Advertising to the Hispanic community : an intercultural communication approach

This study investigates the ways in which advertisers employ acculturation and intercultural communication tactics when targeting advertising campaigns to Hispanic consumers. The study focused on three research questions regarding (1) how advertisers adapt marketing plans to account for the differences in the dominant Hispanic subgroups, (2) the role of the target audience's level of acculturation on the planning of an advertising campaign, and (3) how advertisers employ accommodation strategies when constructing advertising messages for Hispanics. The study utilized personal interviews with eight advertising professionals from various markets across the country to answer the research questions. The results of the study indicated that (1) advertisers frequently rely on similarities among the various Hispanic groups when planning advertising campaigns, (2) a Pan-Hispanic approach is used in the language of many advertising campaigns that target Hispanics, and (3) advertisers seek to formulate messages that resonate with Hispanics based on knowledge of the target audience's values and beliefs.