Localizing Global Brands for U.S. Latinos
Most global brands do not offer translated websites for Americans who prefer speaking Spanish. These companies run the risk of losing mind share if not sales from 38-million U.S. Latinos. Representing 13 percent of the U.S. population, Latino America has surpassed the population of Canada, ranks as the fifth largest group of Spanish speakers in the world, accounts for more people online than any other hispanoparlante nation, and averages more page views per day than other American web users. Unlike previous generations of immigrants, U.S. Latinos retain their language and culture – 78 percent speak Spanish – even as they work and play in the dominant Anglophone economy.
Language service providers (LSPs) should pursue this opportunity to help companies improve their Latin image. Buyers should rely on LSPs to localize their websites and intranets to the needs of ethnic populations throughout society. If you’re looking to penetrate this growing market segment, chances are you will need to revamp your marketing, sales, and research channels.
Revamping Marketing for Ethnic Localization
Supporting the efforts of big brands that target domestic ethnic audiences won’t be business as usual for LSPs. Successful LSPs will drop their tired pitches to localization managers about how most of the world does not speak English. Instead, forward-looking translation agencies will need to harness the power of networking and focus on alternative sales, marketing, and research channels. Revamping your marketing efforts for the Latino marketplace requires a concerted effort.
Seek multicultural marketing buyers
Network your way through prospects, looking for whoever owns the job of marketing to definable ethnic segments. Instead of calling low, aim for vice presidents and directors in targeted marketing groups. Whom should you call? A variety of titles and divisions exist in the market, including “Multicultural Marketing,” “Hispanic Segment Marketing,” “Latino Segment Marketing,” “International and U.S. Hispanic Marketing,” and “Latin America and U.S. Hispanic Marketing.” Also, check with the VP of e-commerce for his or her plans to add domestic ethnic content.
Look beyond marketing
Latinos participate in every aspect of American economic, political, and social life. Their growing presence means companies will have to increase the amount of translated or culturally adapted materials to appeal to Hispanics as consumers, employees, investors, prospects, health, and in other roles. LSPs can offer the vice president of human resources Spanish translations of employee-related communications or messaging for safety, health, and retirement plans; they should also offer insight into diversity programs. Call on the VP of new market development to help companies create pitches to the burgeoning community of ethnic entrepreneurs. Finally, phone the general counsel to recommend translations or culturally aware adaptations of compliance statements, manuals, contracts, and other legal documents.
Find indirect buyers
Many brands rely on full-service advertising agencies for promotion, public relations, placements, and other marketing advice. Given the paucity of multicultural expertise in many companies, brands concerned with establishing an identity in the Latino and other ethnic communities will depend on a new set of agencies to do the actual multicultural marketing work for the big brands. Build relationships with the branding mavens at these ethnic specialists; start by reviewing Worldwide Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies.
Get new reading materials
Track down U.S. government publications from the Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Bureau of Economic Analysis, each of which has made volumes of data about ethnic populations available to the general public. In the general media, look at Hispanic Business, Hispanic Online, Hispanic Magazine, and Hispanic Trends. For market research, see Common Sense Advisory, Cheskin Research, comScore Networks, HispanTelligence, and the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia. Search the web for others.
Develop new messaging
Throw out marketing collateral that says “go global or be a loser!” Set up a focused multicultural practice – complete with its own materials, sales specialists, translators, and editors – capable of helping firms meet the diverse informational needs of Spanish-speaking and other ethnic Americans. Avoid the tendency we have seen at LSPs to cut and paste current globalization brochures to create vertical marketing pieces. Instead, re-think your services to meet the needs of companies targeting this growing market.
Move up the food chain
LSPs in the States should emphasize their project management skills and ability to handle translation services across the full range of big-brand needs, whether online and offline. Rather than whine about competition from lower cost translation agencies in Argentina or Mexico, they should outsource Spanish-language work to these cheaper venues and collect the management fees. Introduce process and methodology improvements that will help their clients optimize their in-language investment across marketing, employee-focused intranet sites, legal, regulatory compliance, and corporate functions like shareholder relations and procurement from minority suppliers.
Deep discounting, offshoringoff shoring, and disappearing localization budgets frustrate many LSPs. Offering translation and culturally sensitive adaptations for domestic multicultural markets offers flexible providers a way to increase sales and margins.
More information on the firm’s research and reports is available at www.commonsenseadvisory.com or by calling 1.866.510.6101.
|
