Page 19 - HISPANIC MARKET OVERVIEW - 2018-complete

2018 HISPANIC MARKET OVERVIEW, presented by López Negrete Communications
UPSCALE, AFFLUENT, UNAPPROACHED
There is no one single definition of the U.S. Hispanic consumer. That said, there continues to be a generalization of the Latino consumer as one that is still climbing the socioeconomic ladder. Gaby Alcántara-Diaz is on a mission to spread the word on Hispanic wealth — and the still-untapped marketplace affluent Latinos represent for marketers.
The proper translation of the Spanish-language word “semilla” is “seed.” For some, it could be incorrectly translated to English as “crumb.”
But, don’t mistake Gaby for going after the crumbs’ worth of dollars being allocated to a dormant subsegment of the U.S. Hispanic population that has still not been fully monetized.
The upscale Latino is largely being ignored by brand managers and CMOs. Gaby, through her Miami-based multicultural shop Semilla, seeks to change that.
This Uruguay-born multicultural marketing veteran specializes in upscale Latinos, and earlier in her career worked closely with such brands as grocery store chain Publix and Diageo-owned Scotch whiskey Johnnie Walker for many years on efforts specifically designed to resonate with this group of Hispanic consumers.
Today, Alcántara-Diaz is working with The Boston Beer Company on strategy work and brand activation in the retail marketplace. This work involves the Samuel Adams beer brand and the hugely popular Angry Orchard hard cider mark.
But, another key client for Semilla isn’t a brand you’d instantly connect to upscale clientele — Amscot. While largely viewed as a payday lender, Amscot has emerged as a business development lender for entrepreneurs seeking the funds for a start-up that can’t secure them otherwise.
There’s other work at Semilla, including digital efforts for a frozen packaged seafood brand.
All combine to tell one story: The growth opportunity still exists for brands seeking affluent Latinos.
Gaby’s passion for the upscale Latino is born out of the initial mutual understanding and alignment on pursuing the overall Hispanic market. Working with such companies as