Marketing Strategy Or Offense To Some?

This quarter I have been doing a journalism internship with the Talk Radio News Service in Washington, D.C. for my last quarter as an undergraduate. With graduating early, I thought an internship in D.C. would give me the extra training I need to sharpen my journalism skills. These past few months I have been writing about politics, foreign affairs, and various issues like student debt. I have also been using my technical skills by creating video and audio packages for the company.

During a Target trip with a couple of friends, I bumped into the "Hispanic Products" aisle. While being perplexed, and sparking my curiosity at the same time, I investigate these Hispanic foods. And what do they consist of? What I expected- tortillas, salsa, refried beans in a can. I was not too sure what was the purpose of having "Hispanic Products" taking over one aisle. People I know have commented on this before, but it's a different feeling when you see it with your own eyes and realize it's not a joke. Why couldn't the salsa be with the other condiments? Why couldn't the canned refried beans be with the garbanzo beans? or Why couldn't the tortillas be with the bread and bagels? I didn't see an aisle with "Asian Products," but apparently my friend said there was an aisle of "Ethnic Hair Products."

The reason I didn't see an aisle with "Asian Products," but did see an aisle with "Hispanic Products," is because it is a marketing strategy to grab the Latino consumers. The area I was in was Columbia Heights, an area in Washington D.C. with 58% African Americans and 34% Hispanic. How clever of companies, like Target! Although this may be racist to some, marketing is marketing, and it will for sure surpass any social constraint to get its product across. A friend from San Diego, CA said their Target has the same thing, makes sense if San Diego is just minutes from the Mexico-United States border.

Is this becoming a new trend for companies? One may think it's a marketing strategy since people love Latin food and want everything in one place, while some may actually take offense to it. Whatever it is, it will not stop companies from conforming to the majority of their shoppers. With Hispanics counting 16.3% of the U.S. population and increasing every year, creating a new age of a "Hispanic boom," manufacturers will continue to target Hispanic consumers in the most evident areas.