Al Carlos Hernandez on Hispanic Marketing and Advertising

Al Carlos (AC) Hernandez is an innovator and pioneer in Hispanic media. A San Francisco Mission district native who grew up in the Housing Projects. AC took his street smarts with him, and after graduating High School he excelled in East Bay’s Community College. There he became the Minister of Information for the radical Latino Brown Berets, and was heavily involved with many social issues at the time.

AC has had an impressive career to say the least: first Latino Editor in Chief of the Cal State Hayward Daily newspaper, first Latino to ever graduate as a Mass Communications major at the University, Program Director of KBRG a Spanish language Radio station in San Francisco, Regional editor and featured writer for the first National Latino Magazine “Nuestro”, producer for the Grammy awarding winning Tex Mex act Little Joe y La Familia, Managing Partner of a Million dollar a year Honda/Yamaha franchise in Daly City California, during the dot.com revolution columnist for Latino.com, Picosito.com and Latinolink.com, writer of a narrative for the Los Lobos’ Grammy nominated Children’s CD “Papa’s Dream”, and screenplay writer, along with acclaimed UCLA Documentary film maker Phillip Rodriguez, presently working on a feature film project for Salma Hayek’s Company, as well as some TV development projects.

A 23 year Pacifica resident, AC is a featured weekly columnist on Latinbayarea.com, Latinola.com, and the mega Hispanic online of Florida.  He also is a contributor to the band Tower of Power's web site. His weekly readership is estimated to be somewhere in excess of 250, 000.

While Googlin’ several months ago I ran into AC’s insightful as well as hilarious essay named “Latino Who Doesn't Speak Spanish”, which back then I shared with this blog’s readers. Since then we have been in touch and I have been reading his weekly column. Felt quite compelled to ask for his unreserved, candid, and politically-incorrect views on Latino Marketing, which after some begging (grin), AC agreed to share through Hispanic Trending. You’ll get a kick out of them…

Hispanic Trending: What trends are you observing on the Hispanic market growth?

Al Carlos Hernandez: We live in a post ethnic Hip Hop society, any overt pandering to motherland sensibilities to the modern gen X consumer comes off lame, and contrived. The trend should be towards marketing based on class strata rather than race. Contemporary Latinos consider Dave Chapelle their number one celebrity. No one wants to grow up and talk with an accent like Ricky Ricardo anymore. They would rather sound like Fat Joe.


How do you refer to the largest minority in the country, Latino or Hispanic? Why?

I remember a Nuestro Magazine editors conference in Utah in the early 80s, we helped coin the phrase "Hispanic"… I'm continuing to be apologetic. I read Hispanic as "Historically Fearful" a Tio Taco styled bourgeois catch phrase. I prefer the use of Latino, but when people ask me what I am I usually say "Pentecostal", then they don't ask anymore invasive and didactic questions.


What language should be utilized when marketing to Latinos? Spanish, English, or Spanglish? Why? 

Roughly 70% of Latinos living in this country are born off shore. Marketing should be done in either Spanish or English, combining the two is like driving with one foot on the break and the other on the gas. We experimented with Bi-lingual radio in SF metro, early 80’s and although we received decent numbers, when you’re all Spanish your turn of the English speakers when you do all English you turn off the Spanish cats, when you do Bi-lingual they turn off the radio.


How would you identify the acculturation stages newly-arrived Hispanics go through? How can this knowledge be used to better market to Latinos?

First of all it is the bold and the bravest that come here. Everyone comes with a vision to make a good life and acculturate. I have heard Mojados bumping Chente [Vicente Fernandez], changing the CD listening to Tupac. Young Latinos want to be Hip Hop Americans, and quickly adopt a Black-scent. Marketing people do not realize that you can affect these people if you can codify what they consider Hip. Marketing people who try to service this market, are often Old School Mexican Leisure suits, or second generation Hispanics who want to use the entry level experience in the Hispanic market as a stepping stone to a regular job.


