New Title to be Released by Author of The Whole Enchilada
Posted by Elena del Valle on January 17, 2006
Purchase Hispanic Marketing Grows Up:
Exploring Perceptions and Facing Realities
Juan Faura, author of The Whole Enchilada: Hispanic Marketing 101 (Paramount Market Publishing, Inc. $25.95)), wrote a new book entitled Hispanic Marketing Grows Up Exploring Perceptions and Facing Realities Asi Viene el Sandwich (Spanish for That’s the Way the Sandwich Comes) due to be released January 26, 2006.
According to the publisher, the book is based on “insights gathered from interviews with Hispanics from many different walks of life, in cities large and small.” In the book, Faura explores 30 perceptions and realities that affect how how to market to Hispanics; explains when to use Spanglish in advertising; and identifies 10 future trends he believes will affect the Hispanic consumer market.
Faura is president and C.E.O. of Cultura, a Dallas-based advertising and marketing company specializing in Hispanic markets which he founded in 1999. In the past he worked as a researcher and consultant specializing in marketing to U.S. Hispanics. His Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage, his experience living in Mexico City, his track record working in various jobs with Hispanics since graduating from a U.S. high school he feels, provide him special insight.
Ever since Hispanic Marketing became a buzz term, consultants and professionals have been preaching a similar sentiment: treat Hispanics as a unique sect of people, and focus on their “Hispanicness” before everything else in order to connect with them and get into those ever-growing pocketbooks. Faura, a multicultural advertising specialist and book author, claims this approach is all wrong. In this book Faura proprosed a new method of marketing to Hispanics some believe is sure to get a rise out of traditionalists.
Coming off of his recent success in his book The Whole Enchilada: Hispanic Marketing 101, in his new book, Faura challenges Hispanic marketing and advertising agencies to “grow up” and use their skills to appeal to the human side of the consumer, rather than focusing simply on their Hispanic demographic. Faura insists that looking at Hispanic consumers as Hispanics first is counterproductive to connecting with them as human beings.
Juan Faura, author Hispanic Marketing Grows Up
“My philosophy is that we need to appeal to the human side of the target consumer before we dissect their ethnicity,” said Faura. “We all make decisions as people, not as categories, thus we should hone in on connecting with consumers as people with fundamental needs and desires.”
Tackling subjects from media use to acculturation, Faura shares insights into Hispanic culture that he gained after an intense period of face-to-face encounters with Hispanics in more than 18 states and 74 cities. A veteran of the industry with 15 years experience in marketing research, Faura started this process knowing well how many perceive Hispanic consumers; his mission was to determine if these perceptions were true by getting answers straight from the source.
The book delves into stereotypes and their basis in reality; taboo issues such as sexual orientation, family structure, socioeconomic stereotypes and gaps in healthcare and technology; and the preference for English-language media.
“I am sure that this book will have a lot of fans, and a lot of adversaries,” said Faura. “The Hispanic marketing and advertising industry is not ready to be exposed to some of these truths, but in order to advance, we must continue to delve and learn. Marketers will need to be willing to rethink and modify their Hispanic strategies if their mission is success. ”
Faura’s books and articles are based on insights gained over his career through conversations with more than 70, 000 Hispanics across the U.S. and a range of ages, genders, cultural, language and socioeconomic backgrounds. Prior to founding his company he worked as director of Global Strategy for Cheskin Research and director of Research for Market Development, Inc. Faura served as a consultant on Hispanic marketing for Fortune 100 companies such as Hershey, Pizza Hut, Ortho McNeil, Ford, Neutorgena, Zubi Advertising, J&J, Hormel, Pepsi, Visa, Wells Fargo, Frito-Lay, Labbatt’s (Tecate) and Mercedes Benz. He has also worked at a bakery, been a pipe fitter, a mechanic and a paint and body man.
Faura holds a Doctorate of Juris Prudence from Thomas Jefferson School of Law and a certificate in welding and sheet-metal handling from the Urban League in San Diego. He lives in Southlake, Texas with his wife Sara his children Juan, Amanda, and Sebastian and his three boxer dogs Bongo, Memphis, and Lola.
