Latin beat

Entrepreneur, June, 1998 by Christy Haubegger

Latinos tend to be more responsive to direct mail than the general population, perhaps because they receive, on average, less direct mail than other Americans. Direct mail in Spanish can be even more effective. According to Rick Blume, general manager of Database Management, a division of Stevens-Knix and Associates Inc. in New York City, Latinos are more responsive to direct mail because they get one-tenth as much direct mail in Spanish as whites get in English (fewer than 35 pieces a year, compared to 350). "When Hispanics receive direct mail," Blume adds, "they open it to see what it is. And every direct marketer knows that getting someone to open the mail is half the game."

* Promotions. Most Latino communities hold events throughout the year, such as parades, cultural fairs and concerts, that attract large groups. For example, the New York City Puerto Rican Day Parade held every June typically attracts more than 1 million spectators. This is one of the advantages of the geographic concentration and cultural affinity for family activities that makes reaching the Latino audience easier.

Most cultural fairs and parades have low-cost sponsorship opportunities that allow you to set up a booth or distribute samples. Supporting the Latino community's activities will raise your profile and give you concentrated access to the market. Contact the nearest Hispanic Chamber of Commerce or community center to find out what events take place in your area.

* Public relations. There are publicists who specialize in the Latino market; they can help your product or service get coverage from the Latino media. The Los Angeles-based Hispanic Public Relations Association is a good place to start your search.

Targeting the Latino market takes time, patience and sensitivity. However, if you make the effort to learn about the Latino audience, examine how your business can serve this market and avoid making assumptions, you may just find that your new Latino customers turn out to be your most valuable.

RELATED ARTICLE: Leading Role

She was one of the Ms. Foundation for Women's Ten Role Models of 1997. "NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw" dubbed her one of the Most Inspirational Women of 1996. These are just two of the many distinguished titles Christy Haubegger, president of Latina Publications LLC, has earned in her 29 years.

A Mexican-American, Haubegger was adopted by a white family when she was less than a year old and grew up in Houston. Being raised by a non-Latino family never threatened her knowledge of Mexican culture, however. "I grew up in a household that emphasized the importance of my own heritage," she says. "[My parents] made me speak Spanish." She's fluent as a result.

Attending racially and ethnically diverse schools, Haubegger never fell victim to the notion that being Latino was a "bad" thing. But the media's images of Latinos - or lack thereof-during her childhood could have easily conjured such ideas in the mind of an impressionable youngster. Surprisingly, Haubegger is grateful for the absence of media coverage and advertising targeting Latino audiences in the United States. "That [absence] showed me what an opportunity there was," she says.