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POV: U.S. Hispanic Food & Cooking Insights

Copyright © 2013 by Culturati Research & Consulting, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Importance of Food & Cooking

  • Cooking and baking are a big part of everyday life for U.S. Hispanic (USH) women.
    • Most USH women really enjoy cooking, with it being one of their primary responsibilities as the woman of the household;
    • Some like trying new recipes, but many tend to cook most of their meals based on recipes they have memorized (“tried and true,” usually traditional Hispanic recipes); and
    • Most see the kitchen as the most important room in the household – where everyone can come together to dine and enjoy family time.
  • Food is about so much more than eating for USH consumers. When thinking about “food” within the context of food preparation for the family, it is about expressing her love, sense of achievement/satisfaction, and self-expression/creativity. Specifically, cooking and providing quality meals for her family enable her to:
    • Feel like a good mom (gatekeeper / responsible for serving “healthy” meals for her family); and
    • Feel like a good provider since she is able to manage the family’s budget wisely when buying food products.
  • For Unacculturated USH consumers, cooking is considered to be a pleasurable experience; an important aspect of being a mother and a housewife. Consumers describe it as an exciting responsibility that gives them great satisfaction.
  • For Bicultural USH consumers, cooking is mainly considered to be a chore; an activity which they seek to accomplish with the least amount of time and effort.
    • They often seek ways to spend less time in the kitchen and more “quality time” with their children and themselves.

Approach to Cooking, Meals & Snacking

  • The USH woman’s cooking patterns begin to evolve once in the U.S., from a more food-oriented life in her home country (time to cook and plan meals, more meals shared with the family) to that of a perspective more focused on convenience (more on-the-go, eating on your own).
    • However, being involved in the cooking process continues to be extremely relevant to her because this gives her an opportunity to express her love and care for others.
  • Upon arrival to the United States, USH consumers continue with the eating habits and traditions from their home countries. However, as they become more accustomed to life in the U.S., they begin adapting American meal schedules in order to be more practical and keep up with the faster-paced style of life.
  • In their home countries, they typically have more time to cook/prepare food/meals, and therefore tend to eat “meals” more often throughout the day. Their daily meals are typically structured as follows in their home country:
    • Breakfast: Generally a light meal; regarded as a very important meal that will help them make the most out of their day. Usually enjoyed as a family (or at least among children and mom when the dad has to work).
      • Different from most General Market consumers, USH consumers continue to prioritize a sit-down breakfast, even as they become accustomed to life in the United States – this family time continues to be very important to them. However, they do in fact streamline this meal by switching over to more convenient and practical food options such as cereal or oatmeal, versus cooking a more time consuming breakfast from scratch, such as eggs and ham.
    • Almuerzo or Lonche: Usually a small meal between breakfast and “la comida,” typically eaten at school or work around 11:30am or 12:00pm to hold them over until their main meal around 2:00pm.
      • Upon acclimation to the American pace of life, many USH consumers tend to replace this meal with a snack that they can easily eat on-the-go, or possibly an earlier and/or lighter version of “la comida.”
    • Lunch (La comida): Referred to as “la comida,” is often the main meal of the day for Hispanics in their countries of origin – typically taking place around 2:00pm. In many Latin American countries, it is customary for adult family members and children to come home from work or school for about two hours to be together for this meal.
      • Some U.S. Hispanics seek to maintain this tradition in the U.S., although they may have this big meal either earlier or later in the day to account for American work and school schedules.
    • Supper/Dinner (cena/merienda): From regular dinner (for those with full work schedule) to light snack/supper (even a bowl of cereal) for those eating a heavier meal earlier in the day (i.e., “la comida”).
      • For the most part, dinner in the U.S. takes on some of the Latin-American “comida” attributes. e.g., biggest meal of the day, everyone sits at the table, etc.
      • Given the U.S. lifestyle, Hispanics become accustomed to having the “big” meal of the day in the late afternoon/evening vs. midafternoon, as is customary in their countries of origin.
  • As mentioned above, most USH consumers are accustomed to eating more meals throughout the day in their home countries, as well as the larger midday meal (i.e., “la comida”). As such, there is less of a need for snacking in their countries of origin; this is typically an uncommon practice and only happens on special occasions when they want a special “indulgence.”
    • However, upon arrival to the United States and as they begin to adopt the American approach to meals and pace of life, USH consumers slowly begin incorporating snacking into their consumption habits in order to fill the greater time that passes between meals.
    • These USH consumers often learn about snacking from their children, doctors, television and WIC in the United States.
  • In the U.S., they learn that snacking could be beneficial when “good” snacks are chosen.
    • “Good” snacks: fruit, bars, cereal, nuts and yogurt.
    • “Bad” snacks: chips, cookies, candy and chocolate.
  • When it comes to snacking, her goal is to snack with a purpose as opposed to mindless snacking. The primary benefits to snacking are curbing her appetite, avoiding temptation, avoiding overeating and controlling her anxiety.
  • The optimal snack will satisfy hunger but also strike a balance between healthy and delicious.
    • However, she has to deal with the issue that kids believe that anything that is healthy or good for them will probably not taste good. Snacking for her kids is usually happening in instances when she wants to curb their hunger (until dinner for example) – simply so they do not have an empty stomach.
      • As such, when choosing snacks for her kids, flavor typically dictates her choice. She tries to balance flavor with health benefits when possible.
    • When snacking with guests or friends, she prioritizes flavor and tends to choose less healthy options. Soda is kept in fridge more for visits than for everyday consumption; another example are “chicharrón” (fried pork skin) and “cueritos” (pork parts).

