importance has grown and has forced marketers to acknowledge this crucial aspect of their work

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AMTP

CONFERENCE By: Shala Nettles

“Marketing professionals should identify cultural traditions within segments and use the traditions to connect their brand names with the target markets,” said Dr. Sindy Chapa in her abstract on ‘The Role Of Cultural Traditions on Branding and Word-Of-Mouth: Keeping Mother’s Recipes Alive.’ This is just one insight that can be taken away from her presentation at the Association of Marketing Theory and Practice (AMTP) Conference that was in St. Simon’s Island, Georgia at the Seal Palms Conference Center March 17th -19th.

Dr. Chapa, and other marketing and industryrelated professionals, came together to commemorate the AMTP’s 25th anniversary and to present their works and insights.

Mentioned in the abstract of her paper, Dr. Chapa’s study was created “to explore the impact a cultural tradition has on a perceivedbrand-relationship (PBR) and word-of-mouth (WOM) behavior- whether face-to-face or electronically.” As a result, this study provided both theoretical and practical implications that contributed to understanding brands and cultural traditions. Furthermore, this study was done in collaboration with a social media platform, Latina Mom Bloggers. They aided Chapa in her research by promoting the online survey to Hispanic mothers.

In addition to Dr. Chapa, those who presented at the conference were predominately industry professionals and there were only a few student presenters.

“Out of four college student presenters, three were from FSU’s IMC program, and two were involved at the Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication,” said presenter Laicelis Haro, who is currently a graduate student and staff member at the center.

Haro, who grew up in Miami, is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communication and also pursuing a certificate in Multicultural Marketing Communication. Haro explains that since becoming a graduate student, she has become the website coordinator for the Center.

The other graduate student who presented at the conference and also works at the center is Mackenzie Sawyer, the recipient of the HMC Leadership scholarship. Sawyer, who has done research at the Center, is also a board member for the Multicultural Marketing Association of Students. This FSU student organization is heavily involved with the center’s activities. She is also working on receiving her certificate in Multicultural Marketing Communication and will receive her Master’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communication when she graduates this spring.

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AMTP CONFERENCE CONTINUED

By: Shala Nettles

Both Sawyer and Haro both became aware of the conference through Dr. Jaejin Lee, a professor who works in FSU’s School of Communication. When taking Dr. Lee’s course in Media Consumer Behavior this past fall, students were encouraged to get involved at the conference. “The MCB (media consumer behavior) course encourages students to conduct research on topics related to consumer behavior,” Haro added.

While at the AMTP 2016 Conference, Haro presented ‘A Content Analysis: The Relationship Between Sentiment, Gender and Time of Day in eWOM.’ Haro described, “The content analysis allowed us to discover trends regarding gender-specific and time-of-day effects on the generation of eWOM (electronic word-of-mouth).” Sawyer presented two papers at the conference.

One of her papers also focused on ewom, but mainly in reference to online review sources. When describing her paper on ewom, Sawyer notes, “We wanted to compare three different message sources – corporate, social, and independent – to see which source was deemed the most trustworthy or influential to consumers.” As for her other paper, she adds, “The second paper focused on using LGBT centered imagery in advertising. My specific purpose was to measure how personal relationships with those who are LGBT, influence attitudes toward LGBT centered advertising.”

With this being said, her involvement at the center helped build support for research on the LGBT community. “The LGBT centered research was done under the leadership of Dr. Chapa. While it did

not pertain to Hispanics specifically, it fell under the “multicultural” category… The center has greatly enhanced my time as a graduate student at FSU. I do not think I would have had nearly as much research experience without Dr. Chapa and the center. “ Haro added, “The Center for HMC has helped me develop into an effective public speaker. With courses such as ‘Account Planning,’ ‘Hispanic Marketing’ and ‘Multicultural Marketing,’ students are consistently encouraged to present their work. Most importantly, working at the Center and acquiring my Certification in Multicultural Marketing I have learned to be culturally sensitive.”

Furthermore, when discussing her experience at the conference, Dr. Chapa described that the conference was a “great opportunity to be exposed to other scholars,” and also having the opportunity to network, and talk about possible collaborations with other institutions. She also mentioned she enjoyed talking about her research, and having the center being recognized for the work that it does in marketing communication and in understanding Hispanic consumers.

Haro expressed, “Attending the AMTP 2016 Conference was an amazing experience. Not only were the presenters knowledgeable on the subject of marketing, they were also very welcoming.”

