Essay 4358

In a peculiar turnabout, Gary Bentz is back at Advertising Age’s Small Agency Diary, and now he’s hyping Latino youth consumers. Bentz has gone from “Creativity Is My Culture” to selling cultural creative. In the words of Bart Simpson, “¡Ay, caramba!”

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I Got Yer Influencers Right Here

Why You Should Pay Attention to the Young Latino Consumer

By Gary Bentz

Many marketers drool over the under-19 age group. But did you know that 1 in 5 people in this target segment is Latino?

Let me rephrase that: that’s 20% of the new American generation. In other words, there are over 16 million young consumers that are currently redefining the industry as we know it. That’s greater than the population of all but 4 states in this great nation. And almost half the population of Canada (33 million), just to paint a clearer picture.

This is the group that dictates industry and category trends, the new brand adopters, the ones that are reconditioning the market and the way brands address us Latinos. They are sports, fashion, music and entertainment influencers among their peers. They represent $20 billion in consumer buying power and are projected to grow six times greater than the rest of the teen market.

Also…

In 2006, Latinos under the age of 20 accounted for more than 38% of the total Hispanic population in the United States.

The average percentage of the Hispanic teen population in the top 10 Latino markets is 43.1%.

Eighty percent of the teen population in Los Angeles is Hispanic.

Now that we got all that demographic mumbo-jumbo out of the way and we can all agree that this is a group to recon with, may I ask if your clients are winning the impressions war against this target?

If anyone thinks this is an emerging market, you’re dead wrong. If you assume that they act and react like a so-called minority group, you just don’t get it. Young Latinos know who they are, understand the world they live in and perfectly function in their all-inclusive social environment. These are smart, computer-savvy, educated, proud and capable bilingual and bicultural consumers. They are vested, accepted and celebrated by their peers, regardless of their heritage. Our future generation is defined by their home -- and to the great majority, home is here. Not south of the border, not across the Atlantic, nor in the other Americas.

Ask yourself, are you basing your impressions on media numbers or on strategic/creative communications? Are you placing and posting your ads based on circulation vs. content? Are you giving creative license to your team to develop “relevant” campaigns that really impress those you are trying to engage?

These questions are two fold. If you’re a general-market agency, are you representing your client’s best interest in spending their marketing dollars accordingly -- against the real composition of this segment? (Especially now, since I’ve shared with you some pretty impressive numbers.) And, if you’re a Hispanic agency, are you allowing your team to find the best way to really reach this consumer with original creative tactics and not just Spanish “transcreations”? (I personally hate that term.)

Be psychographically inclusive in your creative communications and not exclusive to your demographic strategies. Decide if this is a viable consumer target and commit to reaching it the right way! Address them as Latinos in the mainstream, talking up to them and not down, making sure that their portrayal is representative of their aspirations and not their limitations. Because sooner than later you will be living in their world and wishing you would have evolved and grown “a la par” (meaning together)!

Essay 4349

One more noteworthy response to the Gary Bentz perspective from AdAge.com’s Small Agency Diary (see Essays 4343 and 4314)…

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It is unfortunate that Mr. Bentz has a limited knowledge of both the extent and sophistication of our collective capabilities as “Hispanic shops.” I know that our agency is not alone in moving beyond our clients’ perceptions of segmentation, which often stops at language, gender and age groups. I know because I pitch against them. This expanding segment of agencies who understand that this market is as multifaceted as the so-called “general market” are successfully selling the concept that there are no monoliths in our culture, or any other.

Mr. Bentz perceives himself to be something that doesn’t exist, either from a cultural or a marketing perspective. Since the 1800’s, target marketers have been proving that there is no such thing as an “average American.” And neither is there, nor should there be, an “average Latino.” His opinion piece actually tries to make that point, but fails in that he falls into the “box” in which he accuses us of living.

This gentleman’s perspective may be shaped by ignorance of the innovative direction many Hispanic agencies are bringing to clients regarding more evolved concept of Hispanic customer relationship marketing. And his prior experience, which he’s used to tar us all with the same brush, may have required that he develop creative based on flawed strategy. Nonetheless, his own effort to rail against stereotypes rests on a major stereotype, contained in his description of that former experience. To quote his blog entry:

“It’s all cool to address us Latinos in our own language and it’s OK to make the images livelier with bright colors and big bold letters. I’m fine with bringing the family and the hot music to help connect. While this is the first instinctive approach to make sure everyone is on board with what must be in target, I dare to challenge those who think we Latinos live in that exclusive traditional box.”

Veiled as it may be, it is nonetheless an affront to many of us out here, developing groundbreaking, targeted, data-driven strategies and creative, not to mention the clients who relish our thought leadership. It turns out that Hispanic agencies, just like markets we serve, don’t constitute a monolith.

Beatriz Mallory
CEO & Chief Strategist
HispanAmérica, New York, NY

Essay 4343

As expected, the Gary Bentz perspective posted at AdAge.com’s Small Agency Diary (see Essay 4314) sparked some spirited discussion. An abridged collection of responses appears below. Click on the essay title above to catch all the comments.

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I believe Mr. Bentz gets paid to “reach” U.S. Hispanics. Therefore, a more narrow vision or understanding is adequate. I aspire to be paid by intelligent Clients like mine to move, impact, engage, and persuade U.S. Hispanics. A deeper vision and understanding is required.

Tony Ruiz, Partner/Chief Strategy Officer, The Vidal Partnership

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Have you read the opinion piece by Gary Bentz titled “Creativity Is My Culture—Why I Didn’t Open a ‘Hispanic’ Shop” in AdAge.com under the Small Agency Diary blog section?

The gentleman states in the blog that reaching Hispanics in language and culture is appropriate. He also agrees “Culture is not only defined by ethnic background, color of skin or language. It’s much more.”

These are the only points we agree with him on out of his whole opinion piece.

Mr. Bentz states he is from Puerto Rico and he defines himself not because of his Hispanic background, but by the fact that he has more in common with the average American than with Hispanics with a distinctly separate culture traits and language preferences.

Well, he is right!

Gary Bentz is probably defined by his $100K plus a year job, his education and the fact that he and his family do not live the average Hispanic lifestyle. He does NOT enjoy common ground with over 85% of all other Latinos or Hispanics in this country, because he has is a US citizen by birth. He probably did not live long enough to be impacted by true Puerto Rican culture and language on the island, he probably went to a prep-school in Puerto Rico or a school in the USA and studied at an American university and does NOT understand the lives of Mexicans in the USA or any Central & South American, for that matter.

His theory is based on targeting US Hispanics by the common values and traits they share with the average American, rather than by the traits and values that they have that are distinctly different. Those that define them as Latinos or Hispanics.

We can guarantee to you that the creative pieces he states he has created for such advertisers as Miller, Pepsi, Gatorade, Burger King, Verizon and General Motors did take into account the difference in culture, language and their non-typical values and traits that differentiated them from the average American. If not, they were not designed to target Hispanics in the USA.

How do Hispanics have more in common with the average American than their differences?

¡Por Favor! Have you been to a focus group lately?

Mr. Bentz is not the target of 99.999% of the Hispanic focused marketing plans in the works today at Hispanic agencies. So to use himself as the model for the correct prototype to target US Hispanics is erroneous and irresponsible.

Yet he states he is an expert in creating creative content to reach this Consumer Segment. He also discredits the value of a Hispanic Agency and their expertise, since he leads the readers to believe that they do not need to be part of the marketing mix. He portrays creative as the end all element that ensures success.

He does not give importance to the other aspects of marketing to Hispanics in the United States besides the creative discipline. Creative is not the end all of effectively and efficiently reaching Hispanic Consumers. What about the marketing and behavioral nuances of consumers, the media savvy and expertise required to ensure the proper points of contacts? Just to name a few elements he does not give any importance to.

¿Quien es Gary Bentz? As we say in Puerto Rico, “esta meando afuera del tiesto.”

Like with most blogs anyone can opine!

He exemplifies a movement within our Industry to minimize the importance of the Hispanic ad agency and the professionals that ensure that advertisers garner ROI from their ad investments in targeting US Hispanic Consumers.

Maybe the average Hispanic agency has moved a little slower than some clients and media outlets might want regarding a shift from a traditional Spanish only marketing model, but progress is occurring for inclusion of multi-faceted linguistic and cultural marketing models that represent the entire cross section of Hispanics in the USA. Even though Hispanic agencies need to continue to grow their expertise, their contact point models and their research capabilities. They are still the experts on reaching Hispanic Adults 18-49, Hispanic Women 18-49 and Hispanic Men 18-49. Core demos with buying power, along with the growing Hispanic 12-17 segment.

The problem here is blogs and pods, where any self-proclaimed expert states their opinions about any complex issue, in this case marketing to Hispanics. How more complex than that!

You also can find them speaking at the many of the seminars and conferences that flood our Industry. They muddy the waters.

If Hispanics are going to represent the majority of the US population by 2050, then instead of Hispanic focused agencies and so called experts proclaiming we have to become more generic “Vanilla” and emulate mainstream ad agencies and experts.

Maybe the reverse is true.

To effectively target the changing face of America, you need to become more of an expert on the art & science of Hispanic advertising to better serve your clients.

¡Basta ya! Let the real experts stand up and be heard.

So… ¿Quien es Gary Bentz? Obviously he has not opened a Hispanic Shop.

Gene Bryan (I am also from Puerto Rico and sometimes an expert in something), CEO HispanicAd.com

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It all depends on what we do with the opportunity that is given to us to create advertising and messages targeted to Latinos. We complain about the box we are in and keep cashing in the check. Or while in that box we can expand it, open it up and make the point the box is no longer needed. But you need the work to do that. Not just words.

Mark Gonzalez, New York, NY

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Mr. Bentz is right on! All too often, agencies, in their quest to connect with an “ethnic” target market, focus more on surface cultural cues than they do on the deeper insights, which may or may not have anything to do with the color of one’s skin.

