(Boston, MA) – Ford, McDonald’s, Nestlé, and Pepsi each take a different approach to targeting the Spanish-speaking market online, but all have one thing in common. They offer content for Hispanics in Spanish as well as English. Not only do they provide Spanish for the U.S.; they provide it alongside an English version.

Most marketers intuitively know that it’s important to market to consumers in a language they understand. Their companies’ global websites demonstrate the importance of language in marketing to major demographics. However, findings from independent market research firm Common Sense Advisory show while an increasing number of companies translate and localize for major international markets, fewer excel in appealing to domestic multicultural communities.

"Our research consistently finds a strong link between in-language content and a consumer’s likelihood of making a purchase," explains Don DePalma, Chief Strategy Officer at Common Sense Advisory. "If we treat the U.S. Spanish-speaking market as if it were a separate country, its share of the world online wallet is actually the sixth largest in the world. Unfortunately, many b2c websites are missing the mark on their ethnic marketing strategies."

The new report, "How to Craft a Multicultural Web Strategy," uses the U.S. Hispanic market to showcase the best and worst online ethnic marketing strategies from 12 global companies, including GE, Samsung, and McDonald’s. The 48-page report includes:

• The review and analysis of eight consumer and business high technology company websites – revealing best practices and opportunities for improvement
• Best practices case studies of four consumer-oriented companies that are effectively marketing online to Latinos
• Five immediate, low-cost things a company can do to save money, improve its processes, achieve a consistent brand voice, and improve its online image for Spanish-speaking customers
• Four must-follow design considerations for Hispanic websites
• Hispanic market segmentation suggestions – who to reach and how
• Languages and countries that matter most online (including U.S. Spanish)

For more information about Common Sense Advisory’s research, visit http://www.commonsenseadvisory.com.

About Common Sense Advisory

Common Sense Advisory, Inc. is an independent research and analysis firm specializing in the on- and offline operations driving business globalization, internationalization, localization, translation, and interpretation. Its research, consulting, and training help organizations improve the quality of their global business operations. For more information, visit: www.commonsenseadvisory.com or www.twitter.com/CSA_Research.