Approach to Ingredients & Shopping

  • She believes that fresh natural food is healthy and tasty, and this remains a cornerstone of her cooking patterns and preferences that she acquired from her home country.
  • While she generally tries to incorporate fresh and natural (i.e., healthy) foods into her meals, she becomes even more aware of the connection between food and health once arriving to the United States.
    • The awareness of the connection between food and health is often sparked in the context of her children’s wellbeing, and is supported by information she receives from established sources such as doctors, school, WIC program, news or community organizations.
  • Her preference for fresh and natural products impacts the stores at which she shops; she wants to see whole, natural ingredients, engage her senses, and purchase fresh quality meats and produce.
    • In the context of dry goods such as grains and cereal, she looks for clearly visible, non-processed ingredients – both on the package and in the product itself.
  • She is highly reliant on sensorial information (touch, smell, see) in-store, especially when it comes to the food category.
    • She will rely on packaging for information about a product’s flavor appeal in store, in the aisle and at the moment of purchase. Because she will rely on what she can see, she often gravitates towards packaging that highlight/showcase the ingredients she knows are both delicious and healthy for her family.
    • As such, it will be key for food brands to provide strong and abundant visual cues about the ingredients to clearly communicate the taste profile and engage her appetite (and her children’s) for natural goodness that is tasty and not too sweet.

NEWS: Introducing Culturati’s New U.S. Hispanic Acculturation Model!

Research Shows That More Than 40% of U.S. Hispanics are Not Being Effectively Reached with Today’s Acculturation Models

San Diego, California, October 18, 2012

Marketers are missing an opportunity of more than $670 billion from Bicultural U.S. Hispanics according to a new study released by Culturati Research & Consulting, Inc. (Culturati). The study, a partnership with Procter & Gamble and Kraft Foods, is the authoritative research on U.S. Hispanic consumer segments and delivers breakthrough knowledge that enables marketers to stretch the reach of their Spanish and English-language marketing efforts.

This groundbreaking study indicates that U.S. Hispanics no longer follow the traditional path of acculturation and, therefore, traditional acculturation models based solely on language and demographics do not effectively segment the U.S. Hispanic population – and in particular, the unique Bicultural segments. As such, a new segmentation model is needed in order to understand their distinct identities and values, and how these in turn shape their acculturation process – or even their retroacculturation process.

Culturati’s new attitudes-based acculturation model has uncovered three critical U.S. Hispanic segments: Latinistas, who represent the more Culturally Hispanic consumers, and Heritage Keepers and Savvy Blenders who together represent the Bicultural group of over 14.7 million U.S. Hispanics, or 43% of the total adult U.S. Hispanic population. These three segments present opportunities to more effectively connect with the U.S. Hispanic population and turn insight into foresight by leveraging current Spanish-language communications to embrace the more progressive Biculturals who consume primarily Spanish media (Heritage Keepers), and by optimizing English-language communications to advocate for cultural diversity and the pride English-preferred Biculturals (Savvy Blenders) feel for their cultural duality.

“It is time to look at the U.S. Hispanic population through a more focused lens. Doing this will be critical for the success and growth strategy of brands in today’s diverse consumer universe,” said Marissa Romero-Martin, Culturati’s President and Founder. “This new segmentation model reflects the reality of the U.S. Hispanic consumer market; it is based on attitudes, not demographics, similar to those created for General Market,” she added.

The study consisted of 43 in-depth qualitative sessions and comprehensive quantitative interviews of more than 1,000 Hispanics and a benchmark of 200 General Market consumers across the United States. Interviews were completed in late 2011 and the results are available in syndication as of Q4 2012.

Culturati is a full-service market research and consulting firm founded in 2004. With headquarters in San Diego, California, Culturati conducts in-person and online qualitative and quantitative research for the nation’s Fortune 100 marketers with a specialty in U.S. multicultural segments.

