5/07/08- Almost 20% of the U.S. population is made up of Hispanic youth....hard to believe! It's stunning to think! And get this...22% of the U.S. population is Hispanic and under 5 years old. Yes, Hispanics are set to become a major powerhouse of the U.S. population. And along with this increasing growth, means health care, health care, medical costs, health care, and guess what...yeah more health care.
So it's a burgeoning population, and Hispanic health care needs are set to be growing at an astonishing pace over the next decades.
So what's the secret when it comes to selling health care to Hispanics? Ah...the million dollar question.
Well my biggest piece of advice to you is: get involved. That's right, get involved in the community. Hispanics are a tribal culture who value the advice of others in their community, most often weighting that more heavily than any expensive piece of advertising or marketing. So here's a few thoughts from a Hispana marketer on targeting the market.
Churches- Places of worship. Hispanics who come to the U.S. are far from their roots, far from where they grew up, and far from their families. Thus churches for many Hispanics tend to become a focal point for development of a comfort area/community as Hispanics move to the U.S. and start new lives. Targeting churches or becoming involved in church communities is a good way for companies to get involved with the Hispanic market.
Credit Cards- Many Hispanics don't have credit cards (or checks for that matter)- especially those who have grown up in Latin America, so if you're planning to sell something to them....plan ahead and don't require a credit card number...i.e....have a way to get around that...for example can pay by credit card number or money order, or payment in person is allowed, debit from bank account etc. Only the very very wealthy in Latin America have credit cards. Those who are coming to the U.S. for work, are likely not yet used to the idea of paying for things by credit/debit.
Schools- Yes, schools are a great place to start. Get involved and get name recognition among this burgeoning young population. Book covers, pencils, erasers...you could even pass these out at church events as mentioned above.
Free clinics- Sponsor some! Find a Hispanic neighborhood or festival and offer health tips, blood pressure screenings etc. Visit construction sites during lunch, pass out freebies or information. Great way to gain some name recognition among hispanics.
Latino Supermarkets- We all need to eat right? And Latino supermarkets are springing up all over. It's a guaranteed mainly Latino audience. Why not set up a booth during a busy shopping evening and promote your health care product?
Fleamarkets- When I was a kid, I worked weekends at my family's store at a Houston fleamarket on weekends. Our customers? 100% Hispanic. Find your nearest Latino fleamarket...get involved.
Internet- Don't forget, while you may be wired and online, alot of Hispanics are not yet online. Telling Hispanics to apply "online" may just lose a large, valuable customer base. A friend of mine works at a bakery, and she's commented to me, that when they tell Hispanics to apply on line for a job....well, they just don't apply. Why? Low-income Hispanics generally don't have readily available Internet. Try something else...perhaps apply by phone...
Segmentation- No one size fits all marketing and sales campaign will work with all Hispanics. I wrote an earlier post on the different strata of Hispanics in the U.S. So determine what strata you will be targeting (market data, studies, etc.), and develop a campaign for your product that suits their individual market, needs, and backgrounds.
Okay, so I could keep going...but I'll keep some ideas close to the vest for next time. Remember...get involved!
-La Marketer