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| Sonia Sroka |
The Hispanic population is the fastest growing demographic in the United States.
But how? To make this happen, a change in organizational thinking must take place. In a recent PR News Multicultural webinar examining PR tactics aimed at tapping into the buying power of the U.S. Hispanic market, Sonia Sroka, senior VP and director of Hispanic marketing at Porter Novelli, outlined the following tips for organizations looking to bridge the cultural gap:
- Develop a clear understanding about diversity and inclusion in your organization
- It’s about a diversity of ideas and experience, not just race, ethnicity or gender
- Efforts should be driven by executives and not housed as HR function
- Consider it not just a feel-good effort
The important step for PR pros is to understand the statistics that reflect the trends of the Hispanic audience. According to Sroka, it is key for PR pros that are looking to expand their client’s or product’s audience to follow these steps:
- Conduct appropriate research
- Educate yourself on the target market
- Immerse to avoid stereotypes
- Establish clear metrics
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Be consistent
The Hispanic market presents great opportunities for brands. If the right steps are taken, a plan to reach this demographic can be integrated in your organization’s business plan, which will pay dividends in the long run.
Follow Jamar Hudson: @jamarhudson
It’s great to see that more businesses and political leaders are recognizing Hispanics’ importance in the United States both as citizens and consumers. However, this isn’t just important for businesses trying to sell a product or service, it’s also important for the country’s economy.
Many of us (Hispanic PR professionals) remember being one of the few, if not only, advocates in our organizations for reaching out to this demographic.
Now that more companies understand that value, I want to stress how important it is, as the last sentence in the article states, for the Hispanic outreach plan to be integrated into overall business plan, not just be an afterthought.
Taking this approach will ensure that the right people are on the team, the final product and message(s) resonate with Hispanics and last, but certainly not least, your company’s goals are met.