Hispanic Heritage Month is in full swing. From September 15 through October 15, tens of millions of Spanish-speaking Americans celebrate their Hispanic roots during a month that includes the independence anniversaries of Mexico, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
For advertisers, this time period also presents a powerful opportunity to reach Spanish-speaking consumers in the weeks leading up to the frenzied holiday shopping season. According to the United States Census Bureau, the Hispanic population comprises nearly 20% of the country’s populace — making Spanish-speaking audiences a key part of any mass media plan.
To learn how brands can more effectively market to this crucial constituency, we analyzed the efficacy of every ad that aired on 15 Spanish-language TV (SLTV) networks from January 2020 through August 2023. Using our database of national TV ad airings and our proprietary predictive model, we measured how likely each ad was to compel viewers to engage with the brand online in the minutes after airing.
What we found is that a growing number of brands are advertising on SLTV networks — and they’re being rewarded with growing consumer engagement. Indeed, the number of brands advertising on SLTV networks jumped 13% from 2020 to 2022, and the average ad airing on an SLTV network this year was 26% more effective than the average SLTV network ad in 2022.
Read on to learn which brands are capitalizing on these highly engaged viewers, as well as the powerful combination of running Spanish-language ads on Spanish-language TV networks like Univision and Telemundo.
Lowe’s Hammers Out Strong Engagement with SLTV Viewers
Home Improvement giant Lowe’s was one of the biggest investors in ads aimed at reaching the 63.7 million Spanish speakers in the U.S. — and the data suggests they’re receiving a powerful return on investment. The home-improvement chain’s SLTV ads were 33% more likely to drive brand engagement on a per-person, per-second basis this year than the ads it aired on English-language TV networks.
This year, the top-performing Spanish-language Lowe’s ad was a 15-second spot promoting its loyalty program, a creative that generated 55% more engagement than the brand’s average SLTV ad in 2023.
Other brands overperforming with Spanish-language audiences include Walmart (22% more effective than the brand’s average 2023 English-language TV ad) Domino’s (13%), Dove (11%), and Verizon Wireless (7%).
Language Matters When Advertising on SLTV
Savvy advertisers on SLTV networks know that Spanish speakers take pride in their native language — and they use this insight to engage viewers more effectively. During the first half of 2023, the average Spanish-language ad on an SLTV network outperformed the average English-language ad on these same channels by 10%.
This trend has remained consistent dating back to at least 2021, when Spanish-language ads on SLTV networks outperformed those in English by 7%.
En Español o Inglés, EDO Has You Covered
In a new report from Wells Fargo and the non-profit Latino Donor Collective, experts estimate that if U.S. Latinos were their own country, their $3.2 trillion GDP would rank them fifth in the world, ahead of countries like the United Kingdom, India, and France.
Needless to say, brands need an effective, data-driven plan to engage this audience all year round — before, during, and after Hispanic Heritage Month. With EDO’s investment-grade outcome data, marketers can identify the dayparts, networks, and creative messages that are proven to inspire Spanish-speaking viewers to engage with their brands.
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