TARGET CUSTOMERS Hispanic and Latino populations are the second fastest growing ethnic population in the U.S., second only to Asians. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/09/18/how-the-u-shispanic-population-is-changing/. An estimated 56.6 million Hispanics were living in the U.S. in 2015, and the number continues to grow. https://www.census.gov/newsroom/facts-forfeatures/2016/cb16-ff16.html. While often used interchangeably, the terms Hispanic and Latino hold quite different meanings. Hispanic refers to Spanish-speaking individuals, while Latino refers to individuals of Latin-American descent speaking Spanish. Generally speaking, most individuals feel comfortable with both terms, but 46% of surveyed Texans preferred to be referenced as Hispanic, and only 8% preferred Latino. https://www.lionbridge.com/blog/globalmarketing/10-best-practices-for-marketing-to-hispanic-consumers/ For the purposes of this paper, “Hispanic” will be used to reference Spanish speaking individuals of Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, South or Central American descent. Hispanic culture is diverse, but most subcultures share a few commonalities. To begin, traditional Hispanic/Latino culture is very family-oriented, with the majority of households expanding beyond the nuclear family. Many Hispanic households consist of three generations. Because of their close-knit family values, it is important for any activities to be family-friendly for all ages, as Hispanic individuals may avoid events they feel the entire family will not enjoy. https://www.interexchange.org/articles/visit-the-usa/latino-hispanic-culture-in-us/. In addition to family values, many Hispanic households place great emphasis on religion. According to The Center of Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA), 57% of all Latinos identified as Catholic in 2015. The figure it significant, but is decreasing; 70% of adult Latinos identified as Catholic in 2006. (https://cara.georgetown.edu/staff/webpages/Hispanic%20Catholic%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf). Significant differences between “Traditionalist” and “Millennial” Hispanics explains this declining prevalence of religion. Traditionalist is used to describe mainly older, non-English speaking Hispanics who emphasize traditional customs from food, holidays, values, and religion. Millennial Hispanics are generally younger, U.S. born citizens who adopt more U.S. customs, but still value traditional Hispanic culture. https://www.lionbridge.com/blog/globalmarketing/10-best-practices-for-marketing-to-hispanic-consumers/ In addition to age, a relationship between income and dedication to Hispanic values also exists. Findings from the Simmons National Hispanic Consumers Study suggest that specific cultural attitudes and behaviors that differentiate Latinos tend to be more strongly endorsed by individuals falling in the lower 40% income range. However, certain values like family-get-togethers were consistent among all Hispanics. http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/2012/11/01/simhispanic-attitudes-and-behaviors-by-socioeconomic-level/ Consumer behaviors of Hispanics may also contribute to their changing food habits. Hispanics spend more time online via mobile devices (10.5 hours per week) versus the overall average (8.4 hours). https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2018/01/09/six-factsabout-the-hispanic-market-that-may-surprise-you/#17bda33c5f30 Home entertainment for American-Hispanics consists more of television and other content absorption than of physical activities http://www.interexchange.org/articles/visit-the-usa/latino-hispanic-culture-in-us/ , and Hispanics are 1.5 times more likely to buy using mobile apps and other digital media than nonHispanics. (Google Hispanic Marketing Forum, 2015). Prevalence and growth of the Hispanic market in the U.S. make this segment an excellent candidate for a marketing diversification strategy. The numbers listed in Table 1 reflect the percentage of Hispanics/Latinos in Houston, Texas and the different categories that we broke the data down into to narrow our target market. Hispanics/Latinos make up 43% of the population in Houston, Texas so we took all the total US Census poll numbers and multiplied them by .43 to estimate the number of Hispanics/Latinos that make up that total. Male and female figures were provided by NAME OF SOURCE, so no math was needed there. The written explanation of the math is as follows; Ages 25-29: 100,512 x.43 = 43,220, 30-34: 88,487 x.43 = 38,049, 35-39: 77,809 x.43 = 33,458, 40-44: 68,907 x.43 = 29,630, Total target market: 144,357, Nonfamily homes: 301,073 x.43 = 129,461, Living alone: 242,380 x.43 = 104,223, Husband-wife family led homes: 305,088 x.43 = 131,188, Family led homes: 481,570 x.43 = 207,075, Other family led homes: 176,482 x.43 = 75,887, Male led with no wife present: 49,474 x.43 = 21,274, Female led with no husband present: 127,008 x.43 = 54,613, Total number of occupied homes in Houston, TX: 782,643 x.43 = 336,536. https://suburbanstats.org/population/texas/how-many-people-livein-houston. The Median income levels of Houston, Texas and the Hispanics/Latinos are already calculated and listed as; Houston, TX = $50,896 https://datausa.io/profile/geo/houston-tx/ and the median income level of Hispanics is $45,150 https://www.census.gov/newsroom/facts-forfeatures/2016/cb16-ff16.html Table 1 Insert names of sources here We chose to focus our product in Houston, Texas due to the large population of Hispanics/Latinos there. As listed below we have broken down the different living and family situations that could affect the success of our company. The target age we have chosen to focus on is 30-44 years old (Millennials are aged 23-38 as of 2019, so we will be in part targeting millennials), males or females that have reached marital or family status, and are working in management, business, science and arts (MBSA) occupations. We took this information and matched it with the occupations of the Hispanics/Latinos and narrowed it down to MBSA professionals due to the MBSA average annual income of $76,527.