“From attending the conference I have learned that there is always a way to improve your research,” Sawyer explained, “While that might seem like common sense, bringing in outside perspectives to hear about what you have been working on, can lead to improvements and ideas that you never would have thought of on your own. People are willing to contribute in any way they can to make you the best version of yourself as an academic and a person.”

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STUDENT PROFILE

Meet Alexandrea Smith

Allie Smith is a second semester graduate student in the Integrated Marketing Communication program. She completed her undergraduate degree at Florida State University in Information Communication Technology with a minor in Entrepreneurship. Allie has been working for the University as a teaching assistant. She is from St. Augustine, FL and enjoys spending her free time at the beach, running, and working on her photography skills. In the future she hopes to do in-house international marketing. While seeking her master’s degree, she is also taking classes to obtain a Multicultural Marketing Certificate from the Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication. Allie is looking forward to graduating in the fall and beginning the next phase of her career.

Meet Michael Giuliano Michael Giuliano grew up in the small town of Palm Coast, Florida. His Portuguese and Italian heritage has played a large role in his life; the cultures have instilled many characteristics and qualities throughout his life and continue to do so today. In May 2015, Michael graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s of Science, double majoring in Political Science and International Affairs, becoming the first college graduate in his family. He is honored to be part of the James Madison Leaders Fellowship, and is a counselor every summer at the Florida American Legion Boys State leadership program. Currently, he is obtaining a Masters in Applied American Politics and Policies and a Graduate Certificate in Multicultural Marketing Communication. His interest in the graduate certificate program was sparked in Dr. Chapa’s Hispanic Marketing Communications class while learning about the different and unique subcultures of Hispanic culture. Michael has many career goals in mind; he aspires to work in the Capitol and to eventually own and operate his ownconsulting and marketing firm that specializes in the political sector.

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STUDENT PROFILE

Meet Maria Fernada Bayona Passionate, Positive and Peppy! – These are just three self-proclaimed words that describe Maria Fernanda Bayona. Bayona, who is originally from Bucaramanga, Colombia, is Dr. Chapa’s teaching assistant and she helps manage the Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication.

Growing up as a child, Bayona revealed that she always had great communication skills. She explained that when she was in school, she always wrote or presented speeches and letters every week at school events. Later on, her passion for communication continued as she went on to receive a double bachelor’s degree in social communication and marketing and advertising at Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga and Universidad de Santander in Colombia.

Now, Bayona is pursuing her master’s degree in integrated marketing communications and is hopeful to graduate with a certificate in Multicultural Marketing Communications in the spring of 2017.

Bayona mentioned, “My goal in this country is working for the Hispanic community and helping the market to understand the significance of cultural marketing; this could help the United States be a better representation of diversity and a more inclusive country toward minorities.”

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Bayona’s role at the Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication includes coordinating the Mentorship program. This program helps build relationships between students and Hispanic marketing industry professionals. In addition, she is also in charge of supervising and guiding the center’s interns and volunteers in their respective duties.

She continued, “I really like to be at the Center; I help with almost everything that is needed. I also like to help the volunteers and talk to them about their aspirations. I enjoy giving back to the Center because of what the center gave me three years ago.”

Bayona ended up getting involved with the center, after meeting Dr. Chapa at Texas State University. During this time, she noted that Dr. Chapa was the director of the Center for the Study of Latino Media & Markets.

“That Center organized a documentary festival in which my team and I won second place. During the event, I met Dr. Chapa and she offered me an internship position for the following year,” said Bayona.

She then expressed how during that internship, she did various tasks that ranged from organizing the workstations and doing clerical duties, to doing graphic design, management, public relations, and promotional activities. During this time, she said she also helped Dr. Chapa prepare for her move to Tallahassee to set up The Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication at FSU. After her internship ended, she went back to Colombia. “I got my degree and I worked for a year,” said Bayona, “Then Dr. Chapa helped me to apply to the Master’s program and offered me the most amazing opportunity – to come back to work at the Center.”

When asked what advice she would give to those interested in working at the center, she described that center is really made for people who are self-starters, motivated and are team players. “As a coordinator of the internships, I always prefer people who propose ideas and new projects instead of those who just wait for someone to tell them what to do. The Center is a great opportunity for those students who want to get some experience and want to create and develop their own initiatives,” Bayona explained.