The New U.S. Hispanic Bicultural Reality

For additional information on this topic, please contact:

Patrick Elms, Director, Research and Advanced Analytics
Culturati Research & Consulting, Inc.
858-792-0500 ext.18
Patrick.Elms@CulturatiResearch.com

POV: Performance of celebrities, brand ambassadors and brand characters in targeting the U.S. Hispanic Market

 

Culturati is a cross-cultural, market research & consulting firm that specializes in the U.S. Hispanic market. Over the years, its researchers have interfaced with thousands of U.S. Hispanic consumers & shoppers.  The firm offers great value add to its client through U.S. Hispanic insights expertise and inherent understanding of the various Hispanic segments that compose this burgeoning U.S. Hispanic population.

 

  • Incorporating the use of celebrities, brand ambassadors and brand characters when targeting U.S. Hispanic (USH) consumers is a successful strategy to improve brand awareness and recognition, and to help establish a more direct (or personal) connection with a brand.
    • This is particularly relevant for USH consumers because generally speaking, having spent many years in their countries of origin many do not have the history with “American” brands and “American” advertising.
    • Additionally, warmth and connectedness are two Hispanic core values that are leveraged with this strategy.

 

CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENTS:

A successful celebrity endorsement can give the brand instant credibility.  To maximize the potential for success, the celebrity needs to meet the following criteria:

  • Be recognizable (although not necessarily by name)

-   The first and perhaps most critical factor in a successful celebrity endorsement – one that may be obvious but not always present.

  • Be relatable

-   The celebrity must be someone who consumers can identify with.

-   For Hispanics, they can more easily relate to Hispanic celebrities; whether they are foreign-born, first or second generation, is irrelevant – what matters most is that they are connected to their Hispanic culture/roots.

-   However, if the celebrities speak Spanish, they are more relatable to those who are Spanish-preferred, even in print ads where they do not have to speak.

  • Be likeable and perceived as approachable

-   These go hand in hand with relate-ability as consumers want someone who they hold in high regard, who is inspirational, charismatic, easy to talk to, etc.

  • Be admired/aspirational

-   Ideally, the celebrity would not only be likeable and approachable but most importantly, aspirational in relation to the category (e.g., in Beauty, be perceived as beautiful, having exceptionally beautiful hair, natural or younger-looking skin, etc.).

  • “Fit” the brand

-   A celebrity should have some type of association/connection to the brand or its category, and this association should be clear to the audience. The celebrity should have needs that are similar to that of the target audience or their personality/characteristics should fit within those of the brand.  For example, a celebrity needs to be a mom/be perceived as a dedicated or loving mom in order to have credibility within the Baby Care category.

 

BRAND AMBASSADORS/SPOKEPERSON:

  • Successful brand ambassadors, such as the Verizon guy or the Orbit girl can help brands be more easily identifiable.  However, as with celebrity endorsements, a brand ambassador must “fit” the brand in order to be perceived as credible.
    • The brand ambassador should be someone who embodies the brand being endorsed (i.e., shares the same values, style and personality).
  • From a more executional standpoint, it is recommended that, if using a celebrity as a brand ambassador, he or she plays himself/herself and not a character.  Seeing a celebrity play a character in a commercial may trump credibility and create confusion, especially for the less acculturated consumers who tend to take messages rather literally.

 

BRAND CHARACTERS:

  • Brand characters can be extremely successful at improving brand recognition.
    • Given a generalized lower level of familiarity with brands available in the U.S. and given the language barrier, having a character associated with a brand helps improve brand recall as well as recognition at shelf.
    • Being more sensorial and due to the language barrier, USH consumers (particularly those less acculturated) generally rely on visual cues to help identify and differentiate products.  Having a character associated to the brand facilitates brand/product “findability” at shelf.
  • However, as with celebrity endorsement and brand ambassadors, brand characters need to meet the following criteria in order to be relevant:
    • Be distinguishable;
    • Be visually appealing; and
    • Bring the brand’s equities (or desired ones) to life by having parallel characteristics with the brand.
  • Brand characters are also helpful at dispelling any ambiguity in a product, e.g., the Honey Nut Cheerios bee character helps clarify the honey in Honey Nut Cheerios by communicating ‘miel de abeja’, not just ‘miel’ (syrup).

NEWS: Culturati has moved to a new office!

Culturati has moved to a new office and is pleased to launch its new website!
You now have the opportunity to Meet the Culturati and see who we are, and read about our shared passion for culture and cross-cultural understanding.  Be sure to see Our Work, including our Thinking & Expertise, and Services to get a better idea of what Culturati has to offer.

Our new office is located at the beautiful Hacienda Del Mar building at 12625 High Bluff Drive., Suite 218, San Diego, CA 92130.