( https://datausa.io/profile/soc/management-business-science-arts-occupations). The reported MBSA professional Hispanic population was 20.5% in 2015 ( https://www.census.gov/newsroom/facts-for-features/2016/cb16-ff16.html) Consideration of those numbers brought us to the following assumption: Total Houston Hispanics ages 25-44 144,357 X 20.5% MBSA employed Hispanics = 29,593 MBSA employed Hispanics aged 25-44 in Houston Our search was then narrowed further by considering household makeup. Per https://www.infoplease.com/history/hispanic-heritage/hispanic-americans-by-the-numbers, 47.7% of Hispanic couples were married-households in 2015. Our final target market size was identified using the following assumption:: 29,593 MBSA employed Hispanics aged 25-44 in Houston X 47.7% = 14,115 MBSA employed Hispanics aged 25-44 in married-couple households in Houston. Despite the average low income of Hispanic groups in the U.S., the population makes an appealing target market, especially those in higher income levels in MBSA occupations. According to https://www.pma.com/-/media/pma-files/research-and-development/mslgrouphispanic-insights-for-food-marketers.pdf?la=en, “upscale latinos” control nearly 40% of the total U.S. Hispanics $1.5 trillion spending power. Additionally, Hispanics spend more on fresh ingredients overall then the general U.S. population and value time saving methods. https://www.pma.com/-/media/pma-files/research-and-development/mslgroup-hispanic-insightsfor-food-marketers.pdf?la=en. According to https://salud-america.org/latinos-economy-us-growth-future/ “If U.S. Latinos were their own nation, they would have the world’s seventh-largest gross domestic product (GDP), at $2.13 trillion, according to a report by the Latino Donor Collaborative,” providing more evidence that Hispanics will be viable target market market. UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION Wants and Needs of Hispanics Extensive research revealed a few key pain points of Hispanic-Americans including a lack of access to nutritious food, difficulty in obtaining drivers licenses, lack of good healthcare access, and struggling with language barriers. One of the most recognized aspects of Hispanic culture, food, is diverse and ever changing in the U.S.. Traditionally, food has been an important aspect in Hispanic lives. Everyone in the family would contribute to large meals, and cooking was more of an activity than a necessity of life. Mexican holidays like Dia de los Tres Reyes (Three Kings Day) and Dia de los Mueros (Day of the Dead) both involve the making of a sweet bread in observance of the holidays. https://www.familysearch.org/blog/en/traditional-mexican-food/. Recent studies, however, highlight the difficulty that American-Hispanics have in maintaining their food heritage. Specifically, low income families fight the temptation to resort to American food culture like fast food, snacks, and “grab and go” foods. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/hispanic-mothers-food_n_2396099. A 2019 study explored the loss of family cuisine rituals in Hispanic-descended individuals in the U.S. and found many differences between former habits and the ones exhibited by Hispanics after living in the U.S. Participants commonly reported that shopping for healthy foods was easier in Mexico due to small shops like “verduleria” or “vegetable stores” which sold speciality foods. Similar stores exist for baked goods and other fresh foods. In the U.S., Hispanics generally do most of their shopping at supermarkets where they are tempted by all types of food at once – from frozen entrees, vegetables, and fruits, to fattening cookies and chips. A lack of teachers (generally parents and grandparents) to teach Hispanics how to cook traditional, healthy foods is also to blame for this shift in eating habits. Participants reported that cooking was much more social in Mexico, and in the U.S., they are feeding their families whatever is available. Most participants were aware of this change, and one individual even reported a lack of trust in American food labels. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5718173/. As a result of these difficulties, the hispanic population faces a higher risk of obesity than black and white counterparts (https://salud-america.org/report-with-obesity-at-all-time-high-latino-kids-and-adults-fare-worst/ ) Another study https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/heq.2016.0026 found that Latino kids ages 6-17 were more likely than non-Latinos to visit food and beverage websites. Combined with the findings of another study by https://www.pma.com/-/media/pma-files/research-anddevelopment/mslgroup-hispanic-insights-for-food-marketers.pdf?la=en, finding that 44% of Hispanics will buy a brand because their children requested it, Hispanic children are a huge factor in food consumer behavior in adults. Moreover, Hispanics spent 22% more on grocery items from 2010 to 2015. Despite the average low income of Hispanic groups in the U.S., the population makes an appealing target market, especially those in higher income levels. https://www.pma.com/-/media/pma-files/research-and-development/mslgroup-hispanic-insightsfor-food-marketers.pdf?la=en, In Texas, the law states that if a foreign wants to obtain a driver's license he or she must show proper documentation that verifies a lawful presence in the United States, and the documentation shown must also show your name and date of birth. The plus side of obtaining a driver’s license is the verification of their imigration status. “If you are not verified through SAVE on the first attempt, you may be issued a limited term driver’s license or ID if you are NOT: a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee. However, the limited term DL or ID would expire once DHS determines your lawful presence.” https://www.zenlawfirm.com/lawblog/2016/august/can-immigrants-obtain-driver-licenses-in-texas-/ Another positive that can come from not being able to easily obtain a drivers license, is that if these workers are applying for work permits they are granted a temporary driver’s licenses, “The work permit, known as an employment authorization document or I-766, is one of the primary documents used for a limited period of driver's license. Various kinds of noncitizens, from refugees to temporary residents, now receive these temporary driver’s licenses.” https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2012/08/21/texas-driver-s-licenses-will-be-available-toimmigrants-qualifying-for-work-permits/ , But once the permit expires so does the drivers license. Healthcare access for hispanics can be difficult to obtain. Based on one source, it can depend on their language, status, and acculturation on how much healthcare access they could obtain. