Q & A: Common Misconceptions About Reaching Latino Audiences

If you haven’t been prioritizing multicultural marketing, you’re late to the party. And if you have, there are likely some opportunities for improvements to your strategy. While there’s a time and place for general multicultural marketing, inclusive of all audiences, there are also times when brands are looking to specifically reach Latino audiences. 

While it may be 2025, the media has still yet to fully meet expectations from Latino audiences. Brands are still making last-minute Hispanic Heritage Month efforts, treating the community as a monolith, and over-focusing on the Spanish language. Instead, the community wants to see (and hear) authentic representation, an understanding of nuances, and year-round engagement. 

The Biggest Opportunity to Reach Latino Audiences? Audio.

Latino audiences spend +21% more time with audio than the general population. So, it’s no surprise that they gravitate towards SiriusXM Media, where our portfolio includes the Spanish Broadcast System (SBS) and exclusive partnerships with reVolver and Pitaya, two leading Latino-led podcast networks. From bilingual listeners, to No Sabo Kids, to parents, to Gen Zers, they’re all here, and 81% of Latino ad-supported listeners find SiriusXM personalities to be authentic.  

With the start of the new year, toss your old playbook out the window, and pick up ours, the Multicultural Advertising Playbook, instead. 

We spoke with our very own Kristia Watkins Melendez, Senior Specialist, Multicultural Marketing, for her expert recommendations to advertisers. Below, she dives into common misconceptions on reaching Latino audiences, audio campaigns to pull inspiration from, and more. 

Lean into Bilingualism by Intertwining Inglés and Español 

Question: What are some common misconceptions when it comes to reaching and targeting Latino audiences?

Answer: "A common misconception about reaching Latino audiences is that brands can only do so through exclusively Spanish-language content. In fact, 61% of Latinos communicate on some level of bilingualism, and more than half want advertisements where English and Spanish are fully intertwined. Recognizing Latinos’ language fluidity opens up the door to more creative opportunities for brand campaigns. Bilingual ads, English in-culture ads, and Spanish-dialect ads are just a few options for targeting Latinos, and using a mix of these ads gives your message wider reach with these listeners."

Talk Directly to the Community with Custom Partnerships 

Question: Are there any campaigns you’ve recently seen that did a great job of targeting Latino audiences? What can advertisers do similarly? 

Answer: "Custom partnerships with our diverse-hosted podcasts work really well with multicultural listeners. For Latinos specifically, the audience’s podcast listenership has increased by 72% since 2020, so investing in a partnership with a Latino-led show is a great way to speak directly to the community. This year, a large fast food chain launched a custom partnership to surround Copa America podcast content captured by soccer superfan and the host of Erazno y La Chokolata and Futbol Hoy, Oswaldo Diaz. The multiple episode sponsorship aligned the fast food chain with all things futbol and included a bonus episode and network host reads. This partnership established the QSR brand as a strong supporter of soccer and Latino culture overall. 

This partnership worked because the fast food chain tapped into what was already drawing listeners to Oswaldo Diaz’s podcasts—his humor, engaging interviews, and love for the game of soccer. Brands can achieve similar success by leaning on the inherent trust and authenticity of the SiriusXM Podcast Network’s hosts, whether it’s a custom partnership tied to a cultural event or a host read sharing the message."

Dig Deeper into Subcultures and Subgenres 

Question: How should a brand tweak their strategy when targeting Latino audiences for the second or third time (versus the first time?)

Answer: "My advice would be to dig deeper into the Latino audience and its subcultures. What would it look like if you tailored your message to the biggest Latino origin group, Mexican Americans? If reaching them through Latin music on Pandora has shown success, what about digging into Latin subgenres on SoundCloud? In practice, go beyond the musica Mexicana stations on Pandora like El Ambiente or RMX and take the enthusiasm for the genre to the emerging subgenres on SoundCloud, like sad sierrenos and tumbados romanticos. On SoundCloud, you can get on the ground floor of culture, promote tracks, and spotlight music movements with SoundCloud Scenes."

No More One-Size-Fits-All Strategies

Question: If you only had one tip to give to advertisers targeting Latino communities, what would it be?

Answer: "There is not a one-size-fits-all approach with Latino audiences. The Latino community has varying interests and passion points, but what brings the community together is their love for their culture. My recommendation is to lean on our targeting capabilities to reach Latinos across their listening habits. Our Latin Intensive targeting reaches listeners who spend 50%+ of their time with Spanish-language content on our platforms, and our Latin Enthusiast targeting reaches listeners who spend 20-49% of their time with Spanish content. So tapping into our targeting capabilities will ensure that you’re reaching a wide spectrum of Latino listeners."

Learn to Speak Multicultural Marketing with Fluency

Question: We have many ways to reach Latino audiences from live events, to the Spanish Broadcast System, to the Pitaya Podcast Network. Where would you point to a brand to get started with diverse advertising?

Answer: "Brands should start by connecting with our dedicated multicultural team: Fluency. Fluency is our biggest asset in guiding partners in the right strategy to reach diverse audiences  across Pandora, SoundCloud, and the SiriusXM Podcast Network. Whether that's a mix of audio, video, and display products on streaming platforms, sponsoring a selection of our 200 multicultural-focused Pandora stations, elevating independent artists on SoundCloud with promoted tracks, or aligning brands with diverse show hosts, Fluency will crystalize the right strategy to connect with multicultural audiences across all of our audio platforms."

To understand your audience is to be one with their playlist. Check out our multicultural playlist here, filled with music recommendations from the top Asian, Black, and Latino artists today.

Ready to finally hit the bullseye when reaching Latino audiences? Let’s talk.

Pull Back the Curtain on Reaching Diverse Audiences