Generacion Latino >BY Helene Stapinski

American Demographics, July, 1999

Because the Latin community is so brand loyal, marketing to them pays off in more than just the crossover connection. Once you solidify your support in the Latin community, you have it for years, says Faura. "If you can connect, you've got consumers for life."

However, reaching the target-the young Latin community and their Anglo wannabes-calls for some alternative advertising. "Companies have to start using more nonconventional means," says Colon. "Kids are not hanging out in front of the television. They're not home. They're playing ball or are outside hanging out. Television is not the medium to reach youth. It never was and never will be."

Instead, radio, billboards, stickers, and bus wrapping are both effective and cost-effective, he says.

Faura agrees that marketing to a mass audience using Latino youth culture is not only inevitable but could be hugely successful-more successful than even the recent African American hip hop crossover. "Part of being Hispanic is being authentic and real," says Faura. "There's the soul of it. And if you can capture that in your fashions and in the way you position them, you'll make a bigger splash than Tommy Hilfiger did."

In some ways, it may be harder to market the Latino look than it was the hip hop trend because of the diversity inherent in the Latin culture.

"It's hard to capture the essence of Hispanic teens in one product in terms of clothing and music," explains Angelo Figueroa, editor of the fast-growing People en Espanol, whose circulation rose 25 percent from 1998 to 1999. "Hispanic teens are culturally all very, very different, unlike African American teens in the U.S. who are basically listening to the same kind of music. You have to walk this fine line to make sure it appeals equally to all these groups."

But, he says, branding from Latino trends is not impossible. Just a lot more tricky. Because the population is so huge and is home grown, the ultimate crossover appeal of Latino teen culture could be wider and even more hard hitting than any cultural crossover in the past.

"It'll be harder to do," says Colon, "but the rewards are a lot bigger."