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK19910/ Competitive Factors in Meal Prep Industry With obesity rates at America’s highest, SOURCE innovators are constantly trying to come up with ways to make meals healthier and more time efficient which is why there are so many meal prep deliveries around the world. Here are the top 10 very popular ones among us according to many different websites: https://greatist.com/health/companies-healthy-home-cooking#1 · Blue Apron · Sun Basket · Home Chef · Every Plate · Dinnerly · Plated · Gobble · Freshly · Green Chef · Hello Fresh Each food service attempts to differentiate themselves from one another to be successful. However, the common weakness among most of them is lacking a wide variety of different ethnic foods. A meal delivery service offering healthy ethnic foods, specifically Hispanic foods, would offer differentiation that other competitors do not. The current top ten meal deliveries have the very basic meals, which is meat with vegetables, carbs, or a type of grain. SOURCE Our target market is not really seeing options that will appeal to them. There will not be very much intensity in competition, as all the other meal preps are very basic in the meals they tend to offer. Some of them occasionally offer a spanish meal but they do not go as far as offering different types of hispanic meals as their main idea of the company. Our Offering Hispanics falling in our target market are more likely to be second or third generation Hispanics born as US citizens due to their likelihood of seeing higher occupational and educational gains (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1536504216648148), so they likely do not face struggles of their parents like driver licensing or healthcare access. However, they likely grew up in households with struggling mothers and are more likely than first generation Hispanics to be overweight https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3595158/, so they will remember their families struggling to feed them nutritious meals, or their efforts to maintain traditional food offerings to their families. Our market is also struggling to balance being both American and Hispanic. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/young-latinos-born-u-s-carving-their-own-identityn908086. They grew up in America and are assimilated, but research shows that they still desire to be connected to their Hispanic culture. (https://cara.georgetown.edu/staff/webpages/Hispanic%20Catholic%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf). Those factors considered, our company’s goal is to bridge the gap between assimilated, well-off Hispanics and their hispanic roots, as well as help them to fight health problems through a healthy food delivery service. Our target market will be the early adopters of our product, and eventually, we will expand into more geographic regions as well as lower-income Hispanic groups. Product Options Blah blah blah talk about all the different yummy foods we are gonna offer from all the different regions. Use the link i sent in the group i sent a while back PRICING AND POSITIONING Hispanic Language Barriers The research has reported that nearly 6 in every Hispanic adult had difficulty in communicating with their health care providers because of the presence of cultural and language barriers. The survey carried out by the Associated Press NORC Center for the Public Affairs Research has reported that half of those Hispanic patients who have suffered from the barriers have turned to their family members in order to seek some assistance. The news states an example of Antonio Torres, 53 of Orlando, who is blind told AP that he is regularly struggling to understand the different medical terms which are used by the nurses and the doctors. The research also adds that the most challenging case is based on communicating in the health care setting where around 38% of the patients who did not have the translator faced issues in understanding the health care issues. The reason is that these people were unable to communicate their issues and concerns to the health care administrators. According to the article, as published by the Pan American Health Magazine, these types of communication barriers have caused the issues in the conflict in the treatments and other follow-ups within the country. The language barrier has also been related to the issues of having the right kind of language concerns and being able to deal with the problems of communication as well. This calls for the requirements of having the translator as well (Habib, 2018). This is my part: Section 8: Online Marketing Strategy Like it or not, most customers go online these days to find and/or review new products and/or services to purchase. As such, having the right online marketing strategy can help you secure new customers and gain competitive advantage. The four key components to your online marketing strategy are as follows: 1. Keyword Strategy: identify what keywords you would like to optimize your website for. 2. Search Engine Optimization Strategy: document updates you will make to your website so it shows up more prominently for your top keywords. 3. Paid Online Advertising Strategy: write down the online advertising programs you will use to reach target customers. 4. Social Media Strategy: document how you will use social media websites to attract customers.
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