Glossary · Messaging and Hispanic market
Bilingual marketing
In Spanish: Marketing bilingüe
Bilingual marketing is marketing planned for two languages at once, so customers can find, understand and choose an organization in the language they prefer, under one consistent brand. In the U.S., it often means English and Spanish.
What bilingual marketing looks like
Bilingual marketing isn't only a Spanish version of a flyer. It means people who prefer Spanish can do everything people who prefer English can do: find you, read about your services, call, book and get help.
- Materials in both languages: brochures, flyers, signs, promotional products and digital pieces, with one consistent brand.
- A website in both languages: each Spanish page at its own address, with its own title and description in Spanish.
- Contact in both languages: a phone line, forms and replies in the language the customer chose.
- The channels people use: media, social media, community partners and events that reach each audience.
Why it matters in California
According to U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, 41.2% of Californians and 31.8% of Solano County residents are Hispanic or Latino. Those numbers don't tell you who prefers Spanish: many people move between the two languages, so the same family may read your English flyer and call your Spanish line.
A consistent bilingual brand tells both audiences they are equally welcome. A Spanish page that looks like an afterthought, or a phone line that only answers in English, says the opposite.
Going bilingual doesn't mean doing everything in both languages on day one. Start with the pieces customers use most, like your website, your phone and your main flyer, and grow from there.
How to start bilingual marketing
- 01Know who you're reaching. Learn which customers prefer Spanish, which prefer English and which use both.
- 02Decide your voice in each language. Choose “tú” or “usted” for Spanish, and keep the same personality in both languages.
- 03Adapt your key messages. Use transcreation for your slogan, headlines and calls to action, instead of translating them word for word.
- 04Make contact easy in both languages. Show the right phone number for each language, and answer in the language people choose.
- 05Review the whole experience. Follow the path of a Spanish-speaking customer, from the first ad to the follow-up, and fix what still works only in English.
Our Hispanic Market Strategy brings these steps together: audience definition, message and positioning in Spanish, transcreation of key materials, channel recommendations, a touchpoint review and bilingual materials. The work is led by Citlalli Flores Zepeda, in branding since 2004, and it can be in English, in Spanish or in a mix of both.