6192: Translating Hispanic Marketing.

Books about marketing to minorities remain, well, in the minority—at least when compared to White marketing books. Hell, it seems like Seth Godin alone has released more titles than all minority authors combined. Regardless, the growing trend toward targeting Hispanics has resulted in a mini-surge of publishing, with a number of prominent experts sharing knowledge on the exploding segment.

Hispanic Marketing: A Cultural Perspective by Felipe Korzenny and Betty Ann Korzenny is an exceptional resource that should be required reading for everyone. Technically, this is not a new book, as it was released in 2005. But the Hispanic Marketing content continues to be completely relevant and current—and the book will probably attain classic status in the long run.

For professionals already creating Hispanic consumer messages, Korzenny and Korzenny offer a top-flight refresher course, along with strategies to enhance and sell the work.

Yet the rest of us comprise the bigger audience that could benefit from owning a copy.

The authors do a great job of breaking things down in easy-to-digest chapters, which were originally lectures and presentations to marketing professionals. Rest assured, it’s not a collection of boring PowerPoint slides. Korzenny and Korzenny combine research, insights, guidance and illustrated case studies in concise and compelling style.

Hispanic Marketing examines a wide range of topics. Korzenny and Korzenny discuss how the audience is clearly not monolithic, and how it constantly evolves in unique and multiple ways. A section on the art of translation shows it’s rarely enough to simply turn English into Spanish. Anyone who can’t define enculturation, acculturation and assimilation definitely should check out the details here. Of course, there’s much more to discover in the 330+ pages.

To quote the back cover, “This book is not about repeating well-known statistics, but about the Hispanic market as a cultural target. It takes a profound look at the values, beliefs, and emotions of U.S. Hispanics that impact consumer behavior.”

Will reading Hispanic Marketing transform you into a bona fide multicultural guru? It’s pretty doubtful. But as the country becomes increasingly diverse—and marketing programs become increasingly integrated—it will be imperative that we develop a heightened awareness and sensitivity for the new mass market and the people who define it.

In today’s industry, cultural cluelessness cannot be an option or excuse. Hispanic Marketing: A Cultural Perspective by Felipe Korzenny and Betty Ann Korzenny helps lead the change.

To learn more about the book and its authors, visit Korzenny.com now.