The Affordable Care Act has brought healthcare to the forefront of everyone’s mind. Another hot topic? Hispanics. All across the country, marketers are developing strategies to win with this valuable consumer group that makes up 17% of the total U.S. population. That’s why DTC Perspectives was smart when it launched its Multicultural Health Conference last year, bringing industry executives together to share best practices and up their game.
We were back supporting the Conference in year two, and I was happy to share our perspective on how cultural factors in healthcare can drive Hispanics to action. Understanding culture and values and delivering content in an authentic voice Hispanics can relate to are all critical to engagement. Hispanic culture, as Nielsen stated, “is enduring and sustainable.”
That’s why Allegra tapped into an overall Celebration of Life macro trend (through the tradition of the Quinceañera!) and Aleve leveraged Community Sensibility into their recent creative. These macro trends, developed by The Futures Company’s Yankelovich Multicultural Study, offer helpful guidance when developing your tactics and approach.
But what other cultural beliefs drive healthcare behavior? The Hispanic multigenerational family structure means multiple family members are influencers, often chiming in with their opinions about health; and fatalism may lead Hispanics to want to leave things in “God’s hands.” Marketers can counter fatalism with education and step-by-step instruction. Hispanics also have a holistic approach to healing, which combines the body, mind and spirit. For some Hispanics, using natural remedies may be the first step in the healing process.
A respect for elders is also ever-present, and Exelon focused on this by showing an adult daughter as a caretaker for her mother suffering from Alzheimer’s. For Hispanics, caring for your family is never a chore; it’s a given.
These are just some examples that illustrate the nuances of how Hispanic culture drives healthcare behavior. For healthcare marketers, understanding and applying these cultural factors can lead to win-win scenarios: better Hispanic brand engagement and improved health outcomes.
