Healthcare companies, Are you too targeted in your Hispanic Marketing?

In today's world of geo-targeted marketing, many healthcare companies are zoned in on just the specific target audience. But, when it comes to the older Hispanic market, the geo-targeting of only them may not be enough to change their healthcare habits. Your healthcare company may have great solutions to health issues like diabetes, pre-diabetes, heart health, obesity, and other health issues prevalent in the older Hispanic market. Yet, if this older Hispanic segment still doesn’t do anything to get checked or seek solutions, then the ROI on your marketing dollars is not being maximized.

One needs to remember that within the Hispanic market, we have a tendency of not being focused on our own healthcare needs because we are more focused on our family’s healthcare needs. Our culture has taught us to always take care of others in the family first and not be "selfishly" focused on our personal needs and health. Add to that the fact that many in this Hispanic older target market may have lower monthly income issues. Thus, they prioritize personal healthcare as a secondary need behind other family needs. This is wrong but that is how our older community thinks. So, one of the solutions to that is the “Family Influencer". These are their children and grandchildren, as well as their family members.

Let me share a little personal story to explain: As the oldest of my siblings, I was a major influencer in my mother and father's daily needs including healthcare, going to the doctor regularly, getting screened for healthcare issues, and making sure that my parents were doing everything they could for a better quality of life when it comes to healthcare. It was another sibling and myself who would make sure my parents were going to the doctor on a regular basis and asking the right questions. I was the one taking my mom to her regular checkups and making sure we both asked the doctor the correct questions. 

And now that I have joined the over 60 years age group, I’m realizing that there was information in healthcare marketing communications that I should have been aware of but wasn't paying attention to because it wasn’t directed at me. Since it didn't reach me most of the time and if it did it didn’t educate me directly with a message I would understand. Thus, I basically ignored it. And today, with the tendency for companies to be even more geo-targeted, the "Family Influencer" probably has even less knowledge and awareness of important issues that affect their parents because of how the message is crafted and how it is overly targeted.

So, when it comes to any Lopez PR healthcare clients, we always recommend to them that they need to open up their targeting parameters more than what they're doing. We also develop messaging for them that is directed at the target as well as the “Family Influencer". The messaging will have specific key points providing healthcare knowledge so they can then share with family loved ones. Healthcare companies also need to be more direct in their messaging when addressing the “family influencer" The advertising needs to be a message(s) that the “Family Influencer” quickly grasps.

Joe Lopez CEO

Lopez PR & Marketing Group

info@lopezgroup.com

www.lopezgroup.com