It’s all about money

I know that for many people who make a point of visiting Mexican-oriented markets, one of the items of appeal are the pastries.

From the Mexican “breads” that are more like sweet rolls served with café con leche than anything you’d turn into a sandwich to the churros (long, narrow tubes stuffed with a sugary filling, such as to the right), there are those who feel compelled to make a special purchase that you just can’t get at the Jewel or the Kroger – not even in the ethnic aisle!

BUT WITH THE growing Latino population, it would seem that the existing pastry-type people want to be sure they don’t get swept out of the market by the churro – similar to how salsa is supposedly now more popular than ketchup (even though most mass-produced jars of salsa taste more ketchup-y to me than the real thing.

So it is in that context that it seems Dunkin’ Donuts wants the Latino market. They’re bolstering their Spanish-language advertising to try to reach the segment of the population that prefers Español to Ingles.

A Miami-based advertising agency has received a contract to provide marketing – which means translating the meaning of the Dunkin’ Donuts ads in English, rather than the literal words.

Because if you just do a word-for-word switch from English to Spanish, the actual meaning will be lost. You will get something that literally would be gibberish to Spanish-speakers – and most likely to create much mocking for the company.

THEY WANT TO go much farther than the current Spanish-language ads they have been doing (“¿Que Estas Tomando?” for “What Are You Drinkin’?”) not out of any idealistic sense to make Latinos feel warm and happy and included in our society.

It’s because they see our money and they’d like for us to purchase their coffee and donuts like to the left at least as often as we consider making a stop at the mercado or bodega for an ethnic pastry treat.

We can add to their financial bottom line! Our money is as green as everybody else’s.

Although the idea of U.S.-inspired pastries ought not to be a foreign concept. Because I remember a few years back when the Krispy Kreme chain of pastry outlets expanded its own chain into Latin America – headed into Mexico first.

PERSONALLY, I CAN not comprehend how anyone would have preferred one of those Krispy Kreme treats that were so overly sugary and syrupy to an ethnic pastry. Perhaps the same is true of a Dunkin’-type doughnut!

Although we’ll have to see just how solidly the new advertising takes among Latinos to see if the Dunkin’-type coffee will take amongst our growing numbers.

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