Hispanic Representation in Marketing: How to Scale Creator-Led Strategies for Year-Round Impact

The Hispanic community is digitally connected, culturally diverse, and powerfully influential across social media. The youngest major racial and ethnic group in the U.S., 48% of Hispanic people use TikTok daily, and #LatinoTikTok has over 3.9B views. And 60% of this community say what they see on social media influences their purchase decisions.

With the Hispanic community’s buying power projected to double from $1.1 trillion in 2010 to $2.8 trillion by 2026, this is a consumer segment that brands cannot afford to ignore. It goes beyond a need for multicultural representation initiatives: to drive impact and resonate with the cultural powerhouse of Hispanic audiences on social media, brands must foster trust, add value in relevant cultural spaces, and uplift community voices of this vibrant, growing consumer base.

In this article, we connected the strategic savvy of Viral Nation’s creative and influencer marketing experts with the insights of our in-house talent agency to dig into creator-led marketing for the Hispanic community. Here’s how to reach, resonate, and convert Hispanic consumers with authentic brand-creator partnerships.

Hispanic Consumers: What Marketers Are Missing

Earlier this year, Forbes reported on the Hispanic consumer segment and a study commissioned by the We Are All Human Foundation. In asking how much Hispanic respondents felt they were being well-represented by brands, only 45% indicated that their cultural values were being reflected. That’s a decline from the 64% that respondents answered in the same survey, in 2018.

More concerning is the segment of that survey that collected responses from Gen Z specifically: only 41% feel their cultural values are reflected by brands, down from 59% in 2018.

Compare that to the uptick in Latinx pride and the population embracing its heritage, language, values, and diversity more than ever before. Speaking about the study above, We Are All Human Foundation CEO Claudia Romo Edelman told Forbes, 

“… Despite our diversity, we see ourselves as a united community. We are transmitting our culture, telling our own stories, understanding our economic and political power, and learning how to leverage it… We want to see ourselves represented authentically, and we don’t think we are there yet.”

So the gap, at its core, is hardly news to consumers of media: it’s a lack of representation. Despite the growing population, and despite the buying power of the Hispanic community, there’s startlingly little in terms of creator partnerships, targeted campaigns, and overall social marketing strategies specifically intended to speak to this highly influential community.

Here’s Where Creator-Led Marketing Comes In

The shared cultural elements of language, music, and food — not to mention common values, traditions, and life experiences — create a niche where trust is higher, influence is greater, and engagement is unparalleled. For Hispanic content creators, this means their platforms thrive when they are their authentic selves. Shared cultural heritage is a uniting point for their audience that fosters a higher sense of relatability and stronger community bonds.

For brands, this translates into two key points:

1. While the Hispanic community may be a more narrow niche, Hispanic content creators generally see higher engagement levels and lend cultural expertise to brand partnerships. With stronger community ties founded on shared values, Hispanic creators often have more salient insight into the desires, tastes, and buying habits of their audience.
2. Because the cultural connection Hispanic creators build with their audience is founded on a greater level of trust, finding a brand-creator fit for partnerships is more important than ever.

“People want to engage with creators and content that resonates with them personally. Authenticity and genuine connection go a long way in this space. There isn’t enough representation of the Latinx community on social media so it’s very common for members of the Latinx community to support one another. Brands can resonate with their audience by creating content that’s relatable and personable.”

Diego Marin, AKA mr.dmarin, Chicago-based Math teacher and Viral Nation Talent Hispanic content creator.

5 Ways for Brands to Scale Impact with Hispanic Creator Campaigns

1. Know your niches

Don’t stop at “Hispanic community” — consider what space within the Hispanic social media sphere is the best placement for your brand’s message to shine, resonate, and convert. By focusing on the needs and tastes of a well-defined audience, you connect with an existing fan base organically, and they are more prepared to convert based on a higher level of interest.

For example, Viral Nation Talent operates in more than 35 content verticals, connecting brands with the right creator for their campaign: you might connect with a culinary creator known for authentic Latin recipes, a lifestyle creator who often touches on topics that speak to your brand’s purpose, or a family creator whose content strongly represents the tight-knit family bonds that are a common core cultural value. Having a team that speaks directly to creators and knows their audiences, their niche, and their identity inside and out can make all the difference.

2. Partner with intentionality

In an interview, Walmart associate director of multicultural media and content D.J. Vaughn stressed the importance of staying relevant during key cultural moments: “You have to be intentional about your partnerships; it’s not just about who’s hot at the moment.”

Instead of following what’s most popular and jumping on trends, connect your brand’s platform with a creator’s authentic presence to uplift the voices of the community and deliver a memorable message that inspires positive brand sentiment and brand loyalty.  Keep in mind: the Latinx community on social media is 5 times more likely to share content. For reach that connects to your bottom line, look less to the number of followers your creator partner has and more at the content’s relevance to its audience. 

3. Center the creator

Viral Nation’s Talent Agents working in the Latin American space emphasize the greater need for a meaningful brand connection when it comes to Hispanic brand-creator partnerships: “Fans can tell when a creator doesn’t believe in what they’re making, and a product or service that doesn’t align with who they are will stick out like a sore thumb,” said Director of International Talent, Fabio Gonçalves. 

Part of accomplishing a seamless and successful creator campaign is allowing for a level of freedom and creativity. After all, the creator knows their audience better than anyone, having built the following that brands want to speak to.

For Hispanic creators, having the freedom to shape their narrative is especially meaningful: “The more fun we can have making the video, the bigger the chance of making it great.” (Snazzy Carlos, Viral Nation Talent Hispanic lifestyle and humor creator)

4. Put relationships first

As mentioned, marketing initiatives that are tuned in and culturally relevant on a long-term, consistent basis have the opportunity to yield a higher impact. Why? Nielsen’s 2023 study found that 84% of Hispanic consumers favor brands that play a positive role in their community. We’ve covered that when it comes to community, fostering trust and engaging authentically makes all the difference.

5. Spotlight brand ambassadors

Viral Nation’s creative content team highlights the value of investing in ongoing partnerships, rather than one-off campaigns: working within community ecosystems to build strong ties anchored in Hispanic consumers’ values. 

It goes beyond inclusive posts or running targeted ads. Ongoing partnerships with Hispanic creators might involve series-style content or creating an ambassador program to specifically bring together a community of Hispanic creators. Brand ambassador relationships can scale beyond Hispanic Heritage Month to celebrate and speak to cultural touch points throughout the year, such as Semana Santa, Día del Niño, Cinco de Mayo, and Dia de los Muertos, just to name a few. 

Because the Hispanic community thrives on trust and authenticity even more than other niches, ambassador programs provide an evergreen space for continual engagement that simply isn’t possible with one-off influencer partnerships.

Creator-Led and Culturally Resonant Commerce

Empowering Hispanic voices through creator partnerships, ongoing influencer campaigns, and robust ambassador programs is not just a nod to the need for multicultural representation in marketing. It’s a necessity for brands looking to resonate in today’s diverse and audience-centric market.

The buying power, growing influence, and unmatched levels of engagement within the Hispanic community all point to a wider truth for brands to take note of: humanized campaigns, cultural resonance, and sustainable brand growth are interconnected.

By partnering with Hispanic creators and engaging with Hispanic audiences through intentional and ongoing initiatives, brands can increase reach, build trust, and foster positive sentiment — leading to higher ROI and greater loyalty. Ultimately, uplifting the voices of the community for under-represented Hispanic audiences will lead to greater brand resonance and deeper impact, all year round.