The 2000 Census and its Effects on Public Relations (Executive Summary)
Case Study Report submitted to Dr. Elizabeth L. Toth, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications Syracuse University, December 2001
By Cecilia Somarriba

From Ricky Martin, to J Lo to “Resurrection Blvd.,” it seems Hispanics are everywhere. Results from the 2000 Census indicated that the Hispanic population is the largest minority group in the United States. It increased by 57.9 percent between 1990 and 2000. This is compared to a 13.2 percent increase for the total U.S. population. With the changes in the U.S.’s demographic composition, traditional ways of practicing public relations need to be altered. However, can traditional practices work with the Hispanic population? How did the “Latin Explosion” influence public relations, its overall practices, its makeup and are traditional approaches and models appropriate in reaching the Hispanic publics?

There is a striking resemblance between Hispanic public relations and international public relations, with the presence of the two-way symmetrical, personal influence and cultural interpreter models of public relations. There is strong belief in win-win situations and interpersonal communication and establishing friendships among colleagues and the media are important. Hispanic practitioners do not believe in the “dog eat dog” world of mainstream corporate America.

Most importantly, just as the mainstream population cannot be motivated with a one-size-fits-all approach, stereotypical tactics like the Latin lover, the Latina spitfire and the cleaning woman will not accomplish anything with Hispanics. There is no “national” Hispanic market; it is made up of many subgroups, each identifying itself differently. Cultural nuances play a large part in communicating to Hispanics, and research serves as the foundation for establishing successful communication and to implementing successful strategies toward the Hispanic market. For example, focus groups were conducted when designing campaigns targeted toward Hispanics for the California anti-tobacco campaign and the National Pork Board. Both campaigns were successful because each did not just take the mainstream campaign and translate it into Spanish. Both campaigns were designed with the consideration of cultural distinctions.

Maintaining the concept of integrated communications is also critical. All campaigns must be tied together at the implementation and technical phase in order for them to work. In that sense, communicators advise each other and equal messages are sent back and forth, thus avoiding negative consequences like labels and stereotypes (i.e. the Frito Bandito). It is the checks and balances of communications; it prevents disasters. From my own experience, a marriage between technicians and managers and open lines of communication help promote success. Neither role is involved in the other 100 percent of the time; therefore neither one knows what the other is doing or thinking. In Hispanic public relations, managers who may not be Hispanic can benefit from Hispanic technicians, and vice versa, in implementing a successful communication strategy.

There are organizations that can help in researching the Hispanic market &endash; The National Council of La Raza, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. Also, there are public relations agencies like Miami-based Hispania Public Relations and CreatAbility, which cater specifically or specialize in the U.S. Hispanic market. One may also turn to the Public Relations Society of America’s Multicultural Section, which helps build bridges between the society and multicultural businesses and provides resources and programs to promote excellence and inclusiveness in multicultural public relations. It also hosts activities designed to advance members’ knowledge and skills in formulating, implementing and evaluating multicultural public relations programs.

Cecilia Somarriba was born in Nicaragua. Her family left the country in 1980 after the Sandinista revolution, and settled in Miami. Ms. Somarriba graduated from the University of Florida in 1997 with a BS in Telecommunications. From there she moved to Atlanta, to work at CNN, where she worked until June of last year. She left to pursue an MS in public relations at Syracuse University.