Making your casa their casa: three tips to reach out to the Hispanic market.

Everybody needs a friend in New Orleans. My friend Tom grew up there and is the quintessential N'awlans guy--great cook, jazz lover and hopelessly in love with his town.

Last time I saw him, of course, we talked about Katrina. I asked him if he had seen changes in the city, expecting some comments about how the storm brought out the resilience and pride of New Orleans. But Tom's answer surprised me.

"You know," he said in his French Quarter drawl, "the two biggest changes I've seen are how many Hispanics you see working around town, and how many new spices you see in my old grocery store. I just love not having to look for hours to find good cumin."

Before Katrina swept through, there were about 15,000 Hispanics living in New Orleans. Because much of the lower-income Hispanic and African American population was displaced and there was a growing need for reconstruction labor, the number of Hispanics that moved to the Gulf region is estimated to be as many as 60,000. And it's likely that they're in New Orleans to stay.

The Changing Face of America

In 1995 there were about 24 million Hispanics in the United States. Today, that number has almost doubled to 44 million--which means that there are more Hispanics in the United States than Canadians in Canada.

Hispanics are concentrated geographically, with half of all Hispanics living in California and Texas, but that is changing.

Between 1990 and 2000, the fastest growing Hispanic states were in what it is now called the "New Latino South": North Carolina (394 percent growth), Arkansas (337 percent), Georgia (300 percent), Tennessee (278 percent), South Carolina (211 percent) and Alabama (208 percent).

The fact that only 48 percent of Hispanics own their homes (versus 70 percent of the overall population) makes marketing to them a priority for the apartment industry.

To reach this market, the first steps are to publish marketing materials and an in-property brochure in Spanish. Ongoing communication with residents is a fundamental component.

But marketing to Hispanics goes beyond that. It means apartment managers and management companies need to proactively engage in marketing initiatives to attract and retain Hispanics.

Following are three tips that might serve as a starting point to help reach the Hispanic market.

1. Be aware of the culture and connect. Hispanic families resemble the middle-class American family of the 1950s: the woman stays home and the man works to support the family. They are cemented by a solid respect for parents, which transcends borders and goes back to their countries of origin.

Religion and spiritual belief have a central role in defining Hispanic values. There are other elements intrinsically Latino that characterize the culture: the Spanish language, music, food, social interactions and fiestas.

It's important to understand the role that apartments play in the Hispanic culture. Most Hispanics left everything behind to come to America, and the apartment community is their new home. Try to imagine being in their shoes--leaving your friends, family and all you know to move to another country. What would you like to find there? What would help you create a new home?

2. Resist stereotypes. All Hispanics are Mexican, with low incomes and no education. Right?

Stereotypes are the elephant-in-the-room of Hispanic marketing. Many apartment managers, guided by their perceptions, disregard Hispanics. But as Mark Twain said, "It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so."

A quick look at Hispanic demographics shatters all stereotypes: half of Hispanics work in white-collar jobs, and with a median household income of $45,000, almost half of all Hispanics are middle class or higher.

Also, 60 percent of Hispanics have Internet access. That equates to more Hispanic Internet users in the United States than in Mexico. So when putting together Hispanic marketing initiatives, keep in mind that the audience you might be dealing with is different than what you think you "know for sure."

3. Don't forget the "American." As hyphen" Americans, Hispanics have the same worries and concerns as non-Hispanic residents: paying taxes, saving for college, children's weddings and retirement, staying healthy and being happy. Many of the messages that apartment managers use for the non-Hispanic market will resonate and work well for Hispanics.

At the end of the day, Hispanics are American in the most meaningful sense of the word: they are here working hard to give their children a better future. Woodrow Wilson said, "America lives in the heart of every man everywhere who wishes to find a region where he will be free to work out his destiny as he chooses." And Hispanics came here to find that America that was already living in their hearts.

Manuel Delgado is CEO of REALITY, a marketing firm focused on the U.S. Hispanic market. The company was founded in 2003 and its clients include Hewlett-Packard, Best Buy, For Rent Magazine and Armstrong Floors. To address the complex needs of apartment management companies, the company recently launched SU CASA[TM], a suite of Hispanic marketing services specifically designed for the multifamily housing industry. For information, please visit www.SuCasaHispanic.com.