A common thread exists between the Hispanic community and the LGBT community: classification. Most Hispanics are not Hispanic and most LGBTs are not LGBTs.

Let’s start with the Hispanic community. Latino vs. Hispanic. Ahh, the eternal debate. To call us Latinos vs. Hispanics. There are many definitions for both terms: 
       Latino
           1 – a person of Latin-American descent
           2 – a person of  Spanish-speaking descent
           3 – a person’s who’s country of origin’s native tongue roots from Latin
       Hispanic
           1 – is used to refer to modern Spain
           2 – is used to refer to the Spanish-speaking nations of the Americas

It has been my experience that most consumers seem to think that the term Hispanic relates only to descendants of Spaniards, whereas the term Latino(a) refers to people from Latin America. As you can see from the definitions above, both assumptions are correct. I, personally, have always suspected a certain correlation between socioeconomic classes and the terms Latino, Hispanic and others such as Chicano. Lesson: use both Hispanic and Latino interchangeably. I try to do this in my work and casual conversations with people.

The greater challenge lies in the more than 10, even 20 places of origin that would classify someone as “Hispanic” or “Latino.” Cuban, Venezuelan, Mexican – we are all very different people, with extremely different traditions, cultures and even dialects – yeah – Spanish dialects!  You don’t hear the same “Spanish” in Texas, Northern Mexico or Central Mexico. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Although translation of certain English language material is usually a good first step, it doesn’t end there. Reaching Latinos/Hispanics across America takes a little more than that – a lot more, actually – but to keep this brief, it takes tailoring your material. A bit of psychology can also be effective in reaching your Hispanic target. For example, most (88%) Hispanics identify as their country of origin first instead of just “Hispanic.” Taking this information into account, a good message may use the word “Hispanic” but a better message may use the name of the country of origin “Ecuadorians…”

As marketing to Hispanics has grown in practice, we see this sort of “further segmentation” more and more in marketing plans. Our clients will now ask us to help them identify their re-defined Hispanic target (i.e., Mexican Americans in California vs. a more diverse audience in Miami – but with far less Mexican Americans, etc.)

In regards to LGBTs – well, there is a lot packaged into that acronym. Let’s take a closer look: 
    L – Lesbian – pertaining to, or characteristic of female homosexuality
    G – Gay – of, indicating, or supporting homosexual interests or a homosexual person esp. a male.
    B – Bisexual – sexually responsive to both sexes; ambisexual.
    T – Transgender - An umbrella term that refers to people whose biological and gender identity or expression may not be the same.

There are various definitions here and a lot of different characteristics, traditions, culture even family definitions and religions. If you are close to the “LGBT” community, you know there are “sub-categories” such as “queen,” “butch” and “femme”. Most members of the LGBT community will identify only as one of the descriptors that make up the acronym; some may identify themselves with two. Some conservative gays and lesbians (yes, they do exist) may cringe at the fact that the bisexuals and transgenders are included in their same grouping. It could be a major turnoff to generalize and group these vibrant and diverse individuals into one; just as it can be with the Hispanic community.

So, what now? How do you reach and connect with LGBTs? You can start by doing some homework. Talk to some experts. The good thing is that through the growth of LGBT marketing, we are already seeing the organic development of a guideline of sorts; just as it has with Hispanic marketing. We’ve  blogged about this a bit in the past as well. There is also some good research out there on how “LGBT’s” identify. For example, 60 percent of LGBT individuals prefer that marketers refer to the “community” as “Gay & Lesbian” according to a 2007 study from Community Marketing Inc. In another CMI report, a majority of Lesbians also prefer “that the community be addressed as ‘gay and lesbian.’”

The correlation within grouping between Hispanics and LGBTs is very clear. Both communities have communications preferences – some clear and other marginally preferred - so tailoring your messages and properly identifying your audience will make a stronger impact. By taking the time to change a couple of words in a message your message will become one of sensitivity, careful consideration and understanding of your consumer.

Keep checking back with us, and feel free to reach out individually. And of course, your insight, comments and perspectives are always welcome.

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