October 12, 2006
BrainTrust Query: Will the Death of Spanish Bring About the Demise of Hispanic Marketing?
By David Morse, President and CEO, New American Dimensions, LLC
(www.newamericandimensions.com)
In the words of Benjamin Franklin, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes.” And a recently released study has demonstrated that, in the words of its authors, “Like taxes and biological death, linguistic death seems to be a sure thing in the United States, even for Mexicans living in Los Angeles, a city with one of the largest Spanish-speaking urban populations in the world.”
The study, Linguistic Life Expectancies: Immigrant Language Retention in Southern California, draws from the merging of two large surveys, the Immigration and Intergenerational Mobility in Metropolitan Los Angeles (IIMMLA) survey and the third wave of the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (CILS), resulting in a sample size of 5,703 respondents. Since the U.S. Census only distinguishes between native-born and foreign-born Americans, the study is a breakthrough in that it enables us to see linguistic capabilities to the third generation and beyond.
According to the authors’ definition, a language is considered “born” in the United States with the arrival of first generation immigrants and “dead” when the percentage of immigrant descendents that either speak the language “very well” or prefer to speak that language at home declines to below 5 percent.
The study, conducted in Southern California, found that Hispanics did retain Spanish longer than other groups. For instance, in Generation 2.5 (U.S. born; one parent born in U.S. and one abroad), 35 percent of Mexicans, 29 percent of Salvadorans and Guatemalans, and 13 percent of other Hispanics still spoke Spanish very well. In contrast, the proportion of all other ethnicities speaking their mother tongue in generation 2.5 never exceeded 6 percent.
The study found that, despite the staying power of Spanish, only 17 percent of third generation Mexicans spoke Spanish fluently; the number dropped to 5 percent by the fourth generation.
Life expectancies for a language were even lower when language life was defined in terms of having a preference for using that language at home. According to the authors, “Spanish can be expected to die out after 2.0 generations among Mexicans, 2.1 generations among Guatemalans and Salvadorans, and 1.7 generations for other Latin Americans.” Similarly, the average Asian language “can be expected to die out at or near the second generation.”
Discussion Questions: In terms of generations, at what point should marketer’s targeting ethnic consumers switch to English? Can there be effective Hispanic
Marketing with anyone but a Spanish-speaking immigrant population?
The authors of the study take issue with Harvard professor Samuel P. Huntington who argued in his 2004 book Who Are We? The Challenges to America’s National
Identity that “the persistent in-flow of Hispanic immigrants threatens to divide the United States into two peoples, two cultures, and two languages. Unlike past immigrant
groups, Mexicans and other Latinos have not assimilated into mainstream U.S. culture… rejecting the Anglo-Protestant values that built the American dream.”
Interestingly, many of those arguing the most vehemently about the resilience of Spanish are in the Hispanic marketing community. José Cancela of
the marketing firm Hispanic USA wrote that “Latinos are breaking the mold, clinging to their Spanish-language roots,” adding that “English connects with our brains, but Spanish
connects with our hearts.” He’s not alone in this camp. Hispanic agencies have a lot to lose if and when English becomes the “language of the heart” for Hispanics.
But there is a seismic shift going on in the Hispanic marketing industry that threatens to leave the Jose Cancelas in the lurch. In a recent speech, Carl
Kravetz, the newly installed president of the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA) said, “We can no longer allow language… the Spanish language to be precise…
to be the primary reason to market to Hispanics.” Marketing to Hispanics is about Latino identity, which he says is “complex, fluid, dynamic and ever changing. And this
is our new language.”
BrainTrust
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Discussion Questions
Poll
Mr. Kravetz makes the point that Hispanic (or ethnic) marketing should be about more than just language. That poses two very interesting questions.
1) What are the psycho/socio/etcetero characteristics of Hispanics that can be identified and, more importantly, profitably exploited in marketing messages?
2) Does it take a unique (ethnic) agency to do that?
For many years, retailers have identified a growing need to market to the Latino community. Some have taken significant steps to do so, most have taken small steps or simply played with the product mix. Language has not been the primary driving factor with those retailers I know. Rather, cultural elements have driven the Latino focus. By tapping into these cultural elements, retailers sometimes create a stronger emotional bond with the Latino consumer driving higher traffic and sales.
