Tripp Co. Creative's Blog

Hispanics are the United States’ largest growing demographic. Making up a whopping 15% of the nation’s population and looking to jump to 30% by the year 2050, it goes without saying that marketing towards Hispanics is essential for any and all businesses. In fact, companies like Target, Allstate and JC Penny’s have all invested more than 10% of their marketing budget towards Hispanics.

It is integral that businesses today, large and small, focus on welcoming the Hispanic population as a part of their marketing campaigns. In order to target this market, time must be taken to research this ever thriving population effectively.

Cultural diversity amongst Latinos

The Hispanic/Latino community within the U.S. is largely made up of persons from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, The Dominican Republic, Spain and other Spanish speaking countries in Central and South America. Although they are all unified by language, many of these countries have their own unique idioms and cultures that separate them from each other. It is within these sub-cultures that extensive research must be done to help keep the focus on the population as a whole, without excluding anyone. Focusing on the Hispanic cultures view of family for example, and their strong ties with religion, can help keep the campaign focus on this ever growing population.

Utilizing appropriate media tools

Hispanic households tend to be very culturally diverse in and of themselves. Many households have more than one generation residing within its walls. With different generations also come language preferences. Older generations tend to stick with the traditional Spanish language; younger ones go for a mixture of Spanish and English, typically dubbed Spanglish. With this assimilation also comes the use of newer more innovative media technology such as mobile media and social media networks. While the amount of Hispanic households that watch television are ever increasing, so too are those households whose individuals utilize face book, twitter and viral video. It is therefore of essence that marketing campaigns focus on using these media tools in order to reach out to target audiences.

Understanding bilingual campaigns

It is of great importance when focusing on bilingual campaigns, that the integrity of both languages is upheld. So many times, phrases in English are translated into Spanish literally, and lose their meaning completely.  Even worse, the meaning changes so significantly that the message because more of a joke or sometimes offensive. We are all familiar with the Dairy Association’s iconic “Got Milk?” campaign. Unfortunately for them, when the campaign was translated, it asked the Latino market ““Are you Lactating?”

So how do you get started?

Tripp Co. Creative has bilingual staff members waiting to assist you with all your Hispanic/Latino campaign needs. Let us be your eyes and ears into this rich culture and allow you to better implement techniques for marketing to the Spanish-speaking world. Tripp Co. Creative expertos en mercadeo y publicidad.

What’s the difference you ask? Well let’s look at the proper definition first:

Customer:
1. a person who purchases goods or services from a store or business.

Client:
1. a person or group using the professional advice or services of a lawyer, accountant, advertising agency, architect, etc.

To us, the choice is clear. We are looking for “clients”. If YOU want to present your business in the best light and have truly creative solutions that propel you in the marketplace, you should be looking for an agency that wants a relationship and not just someone out to do what you tell them (no matter how wrong or misguided it may be) then snatch your money and run.

Still unclear?

Let me tell you a little fable:

Once upon a time, a small creative services firm had someone approach them asking for a logo, marketing materials and a website. Being a small agency it’s difficult to turn away work, so the firm took the job. Right away the customer was negotiating and him-hawing about the rate they quoted and then the client claimed he/she was a graphic designer and photographer so he/she knew exactly what he/she was doing and what he/she wanted—he/she just didn’t have time to do it him/herself. All the while this client is degrading what the creative firm does for a living and keeps saying “no offense” after every offensive thing he/she says. Ever hopeful they would prove him wrong, the creative firm kept steering the ship into rough waters. Then the client’s spouse gets involved… BUM BUM BUM BUMMMMMM.

So long story short, the firm provides several different logo options because the client was wanting to update their image. And then the client changes his/her mind and decides he/she likes elements of the old, horrendous logo and wants to merge the two. Then, after the creative firm spends several hours on the option that merged the old and new, the client tells the firm he/she wants all new options “just to be sure”.

This is an example of a customer. If that firm were a restaurant, this customer would be the complainer that sends everything back and then bellyaches to management in hopes of getting a free meal.

We provide creative services and advice on marketing tactics, etc. We really want the relationship between us and the client to be mutual and respectful. That way we can learn about your business, your needs and challenges and how to solve them. If you just want a logo created from a sketch you’ve done on a receipt for a Big Mac, we are probably not going to be a good fit for you and you are probably not going to benefit as much as you could if you were open to the advice and solutions we can provide.

Am I the only one that has noticed that many of the “branding experts” and “marketing gurus” have, shall we say, less than stellar Web sites and marketing materials?

Come on guys (and gals). If you are going to the top of the mountain to preach at us that you know the way to marketing and creative Valhalla, please please please walk the walk. If you are going to proclaim you are a tattoo artist, make sure you aren’t drawing stick figures.

I understand that you are strapped for time. I get it. Starting a business is a time suck. Maybe your argument is cash. Fine. Then don’t put on your site that you do “cutting edge design work” when your web presence looks like something straight out of the AOL era.

Don’t get me wrong… I am not saying that our website is the shizzle (like my use of youngster vernacular there?), but I’d like to think it has some style and flair and is an accurate tattoo that represents who we are and what a client can expect from us.

And for those of you out there that are preparing to hire these firms, ask yourself this question; If your car was broken, would you hire a vacuum salesman to fix it?

So I’m sitting here in my office this morning and catching up on all the daily news. I got a logo concept out to a client and thoroughly enjoyed a pot of coffee already (That’s right a pot! Give me a break. I gave up smoking in January.) and then it hit me… “It sure is quiet today!” Not many emails coming through. The phone is all but silent. What is going on?

