Price vs. Value
Not long ago, a friend of mine who's Latino told me about a Mexican burlesque show that he attended in San Jose (with a Mexican actress that is highly popular in Mexico and is now touring in the US with huge success). My friend has a good job, which allows him to live comfortable with no luxuries. Doing some calculations, among tickets for his partner and him, parking and gas, a new shirt, and dinner after the show he spent no less than $150.
After many years of being involved in projects/programs that are targeted or aimed to Latinos, I always wonder why the assumption that these programs have to be free of charge (a very common assumption among services providers). At the beggining I said nothing (a very Mexican tradition of being polite and don't question anything), but as time passes and my own process of acculturation grows, now I ask my clients: Why? Why does it have to be free?
I think there are two assumptions playing here: one- Latinos don't have much money and two- Latinos have large families. Depending on the way you look at these assumptions, they might have a certain degree of accuracy. I'm not going to bore you with the 1 trillion on Latino purchasing power by next year, and the 3.6 members average in Latino families. But I'd like to ask you: What did it take for my friend to open his wallet the way he did for a burlesque show? And I think the answer is: value.
This is not marketing-rocket science, every person that sees value in something, not matter culture, socioeconomic status or educational level, when we see value we open our wallets.My friend obviously saw value in attending a presentation by a well-known performer. Finding the right value proposition is a matter of taking a close look to what is important for people, and when it comes to multiculturalism is a matter of taking a look into what is important for this culture. What your organization offers is important for these people? I'm sure the answer is yes, so then what we need to understand is what is it that people values the most? Once we understand this, then what we need to define is how do we communicate that value, so people make decisions, organize their families, take the car/bus/BART, and open their wallets to participate and benefit of something that is valuable. Latinos spend a lot of money in products/services/experiences that we believe valuable.
$150 for attending a museum? Why not? I think it is possible, is just a matter of good marketing.
Not long ago, a friend of mine who's Latino told me about a Mexican burlesque show that he attended in San Jose (with a Mexican actress that is highly popular in Mexico and is now touring in the US with huge success). My friend has a good job, which allows him to live comfortable with no luxuries. Doing some calculations, among tickets for his partner and him, parking and gas, a new shirt, and dinner after the show he spent no less than $150.
After many years of being involved in projects/programs that are targeted or aimed to Latinos, I always wonder why the assumption that these programs have to be free of charge (a very common assumption among services providers). At the beggining I said nothing (a very Mexican tradition of being polite and don't question anything), but as time passes and my own process of acculturation grows, now I ask my clients: Why? Why does it have to be free?
I think there are two assumptions playing here: one- Latinos don't have much money and two- Latinos have large families. Depending on the way you look at these assumptions, they might have a certain degree of accuracy. I'm not going to bore you with the 1 trillion on Latino purchasing power by next year, and the 3.6 members average in Latino families. But I'd like to ask you: What did it take for my friend to open his wallet the way he did for a burlesque show? And I think the answer is: value.
This is not marketing-rocket science, every person that sees value in something, not matter culture, socioeconomic status or educational level, when we see value we open our wallets.My friend obviously saw value in attending a presentation by a well-known performer. Finding the right value proposition is a matter of taking a close look to what is important for people, and when it comes to multiculturalism is a matter of taking a look into what is important for this culture. What your organization offers is important for these people? I'm sure the answer is yes, so then what we need to understand is what is it that people values the most? Once we understand this, then what we need to define is how do we communicate that value, so people make decisions, organize their families, take the car/bus/BART, and open their wallets to participate and benefit of something that is valuable. Latinos spend a lot of money in products/services/experiences that we believe valuable.
$150 for attending a museum? Why not? I think it is possible, is just a matter of good marketing.
posted by contemporánea @ 8:53 PM
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