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Marketing Beauty to the Hispanic Consumer

The Hispanic consumer is one of the largest and most important segments. The Hispanic community is 50 million strong, 23% of the population are moms and between 23-55% of the population in the U.S. is already of Hispanic descent, said Eleta, who previously served as general manager for P&G’s Puerto Rico subsidiary, also vice president for multicultural business development at P&G, where she developed marketing and retail strategies for Hispanic and African-American consumers. At Univision, she leads a consulting team consisting of 50 plus media veterans from media, marketing and agency backgrounds that work to help marketers develop and execute their strategies to drive sales with Hispanics, as well as assisting brands in unearthing consumer insights, analyzing category trends and assessing the competitive landscape. She noted that the major Hispanic markets are located in Miami, LA, Houston, Chicago and New York, and this is a significant market with specialized tastes, preferences and needs. According to the reprint of Pretty Revenue Picture Ahead for Beauty Brands That Target Latinas by Peter Filiaci, its 40% growth over the past 10 years was so robust that Hispanics accounted for more than half of the total U.S. population increase from 2000 to 2010, with that growth showing no signs of slowing down. It is predicted that over the next 10 years, Latinas 18-49 will grow by another 3.2 million, and Latinas will represent one in every five women in the demographic by 2020. Clearly, the significance of the market cannot be underestimated, and beauty occupies a major space in the equation. Beauty’s Distinct Impact The importance beauty has for Hispanic consumers is significant. From an early age, it’s important to have the right ponytail, makeup etc. For us, outer beauty really reflects who we are. I know I’m stereotyping, but it’s all right. For Caucasians, it’s more about fitness and lifestyle. For Hispanics, it’s all about the end, the lipstick and the blusher.” Eleta, speaking about color cosmetics, also noted the preference for natural cosmetics. Retail Evolution In the areas where Spanish is spoken more predominantly, we make sure our beauty representatives speak Spanish. We’re also selecting the appropriate color ranges. If it’s not the right color for the consumer, you see that consumer only once, so we make sure we have the colors and products to reach the community.“Spanish is less about acculturation and more about a bi-lingual and bi-cultural nation. The critical mass in the U.S. today is forcing that bi-lingual nature. While the Hispanic consumer understands the language in the U.S., she is able to be reached more strongly with Spanish, for example with labels and ingredients,” said Eleta. Growth Potential and the Internet It makes no assumptions. This is our biggest opportunity for the future, to embrace the Hispanic community. No matter what happens to the economy, we’ve got to know how to talk to the Hispanic consumer.It’s got to be a long-term commitment with the Hispanic population ramping up to 2 billion in the next five years, it’s got to be a long term commitment.