When not at the center, Bayona mentioned that in the past, she loved to dance and hang out with my friends. Now, she currently just enjoys drinking a good cup of coffee with someone while having great conversation.

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Maria Fernada Bayona

ENCULTURATION, ASSIMILATION AND ACCULTURATION Without a doubt, the Hispanic population is the largest emerging minority in the United States. Its exponential growth has increased the interest of the marketers in this segment. When trying to target Hispanics, it is common to divide them only in terms of country origin. However, facts such as time living in the U.S, immigration features, cultural tension and cultural values, sometimes are ignored by this classification. As Dr. Felipe Korzenny mentioned, it is important for marketers to understand and tap into culturally related values, tastes, and behaviors stemming from emerging cultural influences affecting the nation (Korzenny, F., & Korzenny, B., 2012).

Regardless of the country of precedence, all immigrants to the United States go through a process of acculturation and assimilation. Changes generated in the process of acculturation are important in order to understand the profound differences in the subgroups that make up the Hispanic population. While many aspects of culture are subject to changes as part of the acculturation process, the deep structure of a culture is much more resistant to change. According to Kim Sheehan, assimilation is the action of making or becoming like something else; acculturation is the adoption of an alien culture. Both terms present the same phenomenon from different points of view (assimilation from the point of view of the dominant culture and acculturation from the point of view of the minority culture (Sheehan, 2005). At this point it is important to highlight that in the acculturation process two parties are involved. One is the contingent of Hispanics adapting as they become part of the host culture. The other is the host culture also adapting to a large and powerful incoming group (Korzenny, F., & Korzenny, B., 2012). As a result of this interaction there are three ways that a society reacts. If it accepts those who are different, then it is considered as a multicultural society. If it respects the culture of the immigrant and does not wish for them to mix the result is segregation. Finally, when society finds no value in the culture of the immigrant and does not wish to have them integrated the result is exclusion (Korzenny, F., & Korzenny, B., 2012).In addition to the interaction between the cultures, the length of time that members of a co-culture have spent in the country influences how they identity themselves. In order to classify the Hispanic population within its time spent in the U.S, many approaches have been created.

For example, according to Barbara Muller, immigration populations are divided into three basic groups: mostly acculturated, partially acculturated, and relatively unacculturated (Mueller, 2008). Following her theory, there are 6 subgroups in Hispanic population. The first one “Unacculturated traditionals” are foreign-born Hispanics with intermediate and high levels of culture tension. They have been in the the United States for the shortest amount of time and tend to live in key entry points. The second segment is “Unacculturated stable” which is composed of foreign-born Hispanics with low levels of cultural tension. People in this segment have no need or motivation to acculturate further. The third segments or “Tradicionals” are the oldest group of partially acculturated Hispanic APRIL NEWSLETTER | www.hmc.comm.fsu.edu

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Americans. Most are foreign born, but they have been living in the United States for the longest period of time conserving Hispanic values and feeling uncomfortable with the American way of life. The fourth segment called “New latinos” are relatively young and have lived in the United States a significant amount of time. They are partially acculturated with intermediate levels of cultural tension. The fifth segment or “American Latinos” are very comfortable living in both worlds, the latin culture and the american culture, and they are partially acculturated with low levels of cultural tension. Finally, the “mostly acculturated” segment of Hispanics are mostly acculturated but Spanish is still spoken in many of these homes, and there is some spanish language media consumption (Mueller, 2008).

On the other hand, Felipe Korzenny criticized those segmentation efforts that have labeled Latinos who are Spanish or Hispanic dominant as being “Unacculturated”, considering that label as problematic. This is due to his theory of enculturation in which an individual that lives in any society has a process of learning their own culture (Korzenny, F., & Korzenny, B., 2012). Being unacculturated suggest that there are Latinos in the U.S. than have not been acculturated at all. The description of someone being more or less acculturated seems more accurate than labeling all those who are Hispanic dominant as unacculturated (Korzenny, F., & Korzenny, B., 2012).

