Dreams and obstacles
Editor's note: Theresa Gubler is an associate of La Agencia de Orcí & Asociados, a Los Angeles advertising agency.
With the release of the 2000 Census numbers, U.S. marketers have been confronted with data they can not ignore. As never before, corporate America is now faced with the challenge of how to successfully market to the 34 million Latinos who call the U.S. home.
Research and research analysis is playing an important role in helping marketers ascend this learning curve. Research continues to reveal why marketers should address the U.S. Latino consumer (profits to be made) and how it can be done successfully (high returns on investments).
La Agencia de Orcí & Asociados (Orcí & Asociados), a Los Angeles Hispanic advertising and marketing agency, has completed a research study entitled "Dreams & Obstacles, Understanding Latinas." Through this study, La Agencia has confirmed how Los Angeles Latinas represent enormous economic potential. The study also portrays how Latinas are realizing their dreams while facing the challenges of being a dual minority for whom culture plays a profound role.
Orcí & Asociados' research objective for the study was, while experiencing firsthand the pulse of Latinas in Southern California, to identify consumer insights that could be used to strengthen marketing programs for its clients. Many ideas and theories have been tossed around about the U.S. Latina. The study's findings confirmed, substantiated, and organized the definition of the U.S. Latina and provided analysis on how to better communicate with her. Due to the types of issues that were covered and the diversity of the ethnic sampling for this study, the findings may be reasonably applied to Latinas across the country (see chart 1).
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Six focus groups were conducted in the agency's on-site Los Angeles facilities. The agency utilized on-staff, credentialed focus group leaders. The groups consisted of U.S.- and foreign-born Latinas from Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Cuba, El Salvador, Colombia, and Argentina. One group each was conducted with 10-11-year-olds; 15-year-olds; 18-30-year-olds; and 30-50-year-olds. Two groups were held to question Latina professionals. In addition, Orcí & Asociados conducted extensive interviews with teachers and market researchers and compiled and analyzed quantities of secondary research, both qualitative and quantitative.
The study confirmed that U.S. Latinas are succeeding in leading their families into the middle-class. They are the engines driving the small-business sector. They are improving their education and job competence. They are making great strides, despite difficult obstacles. Latinas are resolute despite the major obstacles they face.
Inside the home
Inside the home environment, the U.S. Latina's strength is represented by her role as manager of the household budget. She is the family CFO and purchasing agent. She also manages family routines and focuses on maintaining family values. Fact: Latinas represent the largest percentage of female heads of households in the U.S. - 24 percent vs. 13 percent of general market (survey, March 2000, PGP-4, 2005 Projection, DRI/McGraw-Hill, 1995).
Outside the home
Outside the home environment, U.S. Latinas' volition is illustrated by highly successful entrepreneurship. Typically, after fulfilling their family obligations, they burst through the concrete and blossom into career women. They want to control their own destiny, improve their economic situation and achieve greater flexibility. Fact: In 1996, 382,400 Latina-owned businesses generated sales of $67.3 billion ("The Spirit of Enterprise: Latina Entrepreneurs in the U.S.," May-June 2000; the National Foundation of Women Business Owners and sponsored by Wells Fargo).
Lifestyle elements of the study
The study also provided insights about the U.S. Latina in regards to the lifestyle elements: family environment, education, the future, shopping, Hispanic heritage, role models and advertising. It also examined in depth the different levels of aspirations that a U.S. Latina goes through as she ages.
The research substantiated that Latinas want to take control of their lives and of their dreams. They want to be more self-centered and able to focus on what makes them happy. Latinas believe in the future, possess many strengths and are full of hope, anticipation, ambition and self-awareness.
For U.S. Latinas, the concept of "family/mother sacrifice" is translated into self-imposed guilt and a sense of responsibility towards family. As one focus group participant expressed, "I have to return to my family all they have done for me." This guilt, plus living in a bicultural world, takes the U.S. Latina through a faster maturity process. By causing her conflict when she's faced with making decisions on factors such as shopping, education, and the profession she would like to pursue, this guilt also effects her ability to accomplish her dreams.
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U.S. Latinas face duality in all aspects of their lives. Marriage is a beautiful state, but interferes with their dreams. Education is essential, but other duties make it difficult to incorporate it into their lives. As for their career role models, they have deep love and loyalty for their parents, but they do not aspire to be like them. U.S. Latinas wish to go beyond what their parents have accomplished.
Challenges
As the "Latina Aspirations" chart shows, Latinas want to get an education, earn a good income and have a family. However, living in a bicultural world, they sometimes experience conflicting influences that pull them in opposing directions. There are social pressures to marry early and raise children. Although Latinas have ambitious dreams, they face difficult social obstacles to reaching their dreams (see chart 3). This results in a segment of the U.S. Latina population that is undereducated and underpaid in the workforce.
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Solutions
Latinas need to accommodate all the influences in their life. As covered earlier, they are being pulled by two different worlds and have to keep the influence of each alive. They need to find a balance that will allow them to fulfill their potential and prosper without losing the essence of their culture and their identity. Latinas need accessible support systems to get them over the academic and emotional obstacles while helping them see education as an integral part of their future.
Based on the findings from this study as well as its experience marketing to the U.S. Latina, Orcí & Asociados recommends that advertisers commit to branding communications programs that respond to Latinas' stated aspirations and acknowledge their needs and wants.
Corporate/branding communications programs should:
- include role models who show that professional careers are rewarding, achievable options;
- portray the Latina image in a positive way, show a wider spectrum of beauty to help them accept and love who they are;
- demonstrate that professional success is compatible with family;
- acknowledge the constant struggle Latinas go through in modern times while keeping traditional ties.
As an example of a corporate/branding communications program, corporate sponsorship could provide support and encouragement in attaining educational and career goals through:
- offering practical alternative resources for child care;
- creating full-time employee programs;
- providing financial aid/loans;
- establishing mentoring programs;
- supporting recruitment and internship programs;
- organizing field trips to universities and colleges so that students and families become familiar with the academic system.
In conclusion, research continues to play an important role in helping marketers plan and execute their communications programs, especially in regard to new or emerging markets such as the U.S. Latina. Many marketers are just now discovering this substantial target market, a valuable group of consumers who may represent one of the final frontiers in expanding a company's market share.