4 effective tips on translating your Hispanic ads

4 effective tips on translating your Hispanic ads

4 effective tips on translating your Hispanic ads

Do you translate or trans-create? It’s an important decision if you want to capitalize on the rapidly growing Hispanic market.

The dilemma decision-makers often have when they are ready to engage with this target audience is that they rely on straight translations of their Anglo campaigns into Spanish. Some of them also feel that because they are trying to reach a U.S. Hispanic bilingual/bicultural audience through English media, there is no need to create a Hispanic campaign. This lack of understanding is what makes companies lose millions of dollars and countless opportunities.

The most effective way to reach the rapidly growing Hispanic market is through culturally relevant communication campaigns. I call it trans-creations.

In some cases, there are creative concepts that when translated into Spanish, the message will get across. However, is it going to be impactful enough and make the consumers buy your products or services? Not necessarily. The key is to know how you can emotionally and culturally connect your brand with Hispanics. How can you tell a story that will make them feel engaged enough to place your brand in that specific moment of their lives. Hispanics are very passionate about their language, their culture, and where they come from. So, it is extremely important to understand who your target audience is, their habits and consumption patterns, language of preference, and level of acculturation.

This is where a lot of marketing professionals fall short. You can have a strong, creative campaign for the general market but you cannot assume that by simply translating it into Spanish that it will engage or activate this audience. Why? Because the campaign was conceived for a total different audience, with different culture, values, language, and brand perception.

To significantly impact your bottom line, keep these four important tips in mind when trying to reach the Hispanic market:

• Stay away from translations: They are half-hearted efforts that can waste your money and possibly offend your intended audience.

• Don’t rely on free services: You may think that you will be saving money, but you will lose in the end. Sometimes Hispanic media outlets offer free creative or translations services to agencies and clients to close a deal. If you really want to be effective, you need a plan and a strategy to get the results you are looking for.

• Put an expert on your side: Find the right partner with proven experience in Hispanic marketing to help guide you in making smart, cost-effective decisions. They can show you exactly how to reach, engage, and activate this very loyal consumer group. And they will bring you a much higher return on your investment.

• Be open to embrace and adapt: The market is evolving and getting more and more fragmented. The one size fits all mentally is very outdated.

It is crucial to understand the psychographics of your audience before launching a Hispanic communication effort from your company. As of today, Hispanics are the nation’s second-largest consumer market in the U.S. That’s a lot of buying power that can significantly impact your business future.

Hernan Tagliani, president of The Group Advertising, is a leading Hispanic communications expert, business speaker and author. His comprehensive understanding of the culture, diversities and values of the Hispanic market has helped him spearhead some of the most effective marketing, media, promotional and branding campaigns for well-known brands across the nation.