Core Values and Common Traits in the Heterogeneous Hispanic American Market

"We become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams." --Jimmy Carter

We have all heard the news: the Hispanic population in the U.S. is exploding, jumping from 22.4 million people in 1990 to nearly 40 million in 2003. And most marketers want to get to know them better, since their purchasing power is expected to grow to as much as $1 trillion by 2010. And by now, market researchers have realized that the term "Hispanic" is really just a convenient way of describing a large, heterogeneous group of people rich in diversity and cultural subtleties; a group for which a one-size-fits-all approach to marketing does not fit. Yet, the contemporary Hispanic American market shares many core values and traits that have implications for Hispanic research and Hispanic marketing.

Core Values in the Heterogeneous Hispanic Culture

Hispanics are a diverse group of people, coming to the U.S. from more than twenty different countries (in addition to the original U.S. Hispanics from the fourteenth century), with hopes of improved economic conditions, better educational opportunities, and starting their own businesses. Because of their different countries of origin, different levels of acculturation, and consequential distinctive traits and characteristics, Hispanics present unique yet complex business opportunities for marketers. Still, there are core values to Hispanics that U.S. marketers need to be aware of if they want to target them as their customers.

Allocentrism (or collectivism): The tendency of Hispanics to put the group's welfare before their own personal welfare.

Familialism:Individuals' strong identification with and attachment to their nuclear and extended families and strong feelings of loyalty, reciprocity, and solidarity. This includes Hispanics providing (and accepting) material and emotional support to members of their extended family.

Simpatia: The need for behaviors that promote smooth and pleasant social relationships (engendering social harmony).

Power distance (personal respect): Respect and admiration for those perceived to have more power and authority.

Common Traits

While it is difficult to make generalizations about Hispanics, there exist some common traits:

Language: Hispanic immigrants are immediately exposed to the acculturation process, but they are assimilated at different speeds. Many continue to speak Spanish as their first language due to living in Hispanic neighborhoods where newspapers, televisions, signage, etc., are in Spanish.

Gender roles: While men tend to be the financial providers, women play a key role in home economics, thus in deciding how the family income is spent.

Family size: Hispanics tend to have three children, on average, and consider their extended family and even close friends and associates part of the family. "Mi casa es su casa" (my home is your home) is a sincere conviction and practiced tenet among Hispanics.

Residence: Most Hispanics (91%) live inside metropolitan areas in the West, South, and Northeast of the U.S.

Church affiliation: Many Hispanics are very involved with their local churches and participate in church social events.

Personal Space: Hispanics enjoy close physical contact with others in social situations.

Implications for Research

Of course, the values and traits cited above do not describe every Hispanic; however, they do provide insights into the community that have implications on market research. One of the greatest challenges is recruiting Hispanics to participate in market research studies. This is due to several factors, including wariness of people outside the extended family or community, concerns about releasing personal information about income or immigration status, unavailability on weekends due to family and church social events, and language barriers. To address these and other issues, researchers should consider the following:

• Survey samples should include both English-speaking and Spanish-speaking Hispanics in order to be representative of the U.S. Hispanic population.
• Survey translation must be accurate and culturally sensitive; involving Hispanic researchers and interviewers can help ensure this.
• For consumer packaged goods surveys, samples should be comprised of female heads of households, as they are the primary decision makers for these items.
• Programs should be developed and implemented to educate Hispanics about the benefits of market research.
• Incentives should benefit the family or community and not just the individual.
• Every effort should be made to create a positive survey experience, as positive word-of-mouth among Hispanics can be very powerful--and can help in recruiting additional Hispanic respondents.

Alex Camacho is a Hispanic Consultant with Ipsos-Insight and Principal with Hispanic Senses Marketing. He can be reached at [email protected].