Language will continue to play a role in certain geographic areas where the population of consumers still contains a high percentage of non-English or English as a (distant) second language speaking consumers. But focusing on language alone misses the point. Marketing, advertising and merchandising is not simply an exercise in language. So again, the focus really should be on tapping into what emotionally drives the consumer which can differ among groups that have different cultural heritages. Ignoring the Latino culture in America is the worst approach as it cuts off a significant and still growing portion of any retailers consumer base.
You’re always going to have first generation Hispanics that marketers will want to reach in their native tongue. However, by the second generation, it is clear that English is creeping in and what you have is a combination of both. Just watch Spanish language television or listen to people on the street and you’ll hear both languages in the same sentence. It is not unlike my grandparents who ended up mixing Russian and Polish with English.
Basically, I believe that people can retain their culture without necessarily retaining their language.
To the degree language reflects cultural integrity, the answer is that when the language disappears (if it does in fact disappear) then traditional “Hispanic” marketing efforts will also fade. [Of course, this assumes they are effective today — a marketing act of faith in many cases.] However, this assumes a couple of things that aren’t yet provable: (1) that Spanish will indeed disappear (as opposed to diminish) across generations (and again as opposed to morphing into a patois); and (2) that Spanish language speakers won’t continue to emigrate en masse into the U.S. We’ll see. Living by a crystal ball is only a good strategy for people who can’t survive on a diet of broken glass.
I completely agree with the speaker at the AHAA conference. Language will always be a component used to reach immigrants and some first generation US-born Hispanics. But it is not the be all, end all. “Hispanic Marketing” should be looking at many factors well beyond just language to be effective.
Also, unless we close our borders, there will always be an influx of Spanish-speaking immigrants that need food, groceries, cars, computers, clothing, and phone service too. There is no “demise of Hispanic Marketing.”
The Hispanic culture in the U.S. is vibrant, alive, growing and influencing mainstream America. While the Spanish language loses its predominance over a timeframe of 2-3 generations, there will continue to be an inflow of immigrants to partially balance this fall off in language (not culture). And, among young Latinos, a key demographic (those under 26 account for 50% of the population), there is a “retro-acculturization” dynamic going on – where its “cool” to show your Latino heritage. Language is not the only driver in the marketing equation; cultural clues and nuances are also very important in terms of connecting with a population who values their origins and heritage. Astute marketers will examine their marketing plans and decide the best way to communicate with their specific Latino audience (whether it be in Spanish, “Spanglish” and English), depending on whether the target is recent arrivals, 1st or 2nd generation or acculturated. But Hispanic marketing dying off? No way, Jose!
I agree with Len. People retain their culture long after they stop speaking the language as a primary language. The issue of what language to use is not as critical unless you are directly targeting immigrants. What is critical is knowing the cultural values and understanding how they translate into buying preferences and decision making. People may not speak the language but continue to purchase products in specialty stores where they can purchase the products they want. Understanding buying patterns and preferences and how they change over generations of immigrants is important.
Just as Italian, German and other groups immigrated to the U.S., eventually all assimilated into the American culture and language, so too will Latinos. There may be some difference in the fact they are literally next door geographically, but assimilation becomes an eventual necessity. But “the demise of Hispanic Marketing”? Language and ethnicity (& culture) cannot be dealt with in the same manner. Plus, regions like Southern California where a majority of the population speaks Spanish may always have a need for certain Spanish marketing. But generally speaking (pardon the pun), most language centric marketing ultimately fades away.
The studies cited here would seem to contradict the urban myth that Spanish is taking over in the West and Southwest. To all the disingenuous politicians trying to make English the “official” language of their home states or of the nation, I say, get busy on issues that actually matter. Culture takes care of itself.
It’s not news that acculturation, including language adoption, takes place over a couple of generations, so at some point even people with Latino surnames will have a strong preference for English. Why not? My great-grandparents mainly spoke Yiddish, which served well on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, but were far less useful for making their way in the rest of the world. As a second-generation born here, I know only a few colorful phrases. My kids know less.
Culturally sensitive marketers will have to simply deal with the fact that they can no more pack their target audiences into homogenous categories than mainstream marketers can. Some messages should be communicated in the home language and cultural values; others should “bridge” between old country and new; others may ignore cultural origin altogether. Hey, nobody ever promised this business would be simple….
