This is part of what Alejandra Soto, Director of Latino Communications at Planned Parenthood, shared with Mario Carrasco in the latest episode of The New Mainstream Podcast: understanding Latino audiences requires much morethan speaking their language.

“Latino consumers” may seem like a clearly defined audience. In reality, it includes people with very different identities, experiences, generations, languages, and cultural contexts.

And that difference matters.

A recent immigrant who is predominantly Spanish-speaking, a second-generation bilingual consumer, and a fourth-generation Latino who primarily speaks English may allidentify as Latino—but they can consume media, respond to messaging, and engage with brands in completely different ways.

Speaking Spanish Doesn't Mean Understanding Latinos

For brands, reaching Latino audiences requires much more than translating an existing campaign.

It means understanding who the audience is, what cultural context shapes their behavior, where they get information, and what makes a message feel authentic.

In her conversation with Mario Carrasco, Alejandra Soto explains how research, listening, and the ability to adapt strategies are essential to building more relevant multicultural communications.

Authenticity Can't Be Manufactured

Cultural relevance also isn't about adding recognizable cultural symbols to an advertisement.

A campaign can use the right language, imagery, or cultural references and still fail to connect with its audience.

The difference lies in whether those elements reflect a genuine understanding of the community or simply reproduce stereotypes.

For brands looking to Understand, Reach, and Engage multicultural audiences, that distinction can be decisive.