Live From ePharma Summit 2008: Courting the Hispanic Consumer

The United States’ Hispanic market is larger than the whole population of Canada, yet pharma can’t seem to grow its business with the Hispanic consumer, explained Jorge Daboub (right), VP marketing and business development of the Univision Television Group, today at the ePharma Summit.

Some key facts on the Hispanic market:

• Hispanics tend to revere physicians so much that they don’t usually ask questions about drug directions, even if they don’t understand them.
• Hispanic women are more likely to be their household’s decision maker for treatment than are African-American or Caucasian women.

• Religion and faith are important ways for Hispanic patients to cope with sickness and pain.
• Hispanic online Web penetration has spiked 70 percent since 2000.
• 79 percent of Hispanics have home Internet access, and they spend about as much time online as the general population.
• 79 percent of Hispanics feel more comfortable receiving information in their native language.
• Hispanics are 73 percent more likely than non-Hispanics to be receptive to online advertising, including video, e-mail blasts, and pop-up ads.

Daboub described a partnership Univision entered into with a branded Spanish-language depression center. The network created educational information, repurposed video vignettes, and conducted e-mail blasts. The first e-mail blast received a 20 percent open rate, and follow-up blasts received an open rate of nearly 12 percent. Overall, the site’s survey received more than 6,000 reponses in a month.

Making the connection Daboub’s advice on how to better reach the Hispanic market:

• Make better use of health education
• Use culturally relevant content
• Build from cultural insights
• Use the Spanish language
• Integrate Spanish-language television and Internet ads
• Make sure translation services are actually proficient in Spanish