When brands decide to rebrand and why this matters to the Hispanic consumer.

For companies targeting Hispanic consumers, rebranding can be an impactful way to update their relevance, broaden their appeal, and show their commitment to evolving with this important market.

But it needs to be backed up by tangible actions and engagement.

Rebrand like you mean it.

There are a few common reasons why companies may decide to rebrand, especially when targeting the Hispanic market:

• To modernize their image and appeal to a younger, more diverse demographic. As the Hispanic population in the US grows and evolves, brands may want to project a more contemporary, multicultural look and feel.
• To unite multiple brands/offerings under one unified brand identity. As companies expand into new products or services aimed at Hispanics, rebranding can bring everything under one coherent brand umbrella.
• To distance themselves from negative associations or controversy. If a brand has been criticized for stereotyping or lacking cultural awareness, rebranding can help signal a new direction.
• To reflect a shift in company values or priorities. Branding communicates a company’s mission and values. Rebranding allows refreshing this to resonate with Hispanic consumers.
• To differentiate in a competitive market. With many brands competing for the growing Hispanic market, rebranding can help a company stand out and create a unique, culturally-relevant position.
• To communicate expanded offerings or new capabilities. Rebranding to expand beyond original products/services and appeal to Hispanics’ evolving preferences.
• To enter new geographical markets. When expanding into new regions/countries, rebranding can help adapt and localize a brand for that audience.

As our society continues to grow more ethnically and culturally diverse, brands need to evolve their messaging, visuals, and values to resonate across multiple demographics.

An important first step is auditing your current brand identity and marketing – look critically at the language used, images depicted, and experiences represented. Ensure the diversity of your target audience is genuinely reflected.

From there, brands should involve cultural consultants and community figures to advise on cultivating an inclusive, multicultural brand. Work closely with diverse teams and creators when conceptualizing campaigns. Seek input from diverse focus groups, not just through surveys but in-depth conversations to truly understand modern cultural perspectives and values.

Not all Spanish means the same. We’ve spoken about this at length in other posts. The word “concha” is a delicious pastry in México, but you’ll catch some hands if you say it, especially without context, in other parts of Central/South America and the Caribbean.

When selecting spokespeople, influencers, models and partners, showcase diversity in ethnicity, age, body type, sexuality, ability, and background. Ensure representation goes beyond surface-level casting and has a tangible impact on creative direction. Strive for authenticity, not tokenism.

Engaged Peso Pluma fans speak differently than Bad Bunny fans.

Though there will certainly be overlap, the core fans are fundamentally different.

Messaging must connect across cultures. Avoid generalization and cliches. Lean into specific cultural moments and touch-points that organically resonate vs relying on tropes. Use market research to identify shared modern values and lifestyle aspects that translate across demographics.

The film Roma can easily be enjoyed without dialogue.

Visuals should feature inclusive settings and scenarios. Spotlight multicultural friend groups, neighborhoods, activities, and fashion without stereotyping. User-generated content and employee spotlights allow showcasing authentic diversity.

Commit to proactive, ongoing education on cultural sensitivity for marketing teams. Establish processes for vetting content, language and visuals to safeguard against misappropriation. Be willing to pause and adjust campaign elements that could be damaging. Own up to missteps sincerely.

Ultimately, multicultural brand relevance stems from internal decisions and representation. Ensure staff, leadership and core values reflect the audience you seek to serve. Progress cannot happen without diverse voices influencing every level of the process. Do the ongoing work to evolve.