In order to solve that problem, he proposes different subgroup classifications of Hispanics depending not only on their time spent in the U.S., but including degrees of cultural orientation between Hispanic culture and Anglo culture (Korzenny, F., & Korzenny, B., 2012). According to his theory, there are 4 subgroups. “Hispanic dominant” are those who are culturally and linguistically defined by their Hispanic origin. Their attitudes are strongly aligned with the values of their countries of origin. They tend to be heavily dependent on Spanishlanguage information to make a consumer decision. Secondly, “Bi-cultural” individuals are the second group with those who combine their cultural repertoires to different degrees. These are people who can feel comfortable between the Hispanic and Anglo culture. They don’t give up their Hispanic culture but they learn how to navigate the mainstream culture. They tend to make consumer decision based on the relevance of cultural cues of the situation and their reference group when making choices. The third group or “Anglo dominant” are individuals that have largely adopted Anglo behaviors and orientation. They may still have some emotional relationship with Hispanic cultural manifestation but generally identify themselves “americans”. A process of retro acculturation (period of “root” searching as they realized that their Hispanic background is now desirable and valuable) is likely to take increasing importance among these individuals. Finally, the “New identity” individuals are those who have not aligned themselves with the US Anglo-dominant culture, and have not preserved to any large extent the culture of their parents because they do not identify with it. For example those who have identified themselves as Chicanos, Nuyoricans or Raza. They feel pride in their identity and either reject or are unable to identify with their culture of origin or the dominant culture of the U.S (Korzenny, F., & Korzenny, B., 2012).

Although Korzenny’s and Muller’s theories have different approaches to the Hispanic acculturation process, both are valid to emphasize the importance of cultural changes. The process of cultural changes introduced by immigration and acculturation presents important opportunities for marketers. Acculturating individuals are open to new inputs and influences. However, they also want to maintain their own identity formed in the early years of enculturation in their countries of origin (Korzenny, F., & Korzenny, B., 2012). A deep understanding of these subgroups and individuals may help marketers to move from less etheoritpies-based strategies to more realistic and effective ones.

References Hispanic Fact Pack (2005). Advertising Age. Korzenny, F., & Korzenny, B. (2012). Hispanic marketing connecting with the new Latino consumer (2nd ed.). Amsterdam: Butterworth-Heinemann/Elsevier.

Mueller, B. (2008). Communicating with the multicultural consumer: Theoretical and practical perspectives.

Padilla A. (1980). Acculturation: Theory, models, and some new findings. Boulder, CO: Westview.

Sheehan, K. (2005). Controversies in contemporary advertising. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publication.

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT Alexandrea Smith

Hispanic is a general term for a group that is anything but general.

Just because this title exists for a group of individuals does not mean that they are all the same in the varying ways they think, feel, interact with one another, and even what they find funny. Marketers must understand the wide range of differences with in this group to market a product they will believe in. The differences among Hispanics do not only affect their consumer behavior, but also, the consumer behavior of many other Americans. With Hispanics making up 46% of the immigrant population marketers must begin to recognize the influence this group of people are making one the United States (Zong, Batalova, 2015).

U.S.-born Hispanics make up 64% of total Hispanics in the country (Gonzalez, 2014). The difference in Hispanics migrating to America and ones born here creates a large gap in the group’s marketability. 52% of Hispanic households led by someone born in the U.S. earn $50,000 or more a year (Gonzalez, 2014). Earnings are one of the prevalent differences in these two groups. The reason for this is how it affects spending power. Homes that have a higher annual income are more likely to spend money on luxury goods than homes that live closer to the paycheck.

U.S.-born Hispanics are also early adopters among their Hispanic families (Korzenny, 157). They are more likely to influence the way immigrant Hispanics view and adopt American culture. The influence created then effects how immigrant Hispanics convey the American Culture to their native countries. Immigrants are more likely to send products, money, and opinions of the United States to their native country than U.S.-born Hispanics (Korzenny, 157).

This is important to note, due to the fact, that the image of America the immigrants are sending back to the native country then affects the culture of that country. With a growing number of Hispanics migrating to the US the number of people in the native country being affected will increase exponentially. This will then affect how those individuals choose to buy American products. The final major factor effecting these groups are the stress and emotional toll emigrating from another country has on a person. People who have more recently immigrated are more likely to be attracted to areas of the United States where they can be around individuals who share a similar culture (Korzenny, 156). Being around people who share an affinity for the same culture affects the assimilation time for those Hispanics. The longer they are here, the more American influences and later generations affect the way they view their new country. Until this happens they will most likely continue purchasing products in which they had access to in the native country. U.S.-born immigrants have a large effect on not only their immigrant family members, but also, many families around the world.

Of the differences that make up consumer behavior in the United States there are a few that are of great importance. The adoption of English and the growing percent of bilingual households fundamentally effect consumer behavior. 60% of immigrant Hispanics only speak Spanish, while 56% of U.S.-born Hispanics speak only English (Krogstad, 2015).

