According to several syndicated consumer-research studies of U.S. Hispanics, Walmart is the undisputed giant when it comes to shopping, whether it be for groceries or electronics.
That’s why rival Target has much to gain from a partnership with Telemundo that places the retailer front and center on the Spanish-language broadcast network right at the start of the busy holiday shopping season.
For the network’s Dec. 1 Christmas-themed special Celebremos Juntos, Telemundo and Target partnered to create a custom photo-based digital campaign that asked viewers to submit their most festive holiday picture for a chance to win a $1,000 Target gift card. The winner would also gain the opportunity for their photo to be featured in a live Target television commercial.
To participate, viewers were asked to submit one festive holiday photo using the Twitter hashtag #asifesteyojo.
The contest ran Nov. 20 through Dec. 1, with four winners selected from Lowell, Mass.; Edinburg, Texas; and Palmdale and Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
The contest was woven into a holiday special that featured actors, hosts and news anchors from across Telemundo’s slate of programs.
Target’s Hispanic marketing efforts have increased in recent months following its December 2012 selection of LatinWorks as its U.S. Hispanic agency of record, following a three-month review that included Dallas-based Dieste. Long Beach, Calif.-based Grupo Gallegos previously handled Target 's Hispanic efforts, much of which was executed on a per-project basis.
In a May interview with Minnesota Public Radio, Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel described the retailer’s typical consumer as “digitally connected, time-pressured, savvy moms who are increasingly Hispanic.” Attracting Latinos is “critical” for Target, given the Hispanic population growth seen across the U.S., he added.
"We are going to source dominant presentations of Latino and Hispanic merchandise through the entire store," Steinhafel told MPR. "It's a big effort that we have internally to really stretch ourselves and jump way out in front."
Target stores in key Hispanic markets have added bilingual signage, while grocery products from such brands as Goya have been added to boost the stores’ appeal among Latinos.
