Originally Posted By: jrivera This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
You have to be careful when you translate. Not all words are created equal, especially when it comes to advertising, what might work well in one area may not in others. One of the reasons would be----just because they all may speak spanish does not mean that they agree on everything. I’m sure you must have heard this one “damn they all look alike”. They come from many cultures with diverse backgrounds and customs. What would work in one country may not fly in another. Just imagine right here in the U.S. up north it would be a soda, in another part it’s called a “pop”. Were in the same country but, what did he just say ??? Down south they use mustard in hamburgers I thought for sure that kid was gonna get fired !!!
Central America is different from South America as is Mexico from Ecuador and Puerto Rico from El Salvador. Now in my other "real job" I've learned from many of them that it is not politically correct for one as an outsider to come within arms lenght or when you are speaking to them that looking at someone in the eye may be offensive. They are very protective of their enviroment. Have you ever shaken someones hand and it was so lame that you wanted to smack'm. But yet with some of these other newcomers to this country a handshake like that is customary. The same way that men when they meet in other countries they greet with kisses on the cheeks.
You just need to educate yourselves about the people you wish to cater to and maybe some of the more commons words that they use so as to not confuse or offend anyone. I read somewhere recently that in general if all of the hispanics in America were to pool their money together they would have a worth of about 457 million dollars $$$$$$. There is a big enough market out there for everybody.