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For Marketers this means a change in how products and services are presented to the Hispanic audience.

Advertisements must engage in switch code in order to attract a wider range of customers. Acceptance by American people and their culture also shape the way Hispanic consumers behave. As they come to the United States they are finding work wherever they can. Some Americans see this as a good thing and others as bad.

Certain Non-Hispanics see Hispanic immigrants as job competition (Korzenny, 159). Tension between the groups creates a gap within the country. As Hispanics feel unwelcome in the new country they are less likely to attempt L the fact that they are less likely to assimilate into American culture. As noted above, this affects marketing due to to pay attention to advertisements created by a U.S. company. When that occurs the money spent on creating the campaign will go to waste, resulting in a loss for the company. Both of these factors feed in to the central idea of creating relationships. Marketers must create a campaign that shows acceptance for Hispanic’s individual culture and situations while recognizing the language barrier. When relationships between consumer and company are created a product or service is more likely to be chosen. Consumers who feel a connection to a brand will then be more likely to act upon it when making a purchasing decision.

Interplay, “the way in which two or more things affect each other when the happen or exist together.”(Webster, 2015) This term more clearly defines points made in the previous paragraph. In multiculturalism two differing cultures become one through a process of integration and societal respect.

As Hispanics migrate to the United States they must decide if they are going to integrate (mix two cultures), assimilate (only accepting the new culture), or separate (sticking with their original culture) (Korzenny, 163).

The decision to take part in one of these three acts is not only done on the personal level but societal level too. As large numbers of differing cultures migrate the United States, the citizens must decide how that group will fit into the mix. America has grown in to a melting pot of cultures and people due to the fact that it continues to accept individuals and their beliefs. U.S. marketers should see the blending of cultures as an opportunity to capture what makes each demographic so unique. Due to the fact that there are such a range of intermixed cultures means that campaigns can be tailored specifically to the demographic in question. Coupling with that idea, marketers are also able to produce advertisements that appeal to immigrants and American born citizens. As the cultures blend so do beliefs. It is not about whether an individual is Hispanic or America, Black or white, but about the culture in which they identify with.

As humans we look to others when making decisions. Those individuals can influence how we behave and what we believe. Groups such as these are known as reference groups. Reference groups come in many different shapes and sizes. They may cross racial, cultural, sexual, and various other boarders. The level at which they affect certain people depends on the emotionally perceived link between that group and the situation (Korzenny, 81). Reference groups play a large role in how Hispanics acculturate with America. Acculturation means to “incorporate or acquire a new culture without foregoing another one.” (Goffan, 2016) The reference groups for Hispanics in this case are the Americans. Hispanics observe the buying patterns of Americans and then choose to either acculturate or assimilate. For the Hispanics that choose to acculturate, the reference group effects how they decide to consume products. The more time spent in the United States and the increased education level will also contribute to the acculturation rate (Goffan, 2016). Individuals look to reference groups when making decisions.

Using an equivalent demographic reference group when marketing to Hispanics will help to better understand the decisions they may make. Hispanic growth in the United States will continue along with the cultures they carry.

Integration of Hispanic culture has created a more diverse and opportunity filled marketing environment. For Marketers to optimize the return rate of their investment, they must understand who they are engaging. Once they have narrowed their segment market they will be able to create a custom-made campaign. Acculturation shows that Americans are accepting of the new cultures Hispanics are bringing with them. The blending of these ideals creates a unique society with a range of opportunities. Understanding the factors that effect Hispanic consumer behavior will change the way in which people market.

References Goffan, H. (2016, January 6). Hispanic Market Segmentation by Acculturation levels. Retrieved February 16, 2016, from http://hispanicmarketing.com/lets-talk-segmentation/ Gonzalez, E. (2014, September 25). ENGAGING THE EVOLVING HISPANIC CONSUMERS: A LOOK AT TWO DISTINCT SUBGROUPS. Retrieved February 16, 2016, from http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2014/engaging-the-evolving-hispanic-consumers. html Interplay. (n.d.). Retrieved February 16, 2016, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interplay Korzenny, F., & Korzenny, B. A. (2012). Hispanic marketing: Connecting with the new Latino consumer (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT Michael Giuliano

The Value of Culture in Marketing T Understanding the different cultures and their many facets will help in marketing, but first we must define culture because it is such a complex concept with different meanings. For the sake of argument, we will define culture as something a person is born into and it is shared by their family and friends.

