Companies Should Start with Community and Follow with Paid Media

It is true.  The Hispanic and Latino markets are growing rapidly.  Some US-based companies have learned the dynamics of communicating with these markets.  Many continue to do a poor job, thinking if they simply translate communications in the native tongue, Hispanic and Latino communities will welcome them with open arms.  With an Hispanic area of concentration in our firm, we see these mistakes all the time.  The communication strategy must begin with community initiatives that are designed to foster a better quality of life.  Those initiatives will vary based on the market and the demographic like it would with an Asian, African-American or White population.  It does seem rather intuitive that if we are seeing a heavy consumption of fast food, then we should be focused on health education.  If we are seeing a high dropout rate, then we should focus on literacy and education.  If we are seeing a higher crime rate, then place attention on after school programs and athletics.  Then I would like to see companies use advertising to promote great community based programs, first and foremost.  There's plenty of vehicles -- PR, social media -- to speak to products and services.  Smart companies will use paid media to take on more of a public service announcement strategy than an overtly commercial one.  That's how you build brand loyalty.