How some businesses flounder with Hispanic Heritage Month marketing efforts

Women hold flags during the national anthem in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month before an NFL game on Sept. 18. The NFL has launched its Por La Cultura campaign. (Ron Jenkins/AP)

Ron Jenkins / Ron Jenkins

As companies mark Hispanic Heritage Month, recent high-profile mistakes are demonstrating what not to do, just as much as what companies can do, in hopes of appealing to a Latino audience.

Some marketing efforts are outright cringeworthy, utilizing tacos, sombreros and the Mexican flag in hopes of reeling in members of the Hispanic community, according to Trinidad Aguirre, a Hispanic marketing consultant.

“It’s honestly common in my experience. Major brands try to do these things without really attempting to understand our diverse culture, right, and they often miss the mark time and time again,” he told NPR.