What diversity, if any, do you notice among Hispanics? What would be the main differences among the Hispanic sub-cultures? How do you segment the Latino market?

Diversity with the Latino community is consistent with mainstream American class-ism, if you are educated and paid you don't socialize with someone with a GED and broke by choice, only at obligatory family gatherings. Advertisers and marketers have a supposition that if you speak Spanish they've got you figured out, they don't. Pr's, Cubans, Mexicans, Dominicans , Nicyoas are all different, marketers disrespect them by lumping them all together. The key to getting to them in earnest is class based urban humor, and the banal stupid, silly Univision/Telemundo stuff.


What social and cultural similarities would you say exist among all Hispanics?

La Raza Cosmica has a great sense of family and not in the maudlin sense. We are sensual, expressive, explosive, expressing that in a passive aggressive way through traditional matriarchal channels.


Which source of information would you recommend to someone interested in learning more about the Latino Market?

As a member of the Brown Berets in the 70’s, we were in a community meeting deep in the barrio. There were some Hispanics from the University there to "Advise us". They had all of these formulas and plans about what we where supposed to do given a serious community incident. In the middle of their pontification, a unit commander stood up and asked them, "What street do you live on?" They got up and left because they had nothing more to say.


Hispanics family values vs. Non-Hispanic whites family values? How would you say they differ?

Although I consider myself a non-Hispanic Latino urbanite, I can't credibly contrast white family values because I don't golf. I can say the values advocated in main stream media reflect a certain Limousine Liberal attitude, and Latinos are far more Conservative regarding family values. We don't believe in time out, as much as times up.


Who is doing a great job marketing to Hispanics? Why?

Latinos are extremely product loyal, you can tell which of the corporations that give real Latinos the final word on what authentic. I am impressed with the auto manufactures, the beer people, any cosmetic company that showcases Latinas gets the job done, unless they have the babe eating an enchario.


Who is doing a terrible job marketing to Hispanics Why?

When I was a radio Program Director in San Francisco, there is an axiom that I would teach all of the DJ's. The listener can always tell if you, the DJ, are listening. Hispanics cannot market to Latinos, Latinos can market to Latinos, Hispanic's can market to those who consider themselves Spanish and French.


What should non-Latino businesses do to effectively cater to Hispanics?

Hire Latino consultants or in my case insulatants.


In what industries would you say Hispanics are being undeserved? Do you have an idea/opinion why is that and what could be done (or needs to be done) about it?

Latinos are just like everyone else; there are certain things you need to buy, and will buy them whether they are advertised or not. Those industries who want to grow market share by spending the resources to get Latino consumers to become product loyal are smart. Marketing towards Latinos should be viewed generation-ally based on socio-economic class.


Should businesses have a multicultural/bilingual staff? 

If you ain't from there, you won't get in there. Bi-lingual ism isn't as important as Bi-pluralism, and Bi-Sexual ism if you want to get anything produced in Hollywood.


Which are the most usual misconceptions, bad assumptions and mistakes that you have encountered made by non-Hispanics about Latinos?

We are all good looking.


How do different Hispanic groups (according to their country of origin) interact with each other?

Based on looks.


Should companies offer options to their customers to access their Website/Literature/ Answering Services in Spanish? Why?

English is the language of business and we should all agree to use it no matter what, anything else is pandering to an illegitimate common denominator.


What is your perception regarding Hispanics and their use of general market/English media?

If there were legitimate Latino media executives there would be less didactics.

Comments

[Yvonne DiVita]

Juan, this is a valuable post. I can't get enough of this kind of rapport. Your questions regarding family are especially appealing to me...as a woman. When can we hear from some Latino and Hispanic women, also?

[Abelardo de la Peña Jr.]

LatinoLA.com is proud and privileged to publish Al Carlos' rants, screeds, commentaries, and observations. Mostly enlightening, often infuriating, he doesn't pull punches on the community's or his own foibles. Needs to use spell check more often, though.