In one of my college classes, my professor asked a student to pick five people at random. I was chosen as one of the five. We stood up in front of the class and my professor asked, “Which ethnic group isn’t represented by these students?”  One of the students raised their hand and said, “There are no Hispanics in this group.” I shook my head in annoyance and said, “No, I’m Puerto Rican!” Which was followed by, “Oh I’m sorry, you don’t look Hispanic.”

We all know race and ethnicity are touchy issues and just because I don’t “look Hispanic” doesn’t mean I am not. Yes, I am a 2nd generation Latina and I am not disconnected from my family in Puerto Rico by any means. According to The U.S. Census Bureau, “Hispanic or Latino” is defined  as a  person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race.

Between 2000 and 2010, the Hispanic population increased 43%; now one out of every six Americans in the U.S. is Hispanic according to 2010 US Census data. Moreover, the spending power of Hispanics is forecasted to increase 50% by 2015, from $1 trillion in 2010, to $1.5 trillion, according to the report.

What does that mean for U.S. Dealerships?
Hispanics are a growing force in the U.S market and dealerships need to learn the best ways we are to be marketed to in order to receive a piece of the 1.5 trillion dollar pie. For example, in the US, Hispanics are more likely than African Americans and Caucasians to log in to various social networking sites on a daily basis or more often, according to a new American Pulse Survey from BIGinsight. Among online adults surveyed, Hispanics are roughly three times more likely than Caucasians to log into LinkedIn at least daily (15.5% vs. 4.8%), and they are more than two times more likely than Caucasians to log into Twitter (35.4% vs. 12.6%).

In order to capture the attention of the 60% who log in to a social media platform once a day, target your daily Tweets, Facebook, and LinkedIn messages to the collective family oriented culture Hispanics have.

Understanding the Hispanic Culture:
Below I’ve highlighted some differences between Western and Hispanic cultures:

For 2nd and 3rd generation Latinos, let’s not forget, our parents came to the U.S. to provide a better future for their kids. My father, for example, joined the military to provide a better future for my brother and I.  Any content that speaks to empowerment—whether it is focused on education, self-expression, scholarships or cultural energy—will usually grab our attention..

Generally speaking, Lations buy to enhance their experience with family and community. Chanin Ballance,  co-founder of ViaLanguage, explains “Their decisions are based on cultural norms and word-of-mouth. Their brand loyalty is high compared with that of Anglos, and passes from generation to generation."

As Felipe Korzenny, Ph.D., Director, of  Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication at Florida State University states, “ A first mover advantage is available for those that devote the time and resources to engage these critical audiences in ways that they find meaningful... companies that deliver value to this segment today will be rewarded with the long term loyalty of this market.” In other words, speak to the heart of this culture in order engage your Hispanic customers more successfully.

Dealer Take Away:

1. Understand what defines the Hispanic Culture: Remember, we are defined  as a  person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race.

2. Family Matters: We are a collective culture which means family matters to us so tap into this emotional appeal.

3. Avoid stereotypes/prejudices:  I hate it when someone tells me that I don’t look Hispanic, so don’t make this mistake with your customers. Again, we have many races in the Hispanic community which means we don’t all “look Hispanic”.

4. Show diversity in your ads: Because we are a diverse culture,diversity draws our attention and we love it!

5. Update your Social Media daily (Facebook, Twitter, etc..): This is the #1 Social Media Rule all dealers should be following. Whether or not you are targeting Hispanics, you should be updating your social media sites with content that stimulates feedback and sharing.

6. Be authentic: Whether it is a spokes person you choose or a print ad you have in the paper, your marketing efforts should promote trustworthiness and dependability.



 

This past weekend my brother was in town visiting and the moment he walked into any store or bar he exclaimed, “Oh! I gotta check-in on Foursqaure! 

There might be deals!”  According to an Empathica survey, one in three consumers recently followed through with a recommendation made via social media. Foursquare is a valuable app that dealers can use to drive traffic to their dealership, offer an incentive to frequent your spot, and make recommendations.

Not familiar with Foursquare? Simply put Foursquare allows users to:

1) “Check-in” to different places or add new ones worth visiting
2) Let their presence be known to their contacts and the online community
3) Lay claim of ownership after multiple visits to the same location
4) Earn “badges” for usage levels
5) Leave tips and shouts for future visitors of the establishments

Social media outlets offer opportunities for companies to encourage brand engagement, taking it past an in-store experience to further validate their commitment to the customer. Here are some tips tfor your dealership  when using Foursquare:

• Use Foursquare like a customer loyalty card. You can give customers a special discount after a certain number of check-ins at your store. For example, every time your customer comes in for an oil change and checks in, you can give them a 15%  discount. If they become the mayor (have the most check-ins) ,you can bump their discount to 20% or so. Make sure you set clear rules about how to redeem the offer,  such as a limit of one check-in per day.
• Lure first-time visitors to your store with a special offer. Tell new customers about the discount or deal you offer when they show you their inaugural Foursquare check-in.
• Actively request reviews and tips from customers and respond to their reviews in a timely manner. Also, you can reward a consumer with the best tip and showcase it on your social media sites.
• Have employees check-in with FourSquare to give tips/shouts which let other customers checking in know what some recommended specials may be.
• Remember that Foursquare is a game and that’s what makes it fun and addicting! Tap into this aspect of your customers.

It's time to, “ be there or be square.” You might not use Foursquare, but according to the the American Pulse Survey, based on a poll of 3,349 online adults in the US, 23.2% use Foursquare at least once a day or more often.  You can leverage the power of their social network by engaging them and finding cool ways to respond to their preferences.