Thread: Spanish ads play against the fight to stop Illegals

http://www.sbsun.com/business/ci_4905513


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Ads to lure Latinos big biz
Critics say promotions undermine efforts to curb illegal immigration
By Elizabeth Aguilera, The Denver Post
Article Launched: 12/27/2006 12:00:00 AM PST


As debate swirls over illegal immigration and assimilation, U.S. businesses are spending more than ever to engage Spanish-speaking consumers.
Wielding almost $750 billion in annual spending power, Latinos are captivating corporate America.

The 500 largest print and television advertisers in the U.S. spent $5 billion last year in Spanish-language marketing - a 42 percent increase since 2003.

Those dollars translate into a greater presence of Spanish in mainstream media. Whether it's in telemarketing, customer service, billboards, product packaging or television, where you see or hear English, a Spanish equivalent usually follows.

Critics say Spanish-focused promotions and services undermine efforts to give illegal immigrants fewer incentives to stay in America and weaken efforts to get legal immigrants to assimilate and learn English.

Executives and economists say it's good business to cater to Latinos, the fastest-growing minority group in the U.S., particularly those whose dominant language is Spanish.

The census estimates that of the 42.7 million Hispanics living in the U.S., about 17 percent are undocumented and 40 percent are foreign-born.

Still, companies have had


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their brushes with anti-immigration forces.
Companies are facing mandates to verify employees' legal status and hefty fines for hiring undocumented workers. In Colorado, voters approved a law last month that cuts tax deductions from companies that knowingly hire undocumented workers.

But business executives say critics of Latino-focused marketing only consider part of the equation & taxes and services & and fail to recognize the billions of dollars that both legal and illegal immigrants contribute to the economy as consumers.

That buying power has several major companies, including Wal-Mart, lobbying Congress for immigration reform that includes a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants.

"We're a place where many people shop, including people whose status (is) unclear," said Wal-Mart spokesman Bill Wertz. "Any issue that affects as many people as this does is an issue that affects our business to some extent."

Latino families now outspend non-Latino families in food, apparel, health and beauty, long-distance phone and prepaid wireless products, according to several marketing studies.

Major companies are responding in a variety of ways:

Wal-Mart will begin stocking stores in high-minority markets with ethnic products. The retailer relies on marketing and signs in several languages and offers low-cost payroll cashing and money transfers, services that are particularly popular among Latinos.

Hyundai Motor America recently launched a new advertising campaign in Spanish called "Respect," its latest Spanish-language ad campaign in the U.S.

Wells Fargo Bank has opened 750,000 bank accounts since 2001 with matricula consular cards from the Mexican, Argentinean, Guatemalan and Colombian consulates. Foreign consulates issue the cards as a form of identification.

Ford Motor Co.'s investment in Spanish marketing has doubled over the past five years.

Thats were Americans have the power, simply boycott these companies and watch their stocks fall.

Latino families now outspend non-Latino families in food, apparel, health and beauty, long-distance phone and prepaid wireless products, according to several marketing studies.

How is that possible??? 42 million people outspend the remaining 260 million??!! That must be new math!

Originally Posted by gofer

Latino families now outspend non-Latino families in food, apparel, health and beauty, long-distance phone and prepaid wireless products, according to several marketing studies.

How is that possible??? 42 million people outspend the remaining 260 million??!! That must be new math!

Good one! I didn't think about that when I read the article.

Maybe they out spend us because they live 15 & 20 to a house built for four. They don't have to pay hospital bills, they can get welfare Ahhh! I can't go on!!!

Latino families now outspend non-Latino families in food, apparel, health and beauty, long-distance phone and prepaid wireless products, according to several marketing studies.

And still manage to send home a ton!!!! I agree......just doesn't add up. But then again if you have multiple families and tons of kids on welfare, no insurance to pay for, no way for creditors to track you and freebies galore......

I agree there is something wrong with the math. We had two spanish channels added three days ago.
I see a few more advertisments now in spanish.

Originally Posted by gofer

Latino families now outspend non-Latino families in food, apparel, health and beauty, long-distance phone and prepaid wireless products, according to several marketing studies.

How is that possible??? 42 million people outspend the remaining 260 million??!! That must be new math!

They are probably basing their math on the rate of reproduction.

Maybe they out spend us because they live 15 & 20 to a house built for four. They don't have to pay hospital bills, they can get welfare Ahhh! I can't go on!!!

Correct!. They also do not pay taxes, car insurance......

Big business sells out american jobs to India, then utilizes illegal labor here to keep costs down. Then finally they just relocate altogether overseas. The are allowed to do this because we let them. Our politicians represent big business more than they do american citizens because our political system allows our politicians to be bought and sold. The day it becomes a crime for our politicians to accept money from anyone other than an american citizen will be the day we win our country back.