Showing up for Latino audiences all year

This Hispanic Heritage Month, we looked at the cultural signals shaping entertainment, sports, music, and the holidays – and what it takes for brands to show up with intention all year long.

From Bad Bunny’s history-making Grammy wins to Mexico’s World Cup run, Latino culture shapes the conversations in our feeds. But a calendar moment is not a cultural strategy.

For Hispanic Heritage Month, LIGA (Latino Inclusion & Guidance Alliance) – Weber Shandwick’s Business Resource Group centering Latino employees and their allies – invited all US colleagues to Cultura Tap. We dove into the cultural moments gaining momentum and asked the bigger question: how can brands join these conversations with relevance, authenticity, and staying power?

The throughline was clear: the Latino community isn’t a monolith, and engaging with Latino audiences isn’t just a once-a-year opportunity. Here are five in-culture insights to help brands continue the conversation all year long.

1) Hispanic Heritage Month activations alone feel performative

Tapping into Latino culture often feels surface-level when brands use Hispanic Heritage Month as their only moment to reach out and recognize this community’s buying power. Research from Interbrand shows 40% of Latinos believe brands don’t make an effort to connect with them, and 60% believe brands try to connect with them but fail in execution​. But there’s good news. The Latino community is vocal about their passions, from the reception around music’s biggest stars like Bad Bunny and Karol G making history at the Super Bowl and Coachella​. Brands have an opportunity to listen and build a relationship that continues long after October 15.

2) Reality TV fans don’t just watch; they shape the conversation

Both on and off screen, Latinos are tuned into reality TV. Some 42% of the most bingeable streaming programs of 2021 were directly influenced by Hispanic talent​, according to Nielsen. Viewers dissect relationships, celebrate moments of sisterhood, and turn cast members into fan favorites – which can all translate into earned conversation and brand partnerships. Love Island USA winner Amaya Espinal (aka Amaya Papaya) became the face of the namesake Poppi flavor Amaya’s Island Colada, and contestants Olandria and Nic have turned their relationship into brand deals from NYX to MAC Cosmetics.

The insight for our industry: Turn social chatter into earned moments by partnering with fan-favorite stars as brand spokespeople. The strongest collaborations build a deep connection with consumers and engage in a culturally meaningful way.

3) Music fandom travels across language—and across the feed

Spanish-language music is no longer niche – it’s undeniably mainstream. In 2025, Latino music hit $1 billion in US revenue (its 10th straight annual high), and US Latinos are 17% more likely than the general population to always be on the lookout for new live music events. And language isn’t a barrier: non-Spanish speaking Americans vibe first and translate later.

Artists are also turning tours into cultural and commercial platforms, from spotlighting local businesses to creating space for fashion, sampling, and fan participation.

The insight for our industry: Think beyond the sponsorship. Ask how a brand can add to the fan experience and the conversation fans are already creating.

4) Sports fandom is about community as much as competition

Make room fútbol, Latinos prove their love for American football can run just as deep​. The NFL and college football are catching on, highlighting Latino talent to connect with fans. Breakout athlete, Fernando Mendoza, made headlines as he led IU to victory. Now his pro career is taking off with his heritage on center stage. ​The NFL’s ‘Por La Cultura’ initiative spotlights players and connects them to their familial home countries to engage international fans.​

Perhaps most importantly, game day is a ritual of belonging, where team pride meets family, food, and festivities.​ From pregame prayers and potlucks to carne asadas and cheers, game day turns fandom into the ultimate gathering–bringing family and friends together well before kickoff.​

The insight for our industry: Start with the rituals and relationships around a game for a more human way into the moment with Latino fans.

5) Holiday traditions persevere—and evolve—with every generation

During the holidays, preserving community outweighs the costs​ for Latino families. Some 51% of Latinos report that gifts, travel, and holiday plans are more important than saving​, and 44% took on side hustles in 2025 ​to afford holiday gifts​, according to a BMO 2025 survey. Latinos are fusing American holiday traditions with their cultural roots to capture the breadth of their identity, while Gen Z and Millennial Latinos put their own spin on Nochebuena recipes, holiday looks, and blended-family celebrations.​ All while relying heavily on mobile tech to power cross-border connections.

The insight for our industry: Look for ways for your brand to be genuinely useful in the traditions people are making now. A culturally resonant idea can honor what came before while making room for how families celebrate today.

Keep the conversation going

For brands, the opportunity is broad: by bringing in the proper data and lived experiences at the right time, we can drive cultural fluency to make the work stronger from the start.

That’s the spirit of Cultura Tap: an invitation to keep the conversation going. But first, listen to the community shaping the conversation. Done right, brands can show up with care and create connections that last long after the feed moves on.