Marketing in Spanish vs marketing in English: how to market to hispanic consumers

Marketing has advanced significantly as a profession in recent decades. Previously, when this profession was mentioned, it was only thought that the objective was to sell products and services with traditional strategies such as commercials on television or some printed vehicles. With the rise of technology and the growth of digital marketing, new tools, practices and even new terms have been implemented.

Marketing has proven to be a dynamic and constantly evolving profession, so it is not surprising that new concepts have emerged over time. Some of them are the same in English and Spanish, due to the influence of the English language in the world of business and technology.

Marketing words in English and Spanish that do not change

Since marketing is a practice that has rapidly globalized, it has become customary to use English terms to refer to specific industry concepts. Many English terms have been incorporated into everyday Spanish language and are used by marketing professionals without translating them; many times it is because in English the term is shorter, more concise, practical and easier to remember.

Using English words when referring to marketing practices also often counts as a strategy to target a younger audience that is used to consuming content in that language. It can also be a way to show that the company is at the forefront of its industry.

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Some marketing terms that remain the same in English when speaking in Spanish are:

• Advocacy
• All hands
• Awareness
• Breakeven
• Briefing
• Budget
• Business angel
• Buyer Persona
• Call
• CDO, CMO, COO
• Dashboard
• Display
• FOMO
• Funnel
• FYI
• Google ads / Amazon ads, etc.
• Growth Hacking
• Growth Margin
• Handover
• Hub
• Inbound
• Influencer
• Journey
• Keyword research
• Kick off
• KPI
• Lead
• Marketing
• Push / pull
• Reach
• Revenue
• Review
• Roadmap
• ROI
• Stakeholders
• Target
• TBD
• Timing
• Update
• UX
• Youtuber

Marketing terms that change in English and Spanish

However, not in all cases the terms in English are used when speaking in Spanish. Sometimes it can be confusing, especially when referring to a technical or specialized term that is not commonly known. In these cases, when doing marketing to hispanic consumers it is better to use a term in Spanish or explain what the word refers to in English. Some cases are:

• Almacén / Warehouse: It refers to the physical space used to store products or merchandise before it is sold.
• Anuncio / Advertisement: is a form of marketing communication that uses paid media to promote or sell a product.
• Campaña / Campaign: It refers to the set of strategies and actions planned to promote a product or service.
• Canal (de ventas) / Sales Channel: this is the name given to the channels by which products are sold to customers. They can be physical or they can be digital.
• Cliente / Customer: the person or entity that acquires the products or services offered by the company.
• Carritos abandonados / Abandoned Carts: In the eCommerce world, it refers to shopping carts that have been abandoned by customers before completing the purchase.
• Compra programática / Programmatic Buying: is an advertising technique that uses algorithms to buy and sell ads in real time.
• Comprador – Vendedor – Comercial / Buyer – Seller – Salesperson: The people or companies that are dedicated to buying or selling goods or services.
• Correo electrónico / Email: It is a means of communication in which messages are exchanged between several users.
• Distribución / Distribution: set of activities and processes that aim to bring products from the manufacturer to the final consumer.
• Embalaje / Packaging:It refers to the processes to take the products from the manufacturer to the final consumer.
• Embudo de conversión / Conversion Funnel: describes the stages a potential customer goes through, from learning about a product to purchasing.
• Logística / Logistics: set of activities and processes to manage the flow of goods and services from the point of origin to the point of consumption.
• Marketing digital / Digital Marketing: in Spanish, the expression is similar, but the adjective is first.
• Paquete / Package: the protective packaging of a product when it is shipped
• Pivotar / Pivot: change the focus of the business to adapt to the needs of the market.
• Precio / Price: value assigned to a product or service.
• Promoción / Promotion:inform, persuade and remind the target audience about a product or service.
• Publicidad / Advertising:It is a form of communication that aims to promote a product or service.
• Redes sociales / Social Media: in Spanish, social media is translated as “redes sociales” (social networks)
• Tarjeta de crédito / Credit Card: card that allows you to make purchases on credit, and that is used as a means of payment in commercial transactions.
• Tienda online / Online Store – eCommerce:website that allows the sale of products or services over the internet.

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