It contains basic ideologies, similar languages and social norms, the same social cues, and things tangible and intangible. Two main factors that contributed to why culture was underestimated in marketing are the original dissemination of marketing and the homogeneous nature of human beings.

In the past, marketers were focused on reaching a large, widespread group of people with their advertisements, but with continued research marketers now understand that the one-on-one relationship with their audience is key. Marketers of the past would attempt to reach a whole area without realizing that within this there are many cultural backgrounds. This is problematic because what may be funny to one culture, may be offensive to the other. Having a complete grasp on culture will give marketers an advantage in targeting efforts instead of having to create relationships from the ground up; culture is essentially the foundation (F. Korzenny, B. Korzenny 3). Knowing the culture determines whether they have brand loyalty, if they rely on suggestions from family and friends, or the indulgency factor. One-on-one relationships between marketers and consumers allows consumers to feel that the advertisements are speaking specifically to them.

The homogenous nature of many cultures and ethnic groups can create a rift in marketing. According to F. Korzenny and B. Korzenny, the Japanese best illustrate cultural homogeneity because it is difficult to become a Japanese citizen without having Japanese parents and they come from a specific ethnic group, usually do no not intermarry, and they share a wealth of accumulated experiences (F. Korzenny, B. Korzenny 2). Another example of homogeneity in culture can be seen while observing the U.S. Anglo-Saxon Germanic protestant heritage. They have a core set of beliefs, values and behaviors that separate themselves from other cultures (F. Korzenny, B. Korzenny 2). Although there are many subcultures of the U.S. Anglo-Saxon Germanic protestant heritage it is not difficult for many foreigners to be able to spot one by their actions, speech, or clothing. This homogeneity can help marketers reach their consumers, but it can also hinder their ability to connect with other cultures. American marketers have a troublesome time understanding cultures within the U.S. population, for example the Hispanic culture. They have been known to lump the many subcultures together as “Spanish” or “Hispanic” or “Latino”.

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Culture is a powerful tool for marketing and one that should not be overlooked. Linked with culture are Powerful emotional ties, whether they be found within the languages, cuisine, artifacts, or landmarks that drive a person to make certain decisions and emit different emotions. Knowing these linked emotional ties to specific cultures will help marketers connect with their audience. A pilot study performed in California universities between Anglo-Americans and Asian-Americans showed that when Anglo-Americans viewed advertisements and had to give an immediate reaction they favored the advertisement that was ‘promotional’ and Asian-Americans favored advertisements that were ‘preventative’. These reactions reinforced the researchers’ theories; the AngloAmericans look at the positive consequences; whereas the Chinese subjects valued protection and security (LaPlante, “When Does Culture Matter in Marketing).

In the past, culture in marketing was underestimated, but now to be a successful marketer and connect with your consumer base, one must acknowledge and understand the large impact culture has on people. Culture is still underestimated due to the original dissemination of advertisements to reach the mass and the homogenous nature of cultures. The larger companies and firms have the resources and money necessary to not underestimate culture, but smaller companies may not have the time and money to utilize culture effectively.

Culture affects a person’s split second decision, it creates the foundation for a one-on-one relationships between the marketer and the consumer, and it is linked with shared emotional ties between the people of a culture. Gartner analysts, Jake Sorofman and Andrew Frank stated, “Marketing leaders must remember that true brand intelligence lives at the intersection of head and heart, where the emotional self meets the analytical self.”

References “Cultural Impact on Marketing.” Cultural Impact on Marketing. Small Biz Connect, n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2016.

Fields, Rob. “Culture As Competitive Advantage For Marketers.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 7 Apr. 2014. Web. 19 Jan. 2016.

Korzenny, Felipe, and Betty Ann Korzenny. Hispanic Marketing: Connecting with the New Latino Consumer. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge, 2012. Print.

LaPlante, Alice. “When Does Culture Matter in Marketing?” Stanford Graduate School of Business. N.p., 1 Nov. 2005. Web. 18 Jan. 2016.

Massey, Douglas S. “The New Latino Underclass: Immigration Enforcement as a Race-Making Institution.” (2011): n. pag. Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality. Princeton University. W

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THE CENTER FOR HISPANIC MARKETING COMMUNICATION APRIL NEWSLETTER 2016

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