To best market to Hispanic consumers, Sylvia Melendez-Klinger, founder of Hinsdale, Ill.-based Hispanic Food Communications, recently told bakingbusiness.com that companies must assess their clientele and tailor their messages to this often misunderstood market.

“It’s not just translating materials anymore; it’s about also acculturating it and applying it to their needs,” she explained. “You want to make sure that those translations are global and not just regional for one country or one place.”

That brings up another issue when it comes to marketing to Hispanics. Specifically, this is a diverse demographic base made up of people from many different countries, and as such, their tastes are varied. Although 63% of U.S. Hispanics identify themselves as Mexican, according to the Census Bureau, the other 37% have a wide variety of heritages such as Puerto Rican (9.2%), Salvadoran (3.3%), Cuban (3.2%), Guatemalan (2.1%) and Colombian (1.8%).

What’s popular with Mexicans, such as tortillas, isn’t necessarily appealing to someone who is Cuban or Puerto Rican.

“Some companies put chili peppers onto a bread and think it is going to appeal to all Hispanic consumers, but it’s not going to happen,” Ms. Melendez-Klinger said. “You have to understand the different countries and the foods that they eat, and you can provide something that can appeal to all of them.”

Think about it. How do you identify yourself? When it comes to marketing, one size rarely fits all.