The Post-Bad Bunny Reality: Marketing to Latinos in 2026
- Feb 18
- 2 min read
There are still Latinos who accept and laugh at things that don’t represent them or that fall into clichés, but after the massive display of culture and representation in Bad Bunny’s show, I see that changing.
I know that brands today are actively seeking to speak to us, and I fully understand that many simply don’t know how. Our community’s growth is imminent, yet the necessary information is still lacking. After experiencing Super Bowl weekend firsthand in San Francisco, I have a few recommendations on how to correctly speak Latino.
𝟭. 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱. Ask marketing event organizers for panels that tackle these subjects. I attended several events this past weekend, and “Latinos in Sports” was the only one where this was discussed; in the rest, there was literally nothing. This, during an event where the headliner of the show, the major marketing moment of the night, was a Latino.
𝟮. 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. Conduct real surveys with real people. Ask them: “Is this actually funny to you?” or “Does this represent you?” Direct feedback is gold. Also, seek consulting within the community itself. Don’t assume: ask. Consulting with people who live this reality is what makes the difference between just another ad and a cultural moment. Remeber: people will like it, you migth get the virality, but are you really adding as a brand? Adding to the culture, will guarantee you long term engagement.
In a post-Bad Bunny Halftime Show world, there is no longer room for external interpretations of what it means to be Latino. It’s time for marketing to reflect our reality. This is gonna get exciting!!!!
I’m Alejandra Salazar, Speaker, Founder & CEO of CROING l Creative Agency where we work with brands that want to get closer to their audience. Here, I share audience insights, creative industry events, culturally relevant campaigns, and spotlight women in the industry. Follow me and join the conversation.
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