As bilingual radio formats increase in popularity, Spanish-speaking small business owners overwhelmingly prefer ads that blend English and Spanish over just one language, according to a new Katz Radio Group study, providing a key into a $4.1 trillion market.
The findings come from a Creative Diagnostics study conducted in Spanish among 400 Spanish-speaking small business decision-makers ages 25 to 54 in select markets, all of whom listen to Spanish-language radio, building on data released in May.
As mentioned, language preference proved to be the study’s most notable finding. Although every respondent listens to Spanish-language radio, only 2% preferred a Spanish-only version of the tested ads. English only drew 33% preference, 16% expressed no preference, and 49%, nearly half of respondents, preferred ads that combined both languages.
Respondents pointed to three recurring elements as most effective in the tested creative: support for small businesses, business rewards and benefits, and clear, concise messaging. The campaign built on those elements with first-person stories from real business owners who were also customers of the advertiser’s financial products.
Personal relevance scores followed a similar pattern. Eighty-three percent of respondents agreed the ads reflected their business needs or aspirations, 80% said the product felt designed for someone like them, and 83% found the advertised rewards and benefits relevant to their business spending or travel habits.
That relevance carried down the funnel. Eighty-six percent of respondents reported a favorable opinion of the advertiser, 72% said their perception of the product became more positive after exposure, and 77% said they would be likely to seek more information.
Across the three commercials tested, 93% said the messaging was clear on all three, which Katz frames as evidence that straightforward, relatable messaging outperforms more complicated creative approaches, even among a bilingual audience capable of processing more elaborate ad copy.
The findings mesh with iHeartMedia’s recent Bicultural Latinos research, conducted with Collage Group, which found that Bicultural Latinos, now nearly 40% of all US Latinos, listen to radio weekly at a 92% clip and represent $4.1 trillion in economic power.