If you’re going to quote Ben Franklin, then here’s a little Thomas Jefferson. In his letter to his nephew Peter Carr in 1787 he gave some advice among which was this:
“Spanish. Bestow great attention on this, and endeavor to acquire an accurate knowledge of it. Our future connections with Spain and Spanish America, will render that language a valuable acquisition”
There will be no “death” of the Spanish language, only a modification of it in terms of how its spoken, when and where it’s spoken, and by whom it is spoken. The idea of “switching” to English is a poor way to strategize for clients who should be working toward connecting with consumers in a multitude of engaging and effective ways. It’s not an on/off switch or an either/or.
English is part of US Hispanic Marketing and Spanish is part of US Hispanic marketing for the foreseeable future…but most importantly identity is the spine of US Hispanic marketing and fleshing out a marketing plan around identity is key to success.
In 20 years will I hear Mark Twain saying the death of Spanish was greatly exaggerated? Spanish dead or not, Hispanic culture is so much deeper than language only and not monolithic, whether it is Mexican, Spanish, Puerto Rican, Cuban, etc. Selecting Hispanic assortments for stores I have been involved in has been as much about differences in clothing sizes, foods, colors, music, as adding religious art and candles and futbol (soccer) versus football.
Telemundo TV has the longest running TV show on any network and continues to grow in popularity in the US and with US advertisers. I have talked with Hispanic customers and store employees in California, Chicago, Florida and the Texas border. There is a cultural pride and real consumer preferences that focused marketing will continue to be able to tie into.
55% of foreign-born Hispanics watch TV in English, at least part of the time. Click here.
Language and ethic identity aren’t the same thing. If Spanish is more long-lived than other languages, is there a reason linked to the influx of undocumented people? I suspect that the percentage of undocumented Hispanics is much greater today than the percentage of undocumented Germans, Chinese, Irish, etc. when those immigration flows were at their peaks. And if undocumented people are afraid to fully participate in American society, won’t they retain their language longer?
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Mr. Kravetz makes the point that Hispanic (or ethnic) marketing should be about more than just language. That poses two very interesting questions.
1) What are the psycho/socio/etcetero characteristics of Hispanics that can be identified and, more importantly, profitably exploited in marketing messages?
2) Does it take a unique (ethnic) agency to do that?
For many years, retailers have identified a growing need to market to the Latino community. Some have taken significant steps to do so, most have taken small steps or simply played with the product mix. Language has not been the primary driving factor with those retailers I know. Rather, cultural elements have driven the Latino focus. By tapping into these cultural elements, retailers sometimes create a stronger emotional bond with the Latino consumer driving higher traffic and sales.
Language will continue to play a role in certain geographic areas where the population of consumers still contains a high percentage of non-English or English as a (distant) second language speaking consumers. But focusing on language alone misses the point. Marketing, advertising and merchandising is not simply an exercise in language. So again, the focus really should be on tapping into what emotionally drives the consumer which can differ among groups that have different cultural heritages. Ignoring the Latino culture in America is the worst approach as it cuts off a significant and still growing portion of any retailers consumer base.
You’re always going to have first generation Hispanics that marketers will want to reach in their native tongue. However, by the second generation, it is clear that English is creeping in and what you have is a combination of both. Just watch Spanish language television or listen to people on the street and you’ll hear both languages in the same sentence. It is not unlike my grandparents who ended up mixing Russian and Polish with English.
Basically, I believe that people can retain their culture without necessarily retaining their language.
To the degree language reflects cultural integrity, the answer is that when the language disappears (if it does in fact disappear) then traditional “Hispanic” marketing efforts will also fade. [Of course, this assumes they are effective today — a marketing act of faith in many cases.] However, this assumes a couple of things that aren’t yet provable: (1) that Spanish will indeed disappear (as opposed to diminish) across generations (and again as opposed to morphing into a patois); and (2) that Spanish language speakers won’t continue to emigrate en masse into the U.S. We’ll see. Living by a crystal ball is only a good strategy for people who can’t survive on a diet of broken glass.
I completely agree with the speaker at the AHAA conference. Language will always be a component used to reach immigrants and some first generation US-born Hispanics. But it is not the be all, end all. “Hispanic Marketing” should be looking at many factors well beyond just language to be effective.
Also, unless we close our borders, there will always be an influx of Spanish-speaking immigrants that need food, groceries, cars, computers, clothing, and phone service too. There is no “demise of Hispanic Marketing.”
The Hispanic culture in the U.S. is vibrant, alive, growing and influencing mainstream America. While the Spanish language loses its predominance over a timeframe of 2-3 generations, there will continue to be an inflow of immigrants to partially balance this fall off in language (not culture). And, among young Latinos, a key demographic (those under 26 account for 50% of the population), there is a “retro-acculturization” dynamic going on – where its “cool” to show your Latino heritage. Language is not the only driver in the marketing equation; cultural clues and nuances are also very important in terms of connecting with a population who values their origins and heritage. Astute marketers will examine their marketing plans and decide the best way to communicate with their specific Latino audience (whether it be in Spanish, “Spanglish” and English), depending on whether the target is recent arrivals, 1st or 2nd generation or acculturated. But Hispanic marketing dying off? No way, Jose!
I agree with Len. People retain their culture long after they stop speaking the language as a primary language. The issue of what language to use is not as critical unless you are directly targeting immigrants. What is critical is knowing the cultural values and understanding how they translate into buying preferences and decision making. People may not speak the language but continue to purchase products in specialty stores where they can purchase the products they want. Understanding buying patterns and preferences and how they change over generations of immigrants is important.
Just as Italian, German and other groups immigrated to the U.S., eventually all assimilated into the American culture and language, so too will Latinos. There may be some difference in the fact they are literally next door geographically, but assimilation becomes an eventual necessity. But “the demise of Hispanic Marketing”? Language and ethnicity (& culture) cannot be dealt with in the same manner. Plus, regions like Southern California where a majority of the population speaks Spanish may always have a need for certain Spanish marketing. But generally speaking (pardon the pun), most language centric marketing ultimately fades away.
The studies cited here would seem to contradict the urban myth that Spanish is taking over in the West and Southwest. To all the disingenuous politicians trying to make English the “official” language of their home states or of the nation, I say, get busy on issues that actually matter. Culture takes care of itself.
It’s not news that acculturation, including language adoption, takes place over a couple of generations, so at some point even people with Latino surnames will have a strong preference for English. Why not? My great-grandparents mainly spoke Yiddish, which served well on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, but were far less useful for making their way in the rest of the world. As a second-generation born here, I know only a few colorful phrases. My kids know less.
Culturally sensitive marketers will have to simply deal with the fact that they can no more pack their target audiences into homogenous categories than mainstream marketers can. Some messages should be communicated in the home language and cultural values; others should “bridge” between old country and new; others may ignore cultural origin altogether. Hey, nobody ever promised this business would be simple….
If you’re going to quote Ben Franklin, then here’s a little Thomas Jefferson. In his letter to his nephew Peter Carr in 1787 he gave some advice among which was this:
“Spanish. Bestow great attention on this, and endeavor to acquire an accurate knowledge of it. Our future connections with Spain and Spanish America, will render that language a valuable acquisition”
There will be no “death” of the Spanish language, only a modification of it in terms of how its spoken, when and where it’s spoken, and by whom it is spoken. The idea of “switching” to English is a poor way to strategize for clients who should be working toward connecting with consumers in a multitude of engaging and effective ways. It’s not an on/off switch or an either/or.
English is part of US Hispanic Marketing and Spanish is part of US Hispanic marketing for the foreseeable future…but most importantly identity is the spine of US Hispanic marketing and fleshing out a marketing plan around identity is key to success.
In 20 years will I hear Mark Twain saying the death of Spanish was greatly exaggerated? Spanish dead or not, Hispanic culture is so much deeper than language only and not monolithic, whether it is Mexican, Spanish, Puerto Rican, Cuban, etc. Selecting Hispanic assortments for stores I have been involved in has been as much about differences in clothing sizes, foods, colors, music, as adding religious art and candles and futbol (soccer) versus football.
Telemundo TV has the longest running TV show on any network and continues to grow in popularity in the US and with US advertisers. I have talked with Hispanic customers and store employees in California, Chicago, Florida and the Texas border. There is a cultural pride and real consumer preferences that focused marketing will continue to be able to tie into.
55% of foreign-born Hispanics watch TV in English, at least part of the time. Click here.
Language and ethic identity aren’t the same thing. If Spanish is more long-lived than other languages, is there a reason linked to the influx of undocumented people? I suspect that the percentage of undocumented Hispanics is much greater today than the percentage of undocumented Germans, Chinese, Irish, etc. when those immigration flows were at their peaks. And if undocumented people are afraid to fully participate in American society, won’t they retain their language longer?