Since 1988 Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 through October 15, has celebrated “histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.”
You may have noticed that, unlike other observance months, Hispanic Heritage month runs from the half-month to the next half-month. It’s not without reason. September 15 marks independence day for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico celebrates independence day on September 16, and Chile celebrates on September 18.
Also, Columbus Day, now more commonly known as Indigenous Peoples’ Day or, in hispanic culture, as Día de la Raza, falls on October 12. Día de la Raza or “Day of the Races” symbolizes the blending of indigenous American heritage and Spanish heritage. Having Hispanic Heritage Month span from mid-September to mid-October allows for the inclusion of all of these important days.
As with all months that pay homage to cultures and communities, many brands strive to incorporate Hispanic Heritage Month into their marketing communications. Let’s take a look at how brands can do this successfully.
Represent All Cultures
There are over 20 countries that identify as Hispanic, each with different cultures and traditions. To fully represent what Hispanic Heritage Month is trying to encapsulate, brands need to be aware of these differences and the vast landscape of Hispanic culture.
The Miami Dolphins football team tweeted highlighting their hispanic fans. The tweet features a gif with Hispanic fans holding up their countries’ flags.
The Miami Dolphins showcase their fans’ diversity by featuring a gif of multiple countries’ flags. Source: Twitter.
It’s not a huge campaign with flashy billboards and TV spots, but it gets the message across. And because the team represents Miami, a city where 70% of the population is Hispanic, this tweet aligns with the team’s overall brand and values.
Highlight Hispanic Creators
Brands that offer multiple products can highlight the products offered by Hispanic creators. Think Target, for example. Highlighting the Hispanic-owned brands and products can bring Hispanic culture to the forefront.
Target, in fact, did just that. They currently have a separate page on their site titled “Más Que a Month.” The page features Hispanic-owned brands and the stories behind those brands. There is also a way for shoppers to add products from Hispanic-owned brands directly to their carts.
Target’s Más Que a Month page features Hispanic-owned brands and products. Source: Target.
Having an entire page dedicated to Hispanic Heritage Month not only makes it easier to find Hispanic-owned brands, but it demonstrates Target’s support and recognition of the month.
Hear From Your Brand’s Hispanic Community
If you’re not a large retailer that carries multiple Hispanic-owned brands, that’s okay! To respect Hispanic Heritage Month, brands can always look inwards, identify, and celebrate the members of their teams who identify as part of the Hispanic community.
Microsoft published a blog post featuring employees that are part of the Hispanic community. When clicked, each employee has their own blog post where they tell their stories about growing up in the Hispanic community and how they came to work at Microsoft.
Microsoft amplifies the voices of Hispanic employees by sharing their stories. Source: Microsoft.
Rather than self-promoting products and trying to make sales, brands can step out of the spotlight to allow the voices of the Hispanic community to be heard. Sharing the stories and perspectives of members of the Hispanic community at your company can demonstrate authenticity in your brand’s support during Hispanic Heritage Month.
Iterable’s Hispanic Community
We aim to uplift all communities in a number of ways. In addition to a variety of other employee-led Affinity Groups, we have a Latinx Affinity Group, which aims to foster a sense of belonging for the Hispanic and Latin American community of Iterable. Launched last year, The Latinx Affinity Group elevates the voices of Latinx Iterators and promotes their contributions to the growth of Iterable.
“I feel pride for the prior and current contributions of Hispanic and Hispanic ancestors that made/make for the betterment of society. From practical and impressive scientific and technological inventions like the Aztec calendar and chinampas to the development/cultivation of food and cuisine like chocolate and maize.
Today, Hispanics in the U.S. make up a large proportion of a class of workers that are paradoxically under-appreciated and compensated yet essential.”
– Arthur Gonzalez, Senior Data Scientist, People @ Iterable
“I love Hispanic Heritage Month because it allows us to highlight and showcase our Hispanic Culture. Being first-generation American, I have so much respect and am appreciative of the sacrifices my parents made to come here for college and establish their lives here for a better future for their children. It is also a way to learn more and honor the cultural richness and diversity of the community around us.
We celebrate and take pride in our hispanic heritage year round in my house. You will always hear Vallenato, Merengue, or Cumbia playing and mom or dad making arepas or patacones at least once a week! One thing is to appreciate your culture and another is to take pride in it.”
– Andrea Gonzalez, Customer Success Manager @ Iterable
The Latinx Affinity group has hosted, and will continue to host, multiple events during Hispanic Heritage Month. This includes:
- Trivia in collaboration with our Mixed Identities Affinity Group, where all the questions are based on Hispanic history and leaders
- An Inclusive Leadership Certification, which provides a space to remove cultural barriers, cultural preconceptions, and stereotypes to succeed by equipping leaders with the skills they need to reach higher-level positions
- And coming soon, a “How to Beat Imposter Syndrome” workshop.
The Latinx Affinity Group shared this flyer before the Trivia event last week!
Much like the companies highlighted above, we strive to continue finding new ways to highlight and celebrate the Hispanic community and culture in and out of Iterable. These are just a few ways Iterable will be celebrating this month. Please find us on social (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) to learn more and share the ways you’re celebrating!
If you or someone you know is interested in joining the Iterable team, check out our open roles.
