CTV Was Supposed To Be The Great Equalizer

Forbes

19 hours ago

Tony Gonzalez is Co-Founder and CEO of Mundial Media, a leading contextual marketing platform focused on multicultural audiences.
We've all heard the promise: CTV is the future. It's the great equalizer, blending digital targeting with the storytelling power of TV.
That vision is authentic and compelling, but turning it into meaningful results, especially with multicultural audiences, requires more than flipping a switch. After more than a decade immersed in multicultural media strategy, I've learned that reaching Hispanic and other diverse audiences on CTV takes a mindset shift from checking boxes to embracing cultural fluency.
There's no debate: U.S. Hispanics over-index on CTV. They're streaming more content across more platforms and engaging with content in both Spanish and English. This behavior represents a powerful opportunity, but only for brands that approach this audience with intentionality. Simply put, to connect with this audience, marketing must reflect the lived experiences, values and aspirations of its target audience.
African American audiences also play a significant role in shaping CTV trends, driving substantial viewership and cultural influence across various genres and platforms. Like Hispanic viewers, they are not a monolith. Connecting with them requires more than surface-level gestures; it calls for a genuine investment in representation, storytelling and a deep understanding of the community.
Too often, the default approach mirrors traditional broadcast methods: repurposing a general-market ad, dubbing it in Spanish, adding a few cultural signifiers and distributing it through a Spanish-language app. While well-intentioned, this rarely taps into the deeper layers of identity and relevance that multicultural viewers respond to.
So, what should brands do instead?
It starts with involving the right voices up front. That means working with creatives, strategists and researchers who bring cultural insights and lived experiences to the table from day one. Brands should commission original creative, developed specifically for the audience they're trying to reach. Casting should reflect cultural authenticity; scripts should consider vernacular and humor that come naturally, and story arcs should resonate with the community's values, including family, perseverance, cultural pride and ambition, to name a few.
CTV audiences are nuanced. Language is just one dimension. Factors like generational perspective, region of origin, acculturation level and shifting identity expressions all share what resonates. Increasingly, these dimensions overlap in ways that require more than translation; they demand tailored, informed storytelling.
One of CTV's advantages is its robust targeting capabilities. Brands can layer data such as language preference, geography, cultural affinity and viewer behavior to deliver highly tailored messages. However, access to those tools isn't what sets great campaigns apart; it's how you use them.
Take Toyota, for example. Rather than viewing 'Hispanics' as a single audience, the brand develops distinct purpose-built creative for bilingual, English-dominant and Spanish-dominant audiences. They respect nuance, and in doing so, create ads that connect rather than just categorize.
5 Ways To Take A CTV Multicultural Strategy To The Next Level
If your brand is serious about building meaningful connections with Hispanic audiences on CTV, here are five foundational shifts that can move the needle:
The majority of the 60-plus million Hispanics in the U.S. are bilingual or English-dominant. Language matters as a starting point. Cultural attitudes, values and identity shape what drives engagement.
Brands can leverage these insights through qualitative and quantitative research, ethnographic studies, social listening and analysis of first-party data. For example, identifying a high affinity for nostalgia-driven content among second-generation Latinos could influence whether your ad leans into retro aesthetics, multigenerational storytelling or familiar music from the 2000s.
Inclusive media planning begins long before the media buy. Storytelling that reflects lived experiences through casting, scripting and narrative lays the groundwork for genuine connection. Work with writers, producers and directors who mirror the communities you want to reach. Authentic representation builds trust and lifts campaign performance.
CTV allows real-time testing and refinement. Experiment with cultural cues, language combinations and regional variations to enhance your understanding. Use performance data to refine messaging and evaluate emotional response metrics, such as whether viewers watched to the end. Did they comment, share or follow up? Optimization should include a combination of cultural impact and click-through rates.
Hispanic Heritage Month is important, but it is not enough. Audiences notice when brands disappear for the other 11 months. Consistent visibility, even in smaller ways, signals commitment and builds brand equity. The most trusted brands in multicultural households are those that are present year-round, not just seasonally.
Data is crucial, but cultural fluency comes from lived experience. Collaborate with partners—media platforms, creators and strategists who understand the nuances of diverse audiences because they are part of those communities. Demographics reveal who someone is; fluency helps you know how they think, feel and live.
A Shift From Reach To Resonance
CTV has made targeted media more accessible than ever. However, meaningful results emerge when brands shift their perspective on multicultural engagement from a box to check to a core growth strategy.
Multicultural audiences, particularly U.S. Hispanics, are influencing content. They're shaping trends, redefining narratives and setting the tone for where media goes next. African American viewers are equally influential as cultural catalysts, with impact across every platform and genre. Brands that get this right will capture attention and earn loyalty, advocacy and long-term value from the communities shaping the future of entertainment and culture.
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