I am a qualitative researcher and consultant specializing in the African American consumer market. I cannot count the number of times I have been asked for the “Black insight” and watched GM clients’ faces fall as I tell them that there is no such thing. There are countless sub-segments in the African American community and although members of these segments share a common culture, their interests, lifestyle and experiences impact them and the way they see the world as much as their ethnicity does. This is not to suggest that culture is not important. The reason that there are Black motorcycle clubs, Black wine clubs, Black mom support groups, etc. is that culture still plays a large part in our lives. But it isn’t the only thing that makes us who we are.

In my research, I’ve found that the ads African American consumers appreciate most are the ones that accurately reflect their full lives and experiences—not just their color.

Patricia D. Raspberry, Ph.D., Principal, Black Raspberry Consumer Insights, Chicago, IL

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i’d intentionally tried not to weigh in on this one simply because i’ve been championing this and related issues for years now. but i couldn’t resist. still, i’ll add the following:

until current clients and current GM shops end the practice of marginalizing ethnic shops to sub-contractor status and degrading ethnic professionals by measuring ethnic cultures thru a mainstreamer’s view, then the creative culture of ethnic pros will continue to be stifled, to the detriment of the clients we’re charged with serving.

hadji williams, chicago, IL

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There is a big elephant in the room perpetuating this stereotypical vision of Latinos: Univision. They have built an empire based on making clients believe that Spanish language media and “muy Hispano” pieces are the only way to go when targeting Hispanics. The big paradox is their owners and top management are mostly American and few of them even speak Spanish!

As long as they continue to drive the market, clients will approach the Hispanic market with a cookie cutter solution—“Prime time Don Francisco, novelas and make sure to add abuelitas and Mariachis to your creative so the ads are relevant.”

Gustavo Garcia—Miami, FL

Essay 4314

From Advertising Age’s Small Agency Diary…

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Creativity Is My Culture

Why I Didn’t Open a ‘Hispanic’ Shop

By Gary Bentz

In my professional career I have done a pretty good job at carving a niche for myself as a creative director in the so called Hispanic ad industry. As such, I’ve brought my “Latino-ness” to the party. I’ve brought insights to the Latin culture to help client partners be relevant to this segment of the population. And I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. I’ve had the honor of working with clients such Miller, Pepsi, Gatorade, Burger King, Verizon and General Motors, to name a few. With these clients, I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of the best talent in the commercial world. It has helped me validate my position and my creative talent (my portfolio is proof of that). It has also taught me something about culture.

It’s all cool to address us Latinos in our own language and it’s OK to make the images livelier with bright colors and big bold letters. I’m fine with bringing the family and the hot music to help connect. While this is the first instinctive approach to make sure everyone is on board with what must be in target, I dare to challenge those who think we Latinos live in that exclusive traditional box.

Yes, I am Puerto Rican and my first language is Spanish. I have read many books and seen many works of art, some from American artists, and lots from afar. I've been to the Super Bowl and rocked with the Rolling Stones during half time, singing along just like everyone around me. I buy shoes at Nordstrom's and/or Payless and frequently go to Starbucks (not to get the expected Colombian coffee, but rather to order a Caramel Frappuccino). I even downloaded Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats,” and all with a simple computer click.

I’m sure you might be thinking, “How amusing, right?” That’s my point. There’s no science to art. Great creative work is stimulating not ethnocentric. Throughout my life, I have always been touched by great creative work, regardless of its target culture.

We Latinos consider ourselves cool and hip, we’re fashion driven, trend setting -- and not any different than any other culture out there. (If you don’t believe me, come visit us in Miami.) When it comes to retail or entertainment spending, we’re right up there (just ask my wife and daughter). When it comes to what we like -- well, we’re as diverse as you will ever care to dissect.

You see, we Hispanics share the same diverse cultural insights with most of the general American population. Culture is not only defined by ethnic background, color of skin or language. It’s much more. Computer Gurus – that’s a culture. Wine Connoisseurs, that’s another culture. Baseball Fans, NASCAR Fans, Soccer Fans, Broadway Fans. Members of these cultures all speak the same language, even if their accent is different and the color of their skin is not the same. They can be defined! They live in their own little world, their very own culture, at least part of the time. But even for them, a particular culture is just one slice of the pie that defines them. A doctor from the Midwest can be a wine connoisseur, a sports fan and a great salsa dancer.

The world is getting smaller each day, and as we are exposed to more, our pies (or at least our stomachs) are getting bigger. And that Hispanic label that worked so well for the last 15 years or so, has been redefined, redesigned and repackaged.

Embracing the multitude of perspectives, the differences in attitudes, the not-so-common flavors of the world and overlapping these with the similarities in each culture, I intend to promote great creative work that is more creative in culture! And like every great product out there, I will make my new and improved strategy work in a way that touches everyone, whatever their culture.

So if anyone thinks that I am going to wake up in the morning again planning how to be the best “Hispanic” creative I can -- well, I guess we don’t share the same culture. Because from now on I have decided to define myself as the artist formerly labeled Hispanic.

[View Bentz’s site at bxpmarketing.com]