Hispanic Marketing Tactics: Build Pharmacist Base, Direct Mail Efforts

Drug and dietary supplement companies trying to build sales in the Hispanic community should target their efforts toward pharmacists, Barreto & Brightwell President & CEO Martin Barreto said at CHPA's annual conference in Aventura, Fla. March 14.

"Hispanics are less likely to visit doctors and are more likely to seek products from pharmacists to treat illnesses," Barreto told Consumer Healthcare Products Association members.

"The pharmacist is a highly-trusted and traditional ally of the...caregiver in the [Hispanic] household in helping make the diagnosis on the self-care/prescription process," he added. "The pharmacist sort of acts like a family doctor, offering advice, [providing] on-the-spot treatment."

As a result, Barreto noted "working with pharmacists in this country is a tremendous opportunity. You could access Hispanic pharmacists...perhaps help them build their association."

"I think there is an opportunity to create an infrastructure for [Hispanic pharmacists] to communicate and...at the same time for them to have access to information in Spanish and English that they can provide to their Hispanic customers," Barreto said.

Besides making inroads among existing Hispanic pharmacists, companies also could organize programs to interest Hispanics in becoming pharmacists. Data from the National Pharmacists Workforce Study 2000 showed that less than 2% of pharmacists are Hispanic, compared to about 13% of the general population.

The marketing consultant noted bilingual education brochures displayed at the point-of-purchase would attract Hispanic consumers as well.

"When you go to Latin America [and] you go to a pharmacy you see beautiful brochures from a lot of companies in perfect Spanish, and they are very popular....We don't see that as much in the United States," Barreto said.

The Hispanic community values extensive product information at the point-of-purchase because it reinforces the self-care culture that is prevalent in their home countries, he stated.

In Latin America, "you can basically get any type of drug you want. Exclusive of the psychotropic drugs, you don't have to have any sort of connection in the country to be able to get anything...that are prescription drugs in the [U.S.]," Barreto pointed out.

Direct mail is another marketing tactic that has been underutilized in the Hispanic sector. Barreto noted that while the average American consumer receives 350 pieces of English-language direct mail per year, the average Hispanic consumer receives only 35 pieces of Spanish-language direct mail annually.

Moreover, he said, because many recent immigrants find English-language materials confusing, they are more receptive to Spanish-language direct mail than average consumers are to English-language efforts. Barreto cited 2002 research conducted by Walters Media Group indicating 66% of Hispanics respond to direct mail and 30% say they would like to receive more of it.

The importance of marketing to Hispanics is highlighted by U.S. census data. Barreto noted Hispanics are now the country's largest minority, including 37.5 mil. people. Since 1990, the Hispanic community has grown at a roughly 58% rate and projections indicate there will be 56 mil. Latinos in the U.S. by 2010.

This rapidly expanding demographic currently represents annual purchasing power of about $450 bil., according to Barreto. Univision Network Exec VP-Sales Development & Marketing Bennett Fogel also pointed out that Latinos tend to buy OTCs at a greater rate than non-Hispanic adults.

Comparing the results of Simmons' 2002 National Consumer Survey with its Hispanic Consumer Survey, Fogel noted that 65.9% of Hispanics bought OTC indigestion/heartburn remedies each year, compared with 50.3% of non-Hispanics. Latinos were also 45% more likely to purchase both topical analgesics and laxatives than non-Hispanics. Simmons is a New York-based market research firm.

From an advertising perspective, Fogel suggested television may be more productive than print media. He noted the average Hispanic consumer watches roughly 25.4 hours of TV per week, compared to 17.8 hours for non-Hispanics. Fogel also pointed out that Spanish-language stations often draw better ratings among Latinos than the major networks.