Hispanic Marketing
American Soaps vs. Spanish Novelas
When I was very young I had chicken pox for two weeks. I was out of school and basically watched lots of movies and television with my mom. I remember watching the popular soap opera Days of our Lives with her during that time. After two days of watching, I was able to pick up almost the entire storyline and direction of the show. I learned all the characters, the relationships, the betrayals, and all the deceptive lies in a matter of days.
Fast forward to my sophomore year in college. I came home from campus early with surprisingly little homework for the night. I turned on the television to quickly see what’s airing and, low and behold, John Black from Days of our Lives had reunited with his first love, Hope (after a dramatic spell of amnesia), and Sammy was still up to her suspicious antics. I had a quiet laugh to myself as I realized that the majority of characters and plot were still intact, even 15 years later. It was like I never left.
I have often joked with friends and family on how well versed I am on the happenings of daytime soap operas, and that always seems to be humorous given the fact that males are traditionally not knowledgeable, nor interested, in daytime soaps in even the slightest degree.
Latin culture has its own version of soap operas, but there are some stark contrasts with typical American soaps. American soaps are geared directly at women. This is why they are aired around midday, when husbands are at work and kids are at school. Latin soaps, or novelas, are not only shown during primetime hours, but purposely scripted to appeal to both Hispanic men and women, young and old.
Many novelas include a central character that repeatedly endures hard family, economic or social circumstances. Through their perseverance these characters are able to overcome such obstacles and create the ideal ending for themselves. It is this point that attracts so many Hispanics. The novela underdog is given a fighting chance. Laced between the cheating and backbiting, there are threads of hope and encouragement that speak universally to all Hispanics fighting in their own lives to provide for their families or move up in the food chain. Whether it’s a drug lord falling in love with a beauty queen and wanting to leave his dark lifestyle, or a female boxer making her way in the world, Hispanics are drawn to the many messages and storylines that appeal to their past, present, and potential future.
In many ways, Spanish novelas act as a blueprint to effectively communicate with this broadening demographic. First and foremost, novelas, which on the surface may seem to only target females, have made a conscious effort to attract males. The producers and studios have not assumed that the majority of Hispanic males only watch soccer games and movies. Since television is an important and central gathering point for many Hispanic families, novelas are scripted to pique the interest of everyone in the room.
While soaps and novelas carry some common threads of romance and deception, novelas add storyline elements that address relevant Hispanic social issues, business, politics, tradition, and even drug trafficking. A female character may be dealing with an abusive or “machismo” husband or boyfriend. A young adult male character may be resisting the temptations and lifestyles of the world as he struggles to live honestly for the sake of his loved ones. These novelas may not be selling anything directly to the viewer, but they speak whole-heartedly and honestly to the emotions and experience of Hispanics.
Novelas also typically only last for one season. Days of our Lives has been on air since 1965, and as I found out one day in college, the plot can take literally years to change. Novelas last just long enough to convey the message before they are done and gone. The next season of novelas will present entirely new scripts and characters based on the same enduring themes.
These novelas are like a developing and changing company that advertises the same product, but with new commercials and different spokespersons from year to year. They are faithful to their core themes and messages, but find new ways to reintroduce the product. They are strategically written to communicate ideas of hope and change. They evolve and adapt, just like marketers.
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