Latin_KNOW: The Latino Marketing Report: Salsa Cure

NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg's efforts to appeal to his city's Latino population continue. According to Newsday, Bloomberg made an appearance yesterday in very Dominican Washington Heights, where he has a campaign office, to unveil his new (leased) bus:

Bloomberg toured the half-bus, half-platform white monstrosity, but opted not to test his popularity by tooling around the city's best-known Dominican neighborhood.

Newsday also reported:

Bloomberg intoned his Spanish slogan "Lo mejor está por venir" ("The best is yet to come") while a small crowd of supporters chanted "¡Cuatro años más!" - "Four more years!"

The mood, brightened by a salsa band, was festive but the mayor's courting of Spanish-language voters, especially Dominicans, is crucial to his re-election efforts. He was joined by ex-congressman Herman Badillo, former Giuliani official Ninfa Segarra and Bloomberg's top Dominican organizer, Fernando Mateo.

Yes, we are definitely at the point where we can say that the Republican non-Latino candidate is trying to out-Latino his Latino opponent via broken Spanish, salsa bands and Dominican community organizers. These, indeed, are interesting times.

According to Newsday, opponent Ferrer did not find the stunt amusing:

"I certainly encourage the employment of more Latin bands in this city," Ferrer said of the Bloomberg-hired musicians. "I don't need a band or a bus to introduce me to the people of Washington Heights. ... I suggest to the mayor that next time he comes to Washington Heights, he ought to linger a little while and learn more about the neighborhood."

That's fair. But what I want to know is what (beyond yelling "I'm a real Latino from the barrio" or "Listen to my bad Spanish and enjoy some salsa with me on my big white bus") are either of these candidates actually committing to with the Latino community? I read about this tug-of-war with the Latino community almost daily, and I never hear any issues brought up.

Maybe it's time to stop the fanfare and the folklore, and start appealing to the needs of the community you are looking to target. At risk of sounding too tough, I find the whole Salsa thing, the "I'm more Latino than you are battle" to be very condescending, and merely short-cuts into the hearts of the Latino community via "what we think they'll respond to without really asking". And although I believe speaking the language is of utmost importance, I think speaking about what matters to these people counts more.

Salsa, while a great antidote for some minor problems, does not fix everything. And at the end of the campaign, when the bus has been returned and the votes have been counted, will either of these guys still be as enthusiastic about the Latino community? Wait and see.

Read another post about Bloomberg's appearance on Gothamist.

Newsday READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE

Latin_KNOW: The Latino Marketing Report

Comments and insights on marketing and communications campaigns targeting the US Latino / Hispanic community.

August 12, 2005

Salsa Cure

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