Publications are guilty of waiting until a Latine celebrity reaches “mainstream” stardom before deeming them worthy of coverage. The solution? Let Latine collaborators and writers lead the conversation. We don’t need to be taught; we need to be trusted. If you want engagement, you must show you’re invested in our stories as we see them unfold, not when they’re trending.
We are nuanced
Yes, we’re Latine, but we’re also so much more than that. Our culture is important to us, but we’re much more than just our Latinidad. We’re multidimensional and layered, and our interests span across cultures. The assumption that we only consume Latine content is not only outdated, it’s wrong. We’re just as likely to be listening to Sabrina Carpenter as we are Bad Bunny, binging The Bear while sipping café con leche or a pumpkin spice latte. Brands need to understand that we aren’t confined to one box—we are general market consumers who engage with content and products beyond our heritage.
Take Glow Recipe, a non-Latine, Asian-founded beauty brand expanding to markets in Mexico and Brazil. Bad Boys: Ride or Die, which premiered this past summer, debuted with a $56 million domestic box office, with 26% of the audience being Hispanic and Latino. Despite not having a “Latine storyline” and the two leads not being Latine, the film resonated by including culturally relevant elements in a natural, unforced way.
Latine consumers are drawn to quality, innovation, and storytelling, no matter where it comes from. The key is to stop treating us like a multicultural afterthought. Once you see us as part of the broader market, you’ll find that what engages us is the same thing that engages everyone else—genuine connection and relevant content.
If you build it, we will come—but trust takes time
Time and time again, platforms and brands expect instant results with Latine audiences, and when they don’t see numbers skyrocket after one campaign or one season of a show, they pull back. But here’s the reality: Trust takes time. Our communities have seen this pattern too many times—promises made, excitement built, and then we’re left hanging when things don’t deliver overnight. Latine audiences, like any other, want to feel a genuine, long-term commitment, not a fleeting attempt to check a box.