Usually this would be a fleeting thought, but i checked my calendar and noticed the date; FRIDAY THE 13TH!!!! Could this be the explanation? Do people not want to do business on this “haunted” day? Since I had the time, I went ahead an did some Googling.

According to an article posted on statesman.com, Henry Ford himself was afraid of this day. Apparently  so were quite a few Presidents. Well hell! If these “great men of power” were concerned, perhaps lil’ ole’ me should be as well! Why did i get out of bed? What now?

Face it, I’m screwed.

Although I jest, Friday the 13th really does strike fear into the hearts of many. How one little day on a Dilbert® calendar can do so much damage is beyond me, but it is a serious problem for most businesses across the country… and they may not even know it. According to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute, an estimated 17 to 21 million people suffer from a fear of this day. That number comes with another estimate — a financial loss of $800 to $900 million in business productivity.

I’m not sure how much I buy into the whole superstition game. But just in case, I locked my black cat in the closet for the day*, put away all X-acto® knives throughout the office and cancelled my plans to drive to Starbucks® and get a Venti Mocha Frapp. I guess I should look on the bright-side; at least this doesn’t have anything to do with the other well known Friday the 13th… or does it? NOTE TO SELF – don’t go anywhere alone today either, especially an abandoned campground.

*please note – no animals were actually locked in a closet for the making of this blog… yet

So let’s put aside the more advanced options when it comes to web 2.0 marketing: widgets, sites, podcasts, vlogs, custom apps, etc.  Let’s, for now, just concentrate on the basics: blogging, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and so on.

“But aren’t all those things free?” you ask. And you are right. As far as out-of-pocket costs go, these options can be free or very low cost. But there is a hidden cost that, if not taken into account, can derail your efforts and all your hopes and dreams for social media nirvana. That cost comes in the form of time commitment. Not many people are prepared for the amount of time that will need to be invested in order to consistently market themselves or their businesses through social media.

We are guilty of it here. We set out with the best intentions. “We’re going to blog once a week Tweet twice a week and set up a Facebook page with the goal of 100 fans.” So here we are blogging about the lack of blogging, I forgot to log onto Twitter last week and Facebook is really coming along well (I now know my horoscope for the week, won a few fights in Mafia Wars and started my own farm).

Now I know all you marketing managers out there are all up in arms! “So what’s the ROI for this ‘cost’ you speak of?” I know this answer is going to be scary for you, so if you need to, sit down: Measuring ROI for social networking can be difficult because, in many cases,  the returns you get are not immediate and do not directly impact the bottom line. Tweeting or FaceBooking does not always give instantaneous results, but you are networking. And Networking is a valid slice of the business development pie.

So the lesson here: when you are setting out on the social networking highway, make sure to allocate time to the process. Know that it takes time to cultivate those relationships. This isn’t a one night stand sort of deal. There needs to be some courting and some wooing. Also have a solid idea of what you want to achieve from the effort – and be realistic! You’re sales aren’t going to increase by 500%, but you may get someone interested in subscribing to your newsletter or RSS feed or just make someone aware of your company that didn’t know you before. Realize it’s okay to be vague when measuring the ROI of your efforts. And most of all, be authentic. Don’t come off as frigid, indifferent or formal.

And just like a diet, it’s okay to fail at first. If you fall off the Web 2.0 horse, get back on. The effort will usually pay off in the end.

There. I said it. How has this word, that has such negative connotations, become so infused into the business vernacular? Oh I get the implication here. A “brand” should make an indelible impression on the consumer. Fine.

My only complaint with the term is the process of getting branded in real life hurts and then afterward you are left with nothing but a horrible, ugly scar that sometimes only vaguely represents what you meant it to be.

I propose we start using a new word. Now what would that word be? Stain? Nah—sounds messy and unwanted. Engraving? Hmmm… sounds nice but not quite right.

Tattoo!!! That’s perfect! A tattoo is considered a work of art. There may be a little pain involved up front, but you are left with something much more elegant and thought out than a nasty burn scar. Plus, let’s face it, tattoos are cooler than ever.

We could even take this line of thought further… over time, tattoos fade and need a little refreshing. Or maybe the content becomes out of date and you need to create a new one but keep pieces of the old (note to self—don’t tattoo someone’s name on your arm again).

WOW!  Why have we not been using this term? I say we start a grassroots effort to change the terminology.

I just Googled it. It looks like someone beat me to it. It’s good to know there are others out there. If we all make an effort, we could eventually stomp out the use of the cruel word “branding” and replace it with the cool word “tattooing”. Let’s start converting! And think about how happy PETA would be.

… and your brother. And your sister and so on. 

We all know them. Those creative firms that have a “look”. Those firms that, when you see a piece of theirs, you say “Oh, that must me Hyper Grunge Agency.” We have them around here (St. Louis that is). Everyone knows what they do and everyone knows that versatility is not their strong point. And yet clients still go to them and the end product looks just like everything else their shop spits out.

Don’t get me wrong. I am all for formulaic. I am a firm believer of sticking with what works and not throwing the baby out with the bath water and all that crap. But here’s my question: If an ad they do for a construction company looks essentially the same as an ad they do for, let’s say, a cancer center, is it resonating with the right audience? If both ads “speak” in the same tone, are they talking to or talking at the reader? 

Formulaic works just fine in bar tending. Afterall, there’s nothing worse than a overly-liquored mojito. But in your marketing efforts, you should be trying to target your messaging to your audience(s) and your agency should respect that idea. If your creative firm is delivering the same solutions time and time again (to you and their other clients), they only have their interest at heart and not yours or your customer’s.