"Within weeks, we saw a lift" in sales among Latinas, Gonzalez said.
When furniture manufacturer IKEA recognized that it wasn't capturing the large Latino demographic in cities such as Los Angeles, it started advertising in Spanish and noticed results: more Latinos in stores. This year, IKEA launched a series of "vignettes" on Telemundo that run after the soap opera "\o7Dame Chocolate\f7" ("Give me Chocolate").
It features two specially designed bedroom sets made for the soap opera. Karla Monroig, a leggy, blond actress who stars as Samantha in the \o7novela\f7, smiles into the camera and promises in Spanish: "You too can have a room like Samantha, if you go to IKEA. I'm in love with the room they built for me!"
Maria Lovera, deputy marketing manager for IKEA, said that "translating commercials is not enough. You have to understand and participate in the culture."
"The brands that are forward thinking will understand this opportunity," she said. "Hispanics are very, very loyal."
lorenza.munoz@latimes.com
