Today’s Latino consumers can quickly distinguish between brands that have built genuine relationships with their communities and those that appear every September with a culturally themed campaign, only to disappear in October. The difference comes down to consistency, authenticity and sustained investment.

As the 2026 Hispanic Market Guide states plainly: Hispanic Heritage Month is not a strategy.

Trust Is Built Over Time

The U.S. Hispanic market has reached $4.1 trillion in GDP and accounts for more than half of the nation’s population growth. Latinos are not a niche audience or an occasional multicultural activation. They are reshaping the country’s workforce, consumer base, cultural landscape and economic future.

Yet some brands continue to treat Hispanic marketing as a seasonal initiative—something to turn on for four weeks each fall rather than embed throughout the business.

Alexa Bosley, vice president and head of coffee marketing at Nestlé USA, cautions that brands cannot build credibility through temporary engagement.

“You need commitment for investment over time,” Bosley said. “You have to have a plan for a series of tests and refinements that will allow you to build your brand and build your trust—because, as we all know, relevance is compounded over time, and trust is the key ingredient.”

“And you’re never going to build trust by having just borrowed audiences in a Hispanic Heritage Month campaign, for example.”

That distinction matters. A campaign may capture attention, but trust requires listening, learning and showing up repeatedly. It means understanding Latino consumers beyond language or demographic labels—and recognizing the enormous diversity of experiences, identities and preferences within the community.

It also means ensuring Hispanic marketing is supported by leadership, adequately funded and connected to the company’s broader growth strategy.

“Regardless of the size of your organization, you’ve got to make sure that you are bringing your leadership team along with you, so that there is an appreciation for this consumer group as the future of your growth and the future of the relevance of your brand,” Bosley added.

Consistency Is a Competitive Advantage

The brands making the strongest connections with Latino consumers are not chasing a cultural moment. They are building relationships that can withstand changing headlines, economic uncertainty and shifts in the political environment.

The Home Depot offers a powerful example. Recognized as the HMC 2026 Marketer of the Year, the company has invested in the Hispanic market for more than 15 years—not seasonally and not reactively.

“We see the Hispanic market and the Latino community as a huge growth opportunity for The Home Depot,” said Molly Battin, senior vice president and CMO. “We know that by 2040, multicultural customers will be over 40% of the home improvement category, with Latinos being the fastest-growing segment. That’s a huge opportunity for us. That long-term commitment will only continue as we move into the future.”

Working closely with its cultural agency partner, LERMA/, The Home Depot has built a strategy rooted in listening, cultural intelligence and sustained engagement. Its work includes culturally grounded storytelling, campaigns such as Latina Doers, community investment through its partnership with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, and long-standing connections to Latino passion points.

The company has sponsored the Mexican National Team since 2003 and is expanding that commitment through its FIFA sponsorship to connect with younger generations of Latino fans.

The lesson is not simply to invest in soccer, education or any other single initiative. It is to find the spaces that genuinely connect the brand’s purpose with the lives of its consumers—and remain present in those spaces long enough to create meaningful value.

As Battin explained, “The strategy starts with listening—using cultural insight to show up in ways that feel relevant, respectful and useful in the moments that matter most.”

Authenticity Cannot Be Switched On for a Month

Year-round investment is also what allows brands to communicate authentically. Cultural fluency does not come from changing a color palette, translating a general-market campaign or adding recognizable cultural cues to creative developed without Latino insight.

It comes from understanding the audience deeply enough to know what the brand can credibly say, where it can contribute and how its values should translate into action.

For Marina Filippelli, chief marketing and branding officer at Northgate González Market, that work begins with internal clarity.

“Brands are better served by getting clear on their own values and understanding how meaningful engagement with both Latino and non-Latino consumers can coexist within them,” Filippelli said. “Once a brand has that clarity, it becomes much easier to act consistently and authentically—without appearing to pander to one group or alienate another.”

“There’s no silver bullet here. The real work has to be done to define what those values are and how they show up in everyday marketing decisions.”

That is especially important in today’s environment. Younger, more diverse consumers are paying close attention to how brands respond to issues affecting their communities. They are evaluating more than products and advertising; they are evaluating whether a brand understands them, respects them and behaves consistently with its stated values.

And authenticity has a measurable impact. According to Nielsen’s Hispanic Sentiment Study, 63% of Hispanics are more likely to purchase from brands that reflect their culture.

Make the Month Mean More

Hispanic Heritage Month still matters. It creates space to amplify Latino voices, celebrate cultural contributions and introduce broader audiences to stories that deserve greater visibility.

But the month is most powerful when it serves as an extension of an existing commitment—not a substitute for one.

Brands should use this moment to ask harder questions:

• Are Latino consumers reflected in our strategy throughout the year?
• Are Hispanic marketing specialists helping shape decisions from the beginning?
• Are we investing in culturally relevant media, research, creative talent and community partnerships?
• Are we listening—and are we prepared to act on what we learn?

Most importantly: Will the people we are celebrating in September still see and hear from us in January, April and July?

Because lasting relationships are not built during a designated month. They are earned through consistent, relevant and authentic engagement all year long.

Hispanic Heritage Month may open the door. What brands do during the other 11 months determines whether Latino consumers invite them to stay.

Explore more insights into Latino media consumption, digital influence and advertising opportunities in the 2026 Hispanic Market Guide.