Latino Presence in Mainstream Media is on the Rise
Des-pa-cito.
Is that song stuck in your head now? Did “Despacito” teach you a little Spanish? With 4.7 billion views on YouTube, I would hope you got a mini Spanish lesson.
“Despacito” did break many records and has opened many doors for Spanish artists. Several English-speaking artists have hopped on the bandwagon to collaborate with Latinos. You have J Balvin with Beyoncé, Drake with Bad Bunny, and Demi Lovato with Luis Fonsi, just to name a few.
The presence of Spanish speaking entertainers has been growing over the years especially on every media platform. As Spanish is becoming prominent, many journalists will eventually have to take the time to learn the language. Being bilingual will not only benefit your career but you will also communicate to a wider audience.
YouTube has such an influence on mainstream media due to its visual impact. I spend hours and hours watching videos about dogs hugging their owners while others watch a compilation of memes or DIYs. When there is so much endless content, there is also diversity.
The most subscribed female youtuber is Mexicana Mariand Castrejon Castañeda with 20 million subscribers. She is a beauty vlogger or as Jenna Marbles likes to call them the “beatubers”.
The YouTube channel, “FBE” or Fine Bros, feature many videos of Latino artists that dominate YouTube with their VEVO views.
BuzzFeed is another channel with a large audience of 14 million subscribers. It also has several chain channels. BuzzFeed does a great job on being inclusive to people of different backgrounds. It is also smart branding to dedicate a channel to Latinos, who make up about 18% percent of the U.S population.
When BuzzFeed created “Pero Like” it was to reach a new audience. “Pero Like” has over half a million subscribers and it helps educate people of what life is like for a Latino. It is obvious that the crew members are Latino and speak Spanish in almost every video.
There are videos with Spanish slang, growing up Latino, and poking fun at stereotypes. Ya tu sabes being sarcastic in Spanish gives more flavor to your words.
You get a taste of the Dominican culture to Mexican and a little of Puerto Rican.
Vamos a seguir adelante.
Snapchat has also made sure to include a Latino outlet on its discover page. “Mítu” focuses on Latinos’ point of view in entertainment. Just like “Pero Like”, there are comical topics as well as serious ones that focus on what is going on in the political aspect.
Social media is constantly growing and providing its audience with a wide range of culture. Brands are targeting Latino audiences a lot more due to their rise throughout music, videos, and politics.
Do you think incorporating Spanish is important for branding? Comment your thoughts below.