How-To: Use WOM within the Hispanic Community
5 Tips from Conkling Fiskum & McCormick's Tom Eiland
Hispanics account for 15% of the U.S. population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That translates into a lot of market potential, according to Tom Eiland, partner at Conkling Fiskum & McCormick. After researching the country's Hispanic community, his company concluded that there is a ripe word of mouth infrastructure already in place there that enterprising marketers can tap into.
If you want to spread word of mouth within the Hispanic market, consider Tom's five tips:
Tip #1. Do the research
Before launching its own word of mouth marketing campaign within the Hispanic community -- for Tillamook Cheese -- Eiland's PR team conducted extensive research, including focus groups and surveys, to make sure that it was hitting the right audience with the right message. "Don't make any assumptions," Tom advises.
Tip #2. Acknowledge cultural differences
"Don't assume that all Latino communities are the same. They are different," Tom says. After all, Hispanic-Americans may come from Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, South American, or a variety of other cultures -- all of which have their own messages and values. "You may need to be adaptable," he stresses.
Tip #3. Be flexible
Conkling Fiskum & McCormick experimented with word of mouth marketing in a variety of Hispanic markets. "It works well in some, and not well in others," Tom says, adding that word of mouth success in Hispanic communities requires an appreciation for a variety of marketing tools and techniques.
Tip #4. Be involved
All consumers appreciate it when companies reach out to and within their communities. In a recent word of mouth campaign, Tom says, Tillamook and Conkling Fiskum & McCormick flew employees from their Oregon office to California in order to volunteer within its Hispanic customers' communities. "The local communities really appreciated that the employees got involved, and that they're consistently involved."
Tip #5. Hire experts to help you
It's OK if your company doesn't understand the Hispanic market; partner with one that does. "There are a variety of good Hispanic and Latino research and PR firms out there," Tom says. "They may not be doing word of mouth yet, but they understand the market very well."
More about Tom:
