College Bound: An Excellent Example of Culturally-Savvy Online Hispanic Marketing
May 16, 2010 :: Posted by: Daniel Dahlman
Almost everyday, I come across articles about the thriving Hispanic market and how online channels are a great way to reach this tech savvy minority group. Harder to find, are good examples of an organization actually leveraging both to create smart, interactive communication materials that engage and inform Hispanic audiences. So, in the interest of drawing some attention to organizations that I think are doing some great work, here is a recent favorite:
The Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) and the Ad Council recently teamed up to create a stellar multimedia PSA campaign aimed at empowering the parents of young Hispanics with information on how they can help their children through the complicated college admissions process.
According to recent Pew Hispanic Center data, college education is highly valued among Hispanics even if enrolling still remains a challenge. 9 out of 10 Hispanic parents agree that the best way to a good job and comfortable lifestyle is through a college degree, yet only 13% of Hispanics (ages 26 to 65) currently hold a BA. Additionally, research by the Tomás Rivera Policy Institute indicates that 65% of Hispanic parents don’t have the necessary knowledge to guide their children as they seek to apply and enroll in college.
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The campaign addresses this confusion through new television, radio, print, outdoor and online advertising, as well as English (www.YourWordsToday.org) and Spanish (www.TusPalabrasdeHoy.org) versions of the campaign website. The HSF and Ad Council realize that the Hispanic market is nuanced and diverse enough that, although some Hispanics may prefer being addressed in English, they still respond to cultural messaging that takes their ethnic identity into account. The websites are truly bilingual, with all content—from tips about receiving financial aid to video messages from Univision news anchor Maria Elena Salinas—available in both Spanish and English.
The PSAs end with the tagline, "De tus palabras de hoy depende su manana" ("Their tomorrow depends on your words today") and encourages parents to visit the campaign website or call a toll-free number (1-877-HSF-8711) for more information and a free informational DVD.
Kudos to the HSF, Ad Council, and ad agency Grupo Gallegos for creating a thoughtful, well-executed campaign that reaches audiences of varying acculturation levels and address an issue important to the Hispanic community